Found Deceased WI - Kathleen Ryan, adult, teacher, car found burned with body inside, St. Francis, 2 Feb 2019 #2

[Elliot_Alderson]

"There is nothing that has brought us to any conclusion that somebody did this to Kathleen," said Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Christopher Covelli. "We don't have any evidence somebody caused this to happen to Kathleen." But their investigation is far from over. Sons ask for answers in Milwaukee mother's mysterious death
​

The article was published 57 days ago. Nothing known to have changed minds, altered investigation, since.

"But their investigation is far from over."

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

"There is nothing that has brought us to any conclusion that somebody did this to Kathleen," said Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Christopher Covelli. "We don't have any evidence somebody caused this to happen to Kathleen." But their investigation is far from over. Sons ask for answers in Milwaukee mother's mysterious death
​

The article was published 57 days ago. Nothing known to have changed minds, altered investigation, since.

Also, from your same article is this quote:

Investigators in Lake County, Ill. still have no idea how Ryan died or any motive for her death.

So if nothing has changed in 57 days, then that would mean that investigators still have no idea how she died or motive for her death. I'm entitled to my own opinion here.

 

[Detectivediva]

Also, from your same article is this quote:



So if nothing has changed in 57 days, then that would mean that investigators still have no idea how she died or motive for her death. I'm entitled to my own opinion here.

You do have the right to your opinion. I'm pretty sure that investigators were saying they have a really good idea at to how Kathleen died...and the fact that they haven't said a word in 57 days means that haven't found any evidence to the contrary.

IMHO they said "the investigation is far from over" to pacify her family and to look good in the public eye. IMHO they know exactly what happened.

May poor Kathleen RIP. She seemed like such a wonderful person and I'm sure she will be forever missed by everyone who knew her.

 

[cluciano63]

If no new video has surfaced in the past two months, it won’t now, imo. I really do not see the status of her death ever being other than unknown as far as manner...what would bring it to light? Only a confession imo, or if she had a hidden diary, for example, that is suddenly found.

 

[kay74]

Is this going into cold cases?

 

[cluciano63]

Is this going into cold cases?

Not cold, per se...unresolved, yes, imo.

 

[Justice4242]

This week...

 

[❤️61]

This week??? What do you mean by that?

 

[❤️61]

This week...

Hi again. Wasn’t sure what you meant by “this week”. Maybe you just we’re hoping an answer this week.

 

[Justice4242]

Apologies. I have nothing that is leading me that way. I am hoping for the sake of the case and the family that it happens this week. At this point I have no idea.

 

[Curiousobserver]

If no new video has surfaced in the past two months, it won’t now, imo. I really do not see the status of her death ever being other than unknown as far as manner...what would bring it to light? Only a confession imo, or if she had a hidden diary, for example, that is suddenly found.

You're exactly right.

Unless someone who was involved, assuming there was a crime at all, comes forward in the future, this case will go unsolved.
(add- any amazing forensic technology I can't even imagine at this time)

LE has had long enough to find all the video, to speak to any witnesses, to examine the alibi's of any likely suspects, to get all the lab tests back, to look at her electronic and financial and medical records, and to speak to all of her friends.

 

[Rosiebones]

MOO MOO
I think that LE has has facts to form an opinion as to what happened but not ENOUGH facts to take the next step to either bring charges or to close the case. They may be waiting on the ME to rule on cause and manner of death and the ME cannot do that due to the terrific fire.
I think that this will be an undetermined cause and manner of death ( ME )and a closed case and not a cold case.

 

[Joe Friday]

MOO MOO
I think that LE has has facts to form an opinion as to what happened but not ENOUGH facts to take the next step to either bring charges or to close the case. They may be waiting on the ME to rule on cause and manner of death and the ME cannot do that due to the terrific fire.
I think that this will be an undetermined cause and manner of death ( ME )and a closed case and not a cold case.

The facts led LE to come to the conclusion that there is no evidence to point to someone doing this to Kathleen. LE can't come out and say this was a suicide because the ME hasn't yet ruled her manner of death that way. But I think what LE was trying to say is "read between the lines" when they made that statement.

It would be unheard of for LE to announce to the public 'No one did this to Kathleen', if they actually had information that foul play may have played a part in Kathleen's death but they didn't have enough evidence to charge someone.

JMO

 

[kirkassoc]

Just a thought... I still cannot imagine a wife, mother and grandmother purposely purchasing gasoline and lighting herself on fire. But, I appreciate the cases aforementioned by other Websleuthers. It just goes to show, life is stranger than fiction, sometimes.

I would think it would take a fair amount of time to gather all information over the several counties she passed through on the way to her ultimate destination. In that case, each jurisdiction would have to review the videos along the way and search receipts, etc. The most tell-tale sign that it was self inflicted is WHEN and WHERE the gasoline was purchased or retrieved from and how much. If LE knows the answer to this, they know if it's suicide or foul play, I would think. Her husband probably knows if there was extra gas can/cans missing from the garage, etc. My hubby would know all about that.

 

[Joe Friday]

Just a thought... I still cannot imagine a wife, mother and grandmother purposely purchasing gasoline and lighting herself on fire. But, I appreciate the cases aforementioned by other Websleuthers. It just goes to show, life is stranger than fiction, sometimes.

I would think it would take a fair amount of time to gather all information over the several counties she passed through on the way to her ultimate destination. In that case, each jurisdiction would have to review the videos along the way and search receipts, etc. The most tell-tale sign that it was self inflicted is WHEN and WHERE the gasoline was purchased or retrieved from and how much. If LE knows the answer to this, they know if it's suicide or foul play, I would think. Her husband probably knows if there was extra gas can/cans missing from the garage, etc. My hubby would know all about that.

If an accelerate like Gasoline was used, I'm almost certain the fire investigator would have found evidence of it, unless they never tested for it. If an accelerate is known to be used, LE has kept that information to themselves.

If an accelerate such as Gasoline was used and Kathleen did purchase it that day along her route, there are so many places she could have stopped that it would be impossible for LE to cover them all and look at each video at each gas station to see if Kathleen was there. That would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack when covering the distance between her home and where the car was found. This is why LE makes a public announcement in hopes someone may have seen Kathleen that day.

The only possible ways of knowing if and where Kathleen may have stopped that day whether it be to purchase an accelerate or for some other reason would be through a credit card purchase, her cell phone records or possible if there was more than one traffic cameras that captured Kathleen driving along her route and there was a large gap in time between the time frame of how long it should take to be seen at one camera until being seen in the next. If Kathleen did stop, LE has never said they found evidence of Kathleen stopping anywhere along her route.

For all we know if Kathleen committed suicide, she could have been planning her suicide for some time and purchased Gasoline days ahead of time and had no reason to stop. If she paid cash, then there would be no record or trail to follow.

If Kathleen filled her car with Gasoline prior to her trip she could have used any type of container to place a small amount of gasoline in which she used to start a fire at that time, if an accelerate was used. She wouldn't necessarily have needed to use a Gasoline can taken from the garage, she could have used something like an empty milk jug or pop bottle. Both of which would have burned in the fire and perhaps not thought to have been associated with the fire during the investigation. In other words a lump of burnt plastic from a pop bottle on the floor of the car could have been passed off to be just an old pop bottle that was in the car at the time of the fire and not a container that once contained Gasoline.

JMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

MOO MOO
I think that LE has has facts to form an opinion as to what happened but not ENOUGH facts to take the next step to either bring charges or to close the case. They may be waiting on the ME to rule on cause and manner of death and the ME cannot do that due to the terrific fire.
I think that this will be an undetermined cause and manner of death ( ME )and a closed case and not a cold case.

I believe the ME will list it undetermined for now which is subject to change like many others have in the past.

As long as the ME rules it undetermined it will remain an open case. They dont close cases that are listed as undetermined. All of those kind of cases remain open.

In fact many cases have had the ME list them undetermined at the time, but were finally solved years or even decades later, and the ME changed it..

This case will remain open. They have no proof to close the books on this case.

They only close the book on any case when they have the evidence to support why it should be closed. They arent there in this case. Its another case that is difficult, but not impossible to solve.

Imo, they do not have any irrefutable evidence either way. Until they do... it will remain open, and will continue to be worked by the investigators. Imo

In fact since that old news article being linked I think they have been investigating the case from that time forward.

Many times when LE goes silent many seem to think the case isn't being investigated any more only to find out later... they were indeed diligently working the case behind the scenes all along to bring it to a conclusion.

I've never really understood why that seems to be the belief by many, but it's been believed in several cases here that may have taken a year or even longer to solve. I've never expected any LE to give constant updates to the media or public. That is not their jobs.

I actually think investigators do their best work when they dont hold PCs, and then we only learn how hard they have worked once they come out, and finally announce they have solved the case.

They never close any case where so many questions are still unanswered. They will not do so in this case either until all unknowns become clearly known to them completely.

I've never seen any LE close any case where its undetermined what actually happened to the victim. Imo, it's not going to happen in this case either. Imo.

Jmho

 

[oceanblueeyes]

The facts led LE to come to the conclusion that there is no evidence to point to someone doing this to Kathleen. LE can't come out and say this was a suicide because the ME hasn't yet ruled her manner of death that way. But I think what LE was trying to say is "read between the lines" when they made that statement.

It would be unheard of for LE to announce to the public 'No one did this to Kathleen', if they actually had information that foul play may have played a part in Kathleen's death but they didn't have enough evidence to charge someone.

JMO

I think what they have said is very similar to what LE say when someone is missing.

They usually typically say ' we have no evidence at this time the missing person has met with foul play or isn't missing voluntarily. '

Imo

 

[blankenship]

Due diligence isn't just checking every security camera in a two-state region. It's also, in a case like this, doing a psychological autopsy of the victim. You can bet that's been done here.

 

[owsley]

Beginning to look like that, if the family isn't demanding public answers and unforeseen evidence fails to appear, and I don't think they will, and I don't think there will be -- this one might be allowed go fallow.

Thoughts?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Beginning to look like that, if the family isn't demanding public answers and unforeseen evidence fails to appear, and I don't think they will, and I don't think there will be -- this one might be allowed go fallow.

Thoughts?

I think LE is withholding info to ensure a conviction. I would think they’ve let the family know that. The family is likely quiet because they know something we don’t and are satisfied with LEs investigation thus far. These young men have careers and families to keep them busy. If their Mom was still missing, no doubt they’d be very vocal and the case would have more publicity. There really isn’t anything the family can do except support LEs efforts. I still don't believe it’s suicide.