Mar. 24, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Fitness pair indicted on murder charges
By GLENN PUIT
Fitness champions Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan have been indicted on murder charges in the death of their personal assistant.
The indictment is expected to be unsealed in District Court this morning.
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Attorneys for both the prosecution and the defense refused to discuss the case Thursday because, by law, grand jury proceedings are secret.
Also expected to be indicted is Anthony Gross, who is accused of helping Titus and Ryan burn the body of their personal assistant, Melissa James, 28, in December.
The indictment is expected to be unsealed today because it is the last day to unseal indictments before the pair's scheduled preliminary hearing next week in Las Vegas Justice Court.
Prosecutors in the case were observed in a courthouse hallway at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday morning, near a room where grand jury proceedings take place.
Prosecutor Robert Daskas declined to comment when questioned later by a reporter.
Defense attorney Thomas Pitaro, who is representing Ryan, declined to comment when reached at his office later in the day. Titus' attorney, Richard Schonfeld, could not be reached.
Gross' attorney, Louis Palazzo, also would not comment.
The indictment means a group of Clark County residents have been impaneled and have listened to witness testimony, then determined there is enough evidence to warrant a formal charge of murder.
The case will proceed to District Court, and a formal trial date will be set.
It is possible that when the indictment is unsealed this morning that District Judge David Wall will be asked to rule on whether the two should be eligible for bail.
Currently, they are in custody without bail.
Titus, 40, is a past place-winner of the international Mr. Olympia competitions, and Ryan, 33, is a past Ms. Fitness America and Ms. Olympia runner-up.
James, the couple's live-in personal assistant, was found strangled and burned Dec. 14 in the back of Ryan's torched red Jaguar off state Route 160.
Gross, 23, who is a friend of the couple, is charged with arson and being an accessory to murder. Authorities allege he helped Ryan and Titus dispose of the body.
Titus told police that he was having an affair with the younger woman and that his wife did not know about the affair, according to a report police filed to obtain the arrest warrants.
Titus and Ryan later told police that they had discovered James was stealing from them and kicked her out of their house in southwest Las Vegas, the report states.
They also alleged that James had stolen Ryan's car, but neither allegation was reported to police until after James' body was found, the report states.
Police have obtained video surveillance footage that shows Ryan buying several large bottles of lighter fluid at a Wal-Mart in northwest Las Vegas about 30 minutes before James' body was set on fire, police reports state.
According to statements given to police after Titus and Ryan were arrested in Boston, the two defendants changed their story, saying they found James dead of a drug overdose in their house, then panicked and burned the body.