Florida Man Sentenced to Life in Missing Mother Case
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A Florida judge sentenced Shannon Ryan, 44, to life without parole on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, for the 2020 murder of 21-year-old Leila Cavett, a young mother whose body has never been found.
Broward Circuit Judge Michael Usan imposed the sentence a month after a jury found Ryan, a self-described witch doctor, guilty of second-degree murder. Ryan declined to make a statement before the sentence was handed down.
Cavett was last seen on July 25, 2020, at a gas station in Hollywood, Florida. Her then-2-year-old son was found wandering alone the next day.
Because no remains were recovered, the case against Ryan rested on circumstantial evidence and video footage. Court documents say surveillance video showed Ryan dragging a large garbage bag to a dumpster at the gas station where Cavett was last seen. Investigators said Ryan used Cavett's debit card the day after she disappeared, and prosecutors said he searched for information on chloroform, alcohol and bleach and bought duct tape, cleaners and carpet deodorizer.
Ryan has maintained his innocence. His attorney, Dameka Davis, argued that prosecutors' portrayal of Ryan as a witch doctor unfairly influenced the case. Ryan plans to appeal and has 30 days to file a motion.
At the sentencing, Cavett's family pleaded with Ryan to reveal where her remains are. "My prayer and hope is that God will continue to work on Shannon Ryan's heart and that he will find it within himself to tell us where my sister is," a family member told the court.
