Death in the desert: the arrest of Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan for the murder of their roommate Melissa James has caused a flood of Internet rumor and speculation. FLEX dives into the police records and grand jury testimony to bring you the facts

Flex, Nov, 2006 by Carey Rossi

THE TRIAL On July 18, 2006, Titus and Ryan made another appearance in a Clark County courtroom. Their lawyers--Richard Schonfeld and Steven C. Boozang, lawyers for Titus, and Tom Pitaro, lawyer for Ryan (who didn't respond to interview requests for this story)--unsuccessfully argued to throw out the couple's statements to police and that evidence was insufficient for the kidnapping charges. Ultimately, their petition to have testimony and charges dropped was denied.

Currently, the trial is set to begin in January 2007. At that time, it will be the job of the prosecutors to present Megan Foley's testimony, to establish motive and to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Titus and Ryan ended James' life. This may be difficult, especially since the forensic evidence that may prove asphyxia, blunt-force trauma or injections of drugs may have been destroyed in the fire, although the high levels of morphine found in James' blood could have been from the incident as Foley testified; it could also be from an overdose, as Ryan and Titus have claimed.

This lack of forensic evidence may help the defense show reasonable doubt. Beyond that, they will need to discredit Megan Foley, and explain what Ryan and Titus did on December 13, 2005 (since, in statements to police, the couple's stories differed), and why Titus and Ryan left the state if it wasn't to flee possible arrest.

In the meantime, Titus maintains his innocence and states that he and Ryan will be acquitted of all charges (see sidebar, "Letter from the Inside"). He and Ryan will spend their days apart, both in Clark County Detention Center, until the trial begins and the circumstances surrounding the death of Melissa James get a full airing before a judge and jury.

RELATED ARTICLE: LETTER FROM THE INSIDE

In response to a request for an interview by FLEX Senior Writer Greg Merritt, Craig Titus returned the following.

Dear Greg,

This letter is intended for you to publish in FLEX magazine.

I am currently in the process of putting a book together called Craig Titus Tells All. The book will be available on line at www.musclemissions.org in the next few weeks.

Craig Titus Tells All will detail what an absolute hypocracy [sic] the bodybuilding & fitness community really is--both in the NPC and IFBB. Steroid use (severe roid use, diuretics, no testing), corruption (judges, head figures, management org.), prostitution (gay for pay, fitness athletes and judges), athlete exploitation, supplement company lies. [A note written sideways in the margin reads: "No Holds Barred!--Names. "] Everyone will be revealing [sic]. Including why and who forced Kelly and I into retirement after the 2005 Ironman. Just because I ... [his ellipses] People will be held accountable!!"

--Craig Titus

RELATED ARTICLE: MURDER DEFINED

Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan have been charged with first-degree murder; kidnapping and third-degree arson. Here's what that means.

FIRST-DEGREE MURDER This requires willfulness (intent), deliberation (process) and premeditation (design). In the context of this case, it is important to note that the act of killing was not done out of passion or, if it was, it must have been carried out after there was time for the passion to subside and the deliberation to occur. Crimes of passion do not fall under this category.