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In December 2005, the charred remains of Melissa James were discovered in the trunk of a burning Jaguar on a remote road outside Las Vegas. Registered to fitness celebrity Kelly Ryan, the car led investigators to Ryan and her husband, professional bodybuilder Craig Titus, both of whom initially denied involvement in James’ disappearance.
According to an Oxygen report dated April 14, 2024, duct tape was wrapped around Melissa James’ head, and a fabric ligature was found around her neck, pointing to possible restraint and strangulation. A CBS News report dated May 31, 2008, stated the coroner found high levels of morphine in her system but could not determine a precise cause of death.
Despite this, the prosecution argued that the body showed signs of being tasered, battered, injected with narcotics, and ultimately set on fire. Melissa James had moved in with the couple earlier that year, working closely with them before tensions escalated. The case is revisited in Fit for Murder, a true-crime dramatization shedding light on the events that led to her death.
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5 shocking details about Melissa James' murder explored
The 2005 murder of Melissa James, a 28-year-old dancer and entrepreneur, remains one of the most harrowing cases linked to the fitness world. Her death, its aftermath, and the convictions of pro bodybuilder Craig Titus and his wife, Kelly Ryan, have been revisited in true crime specials, including Fit for Murder on Lifetime and an episode of Sin City Murders.
Below are five revelations about the case that stunned investigators and the public alike.
1) Melissa James’ body was found duct-taped, strangled, and burned in a car trunk
On December 14, 2005, Las Vegas firefighters responded to a report of a burning red Jaguar in the desert near Sandy Valley Road. Inside the trunk, authorities discovered the charred remains of a woman, later identified through DNA as Melissa James. According to an Oxygen.com report dated April 14, 2024, her head had been entirely wrapped in duct tape, and a fabric ligature was found around her neck.
Despite the advanced state of decomposition, medical examiners confirmed that James was dead before the car fire.
"The fabric ligature and duct tape certainly would have been enough to strangle a person," Detective Dean O’Kelley stated.
However, the coroner officially listed the cause of death as “undetermined” due to the presence of multiple potential causes, including strangulation and a fatal dose of morphine in her system.
2) Titus and Ryan used James’ credit card to buy lighter fluid used in the cover-up
Surveillance footage from a nearby Walmart showed Kelly Ryan purchasing seven bottles of lighter fluid using Melissa James’ credit card shortly before the fire was discovered. A CBS News report dated May 31, 2008, confirmed that the couple made the purchase at approximately 3:30 a.m. on December 14.
Across the street, bodybuilding associate Anthony Gross was seen waiting. He later told police that he followed Titus to the desert, where the car was set on fire. Authorities later recovered additional evidence of premeditation, including taser discharge dots found at the couple’s home, which investigators linked to a stun gun used during the attack.
3) A friend claimed the couple tasered, injected, and strangled Melissa James
Megan Foley, a close friend of Kelly Ryan, told police she was present the night Melissa James disappeared. According to a CBS News report dated September 18, 2010, Foley alleged that Ryan confided in her about a physical altercation in which James initially threatened Ryan with a taser.
Ryan allegedly gained control of the weapon and used it on James before Titus intervened by body-slamming and restraining her. Foley also claimed that Ryan admitted to injecting James with narcotics while Titus held her down.
Police later confirmed taser usage through forensic evidence and found DNA on a leather sap in the couple’s home, Melissa’s on the striking end and Craig’s on the handle.
4) The couple initially claimed James overdosed but later fled the state
Titus and Ryan told police that Melissa James had overdosed and that, fearing the fallout on their careers, they decided to dispose of her body themselves. According to the Enterprise report dated June 5, 2008, they claimed that panic, not malice, led to the burning of her body and their decision to flee Nevada.
However, investigators believed their actions, including staging the theft of their own car, planting James’ debit card in their home, and purchasing accelerants, were coordinated efforts to cover up a murder.
Their nationwide manhunt ended nine days later in Stoughton, Massachusetts, where Ryan was arrested at a salon and Titus was found waiting outside. As per NBC News on December 28, 2005, federal authorities had tracked the couple through phone records and possible plans to flee to a non-extradition country.
5) Both were convicted but gave conflicting stories before sentencing
Eventually, both Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan accepted plea deals. As reported by CBS News on May 31, 2008, Titus pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping, and arson, receiving 21 to 55 years in prison. Ryan entered an Alford plea to battery with a deadly weapon and pleaded guilty to arson, receiving six to 26 years. She was paroled in 2017.
However, Titus later claimed in an interview that he took the plea only to protect Ryan, denying responsibility for the murder. The judge upheld the sentence after confirming that Titus knowingly accepted the terms of the plea.
Melissa James' murder, as detailed in Fit for Murder, highlights a tragic convergence of drugs, jealousy, and violence that spiraled out of control. Despite conflicting narratives, the forensic trail and testimonies revealed a deliberate effort to end and erase a young woman’s life.
Stay tuned for more updates.
