Ryan Says Marriage is Over

For those of you who caught the CBS 48 Hours Mystery program Saturday night dealing with the ever-lasting Craig Titus-Kelly Ryan trial, I hoped you viewed carefully the ending graphics. The first one says Craig is appealing his 21 to 55 year sentence (Titus and his lawyer Mark Saggese said Judge Jackie Glass originally agreed to a 17 to 55 year term). The second says Kelly is ending her marriage to Craig.

So far, the latter statement has garnered little attention on the web, but for those who swore Kelly would stick by her Svengali till death do them part, it should have been a shocking revelation. Afterall, Titus came out on television after the original plea bargain deal was completed and said he really was innocent of homicide in the death of friend/personal assist Melissa James, but was copping to the plea  “so my wife can have a life.”

Several years back, at the Contra Costa Bodybuilding Championships (where I emceed and Craig and Kelly guest posed), Ryan told me at a restaurant after the event that, at one point, she was considering divorce, but that Titus talked her out of it. “Craig assured me all couples had their problems, and that we would get through it,” Kelly said, without getting specific about what those problems were.

Exactly a year later, same scenario at same eatery, I asked Kelly how the marriage was going. “Great,” she said. When I brought up our previous conversation, she denied ever mentioning a possible divorce. Now, I’m not saying Ryan was lyin’, but it was, at the least, a memory lapse. Her original dialogue with me was so surprising because I was one of many who had heard about Kelly’s total devotion to Craig.

So, what did I think of the 48 Hours Mystery production? Good in some area’s, lacking in others. First of all, they said Melissa moved to Las Vegas to help out Titus and Ryan with their new clothing business, in 2005 after the demise of her Florida dance studio. Actually, Melissa had lived with Kelly and Craig way before then; I think it was 2001 or 2002 when she shared the couple’s Marine del Rey apartment.

There was no mention of Craig’s previous troubles with the law. No mention of the murder-for-hire plot that eventually resulted in prison time for Ronald Brady. And whatever became of Anthony Gross, the 23-year-old who accompanied Craig and Kelly out to the dessert where they set Kelly’s red Jaguar, with Melissa in the trunk (the question of whether James was dead or not at this point is still unsolved), on fire?

All of us are still wondering what actually happened. For one, I do not believe Craig’s version displayed for the program. Melissa was beating up Kelly, tasering her in the leg, and then was hitting Craig on the back of his head with the gun before he slammed Melissa to the ground? After being chocked by Craig, Melissa then got up, and went into her bedroom? Craig and Kelly moved into another room before checking on Melissa about 40 minutes later, only to find her dead, in Craig’s words, of an overdose?

Kelly, who seemed truly remorseful as she spoke to the court, apparently has undergone a deep religious conversion while behind bars. If so, let’s hear what Kelly says REALLY took place that Tuesday, December 14, 2005 afternoon. Would Kelly let Craig plead guilty to a murder he didn’t commit? Only Craig and Kelly know what went down that day. Now we’ve heard Craig’s version. I want to hear Kelly’s side of the story.

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