A trial is underway in Broward for a self-proclaimed “witch” charged in the murder of a mother who vanished in South Florida more than six years ago.
Shannon Ryan, 44, is charged with murder, child neglect and tampering with evidence in connection with the disappearance of Leila Cavett.
Cavett, who was 21 at the time, was last seen at a gas station in Hollywood in July of 2020. Her body was never found.
Hours after her disappearance, Cavett’s then 2-year-old son was found wandering alone at an apartment complex in Miramar. Her vehicle was found abandoned a few days later.
Court documents said Ryan, a self-described witch and chakra master, told investigators he had known Cavett since around January 2019, and that she had come to Florida to sell him her pickup truck.
In a 50-minute video on his Facebook page, Ryan claimed he met Cavett outside his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, when she showed up in the middle of the night with her then 1-year-old baby, saying her car broke down and she needed shelter.
Ryan said he let them stay there for two months, teaching Cavett witchcraft before she moved out.
In a criminal complaint filed in Fort Lauderdale, the FBI said video evidence didn’t support Ryan’s claims that he saw Cavett and her son get into another person’s vehicle at a RaceTrac gas station in Hollywood.
Investigators also say he bought odor eliminator, duct tape and extra-large garbage bags around the time of her disappearance.
Authorities interviewed several employees of the RaceTrac gas station and one employee recognized a picture of Ryan and told law enforcement that they had seen Ryan using the RaceTrac dumpster, the complaint said.
Another employee specifically remembered seeing children’s toys and women’s clothing inside the dumpster on or around July 26, the complaint said. The employee recognized a distinct pair of floral pants worn by Cavett in a picture shown to them.
An arrest report said surveillance video from July 27, 2020, showed Ryan dragging a large object wrapped in black garbage bags from the truck to a dumpster. He was also seen throwing away what appeared to be bloody towels.
Investigators also found Ryan had searched “does bleach and alcohol make chloroform” and that he visited Hollywood’s Waste Management website to see times of commercial trash pick-up in the city.
Ryan had pleaded not guilty. He remains behind bars without bond as his trial continues.
