Where is James Ryan now? Details explored ahead of 48 Hours on CBS 

James Ryan was sentenced to 45 years in prison on January 2, 2023, after he was found guilty of Sarah Jane Harris’s death. He was charged with depraved heart murder, which is a subcategory of second-degree murder as reported by CBS.

The upcoming episode of 48 Hours on CBS titled Depraved Heart Murder will focus on the events that led to Sarah's murder. It will air on October 5, 2024, at 9 pm EST and the synopsis for the episode reads:

"Sarah Harris, 25, was found unresponsive on the floor in the Maryland home she shared with her boyfriend, Dr. James Ryan. Authorities concluded that she died of an overdose from powerful drugs in her system. Ryan was later charged with second-degree depraved heart murder for her death. Here's what that means."

As per prison records, James Ryan is incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Training Center, Washington County, serving his prison sentence.

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What happened to Sarah Harris and how was James Ryan involved in it?

Sarah Harris was found cold and unresponsive on January 26, 2022. After a 911 call, when the authorities arrived at her home, they found her dead. As per her boyfriend Dr. James Ryan, an oral surgeon, Sarah died from a drug overdose.

He also mentioned that Sarah was struggling with depression and anxiety, and was a drug addict. As per statements, Ryan had seen Sarah before going to bed the night before, and in the morning, he found her unresponsive. The authorities found Ryan’s statements convincing and did not find a reason for suspicion.

However, when the postmortem reports were released, it was found that Sarah had propofol and ketamine in her system.

Note: Propofol and ketamine are sedatives used by general anesthetists and are also used to battle depression. An overdose of this can kill a human.

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How did Sarah have access to these medical drugs?

The authorities learned more from Sarah’s mother Tina Harris, who after Sarah’s demise alleged that Ryan used to provide Sarah with anesthetic drugs so that he could groom and control her, and over time Sarah got addicted.

Tina also informed the authorities that she noticed that Sarah's speech was slurred and there were drug vials and other medical paraphernalia in her room, before her death. When she asked her daughter and her boyfriend James Ryan about the same, they said that it was for medical use and had no intended or long-term harm.

Reportedly, when Ian Iacoviello, a Montgomery detective took over the case, he helped Sarah’s family get justice. James Ryan was charged and tried for her murder.

It was also learned that James was a stalker and even though he was divorced and had kids from his previous marriage and relationships, he still had his eyes on Sarah from a very young age.

The authorities also revealed in court that James Ryan had taken those drugs from his medical chamber and given them to Sarah Harris. WhatsApp messages also surfaced post Sarah’s death, which showed a conversation between her and Ryan about the drugs that killed her. One such text also revealed that James once injected Sarah with Ketamine while she was asleep.

Ryan did not plead guilty and there was no evidence to charge him with first-degree murder as there was no proof that he wanted her dead. Based on the circumstantial evidence, he was eventually charged with depraved heart murder on Jan 3, 2024, and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

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To know more about this case, watch the upcoming episode of 48 Hours on CBS titled Depraved Heart Murder.