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

[human]

based on?

She was a cancer survivor?

 

[Eleanor Rigby]

based on?

In my experience, not many teachers currently smoke because it is just too hard to do it at work. Gone are the days of smoke-filled teachers' lounges. Where I've worked and my kids attended school, no smoking was permitted by anyone on any part of the school grounds, and it was strictly enforced. The only teachers in recent years who I knew smoked did so only on their lunch break when they had time to drive off school property. School custodians could walk a block away from the school and smoke on their breaks. School employees were not even allowed to smoke where they could be seen from the school. This was in the Midwest, not on the West Coast, as some might conclude. Smoking has become too darn inconvenient for many teachers. Being both a teacher and a cancer survivor, I think the odds of Katleen being a regular smoker are low. That said, I do know cancer survivors who smoke, but only one is a teacher, so certainly not impossible that Kathleen smoked, just less likely. But if a cigarette is part of a suicide theory, that could likely increase the odds of a former smoker lighting up one last time. MOO.

 

[61Montcalm]

Lurk a lot but don't post much. I just really can't see this being a suicide, just based on gut feeling and nothing else. How to account for all the time from leaving home to the burning Pontiac being discovered? It seems a personal crime or committed by a total stranger to me. Whatever the reason that this happened, prayers to her family.

 

[Wagtales10]

She was a cancer survivor?

My grandma had lung cancer, got chemo, beat it, kept smoking anyway.
So I dont think thats a definitive link

What if she pulled off the road to sneak a smoke?

 

[LarkBunting]

based on?

I doubt she was a smoker for several reasons. One, she was a cancer survivor. Two, she came from a family of athletic coaches, who are generally into healthy living & likely would frown upon their mother/wife smoking & want her to quit, for her health. Three, she was a FT teacher &, as another poster mentioned above, smoking isn’t allowed on or in view of many school campuses, so FT teaching makes smoking a hard habit to keep up. Four, in all of the social media & many photos I’ve perused, including photos from social functions, there is not a single photo of her smoking. Obviously, these things don’t offer proof, but they make me lean toward the non-smoker end of the spectrum.

My grandma had lung cancer, got chemo, beat it, kept smoking anyway.
So I dont think thats a definitive link

What if she pulled off the road to sneak a smoke?

Why would she pull off her usual route, drive to a stranger’s driveway, all of this 8-9 hours after she’d left home & was expected somewhere, to sneak a smoke? I’ve never smoked, but don’t most smokers just light up & smoke while driving?

 

[Wagtales10]

I doubt she was a smoker for several reasons. One, she was a cancer survivor. Two, she came from a family of athletic coaches, who are generally into healthy living & likely would frown upon their mother/wife smoking & want her to quit, for her health. Three, she was a FT teacher &, as another poster mentioned above, smoking isn’t allowed on or in view of many school campuses, so FT teaching makes smoking a hard habit to keep up. Four, in all of the social media & many photos I’ve perused, including photos from social functions, there is not a single photo of her smoking. Obviously, these things don’t offer proof, but they make me lean toward the non-smoker end of the spectrum.



Why would she pull off her usual route, drive to a stranger’s driveway, all of this 8-9 hours after she’d left home & was expected somewhere, to sneak a smoke? I’ve never smoked, but don’t most smokers just light up & smoke while driving?

One - Thats all opinions, nothing you said proves she wasnt a smoker.
Two - Maybe the children became healthy as a response to her habits
Three - People who dont want others to know they smoke go out of their way to hide it. not uncommon
Four - They make movies and tv about people hiding the fact they smoke from people.

Another idea, are we certain there was no affair happening here? Someone she could have met up with under the guise of traveling to a sports event. It sounds like a clever cover if so.

 

[cluciano63]

I think suicide mainly came up as a possibility due to the lack of anything from LE...hoping they have a suspect and that is why no news.

 

[MntnHiker]

I just came upon this thread today and quickly read through all the pages. A couple questions I have (I am leaning toward not a suicide at this point)...

Is the driveway where the car was found obviously a driveway from the road, or because it's so wooded, could it look like a desolate side road for someone not from there?
If it is obviously a driveway, I wonder why the perp(s) would choose to dump the car there and set it on fire, as it is more likely the homeowners would see/hear something (unless they were possibly trying to "frame" or point fingers at the homeowners randomly).
Who called in the fire?

MOO I think it may have been a random crime of opportunity. I agree that leaving so early before the game, she probably planned to stop and run some errands. So if she was abducted/carjacked in the middle of the afternoon, what would happen for the hours until the car was found aflame? She could have been taken somewhere and been sexually assaulted repeatedly (I hate typing this out, but it is a possibility). She could have been killed somewhere almost immediately but the perp(s) were deciding what to do about having her body and car and decided to wait until awhile after nightfall to dump them.

I think there could have been a second perp/vehicle that followed to the dump scene, or if there was a gas station so close by, the perp could have ran there after lighting the car on fire and then either called a friend to come pick him up or a cab, etc. All MOO of course.

 

[diggndeeperstill]

There was a gas station nearby and a monthly stay, run down hotel. Yes, off her normal path, but as I mentioned in a previous post, would be quite possible for the perp to be staying there and walk back to hotel or have had his rig/truck parked at the truck stop nearby.

I just came upon this thread today and quickly read through all the pages. A couple questions I have (I am leaning toward not a suicide at this point)...

Is the driveway where the car was found obviously a driveway from the road, or because it's so wooded, could it look like a desolate side road for someone not from there?
If it is obviously a driveway, I wonder why the perp(s) would choose to dump the car there and set it on fire, as it is more likely the homeowners would see/hear something (unless they were possibly trying to "frame" or point fingers at the homeowners randomly).
Who called in the fire?

MOO I think it may have been a random crime of opportunity. I agree that leaving so early before the game, she probably planned to stop and run some errands. So if she was abducted/carjacked in the middle of the afternoon, what would happen for the hours until the car was found aflame? She could have been taken somewhere and been sexually assaulted repeatedly (I hate typing this out, but it is a possibility). She could have been killed somewhere almost immediately but the perp(s) were deciding what to do about having her body and car and decided to wait until awhile after nightfall to dump them.

I think there could have been a second perp/vehicle that followed to the dump scene, or if there was a gas station so close by, the perp could have ran there after lighting the car on fire and then either called a friend to come pick him up or a cab, etc. All MOO of course.

 

[human]

There was a gas station nearby and a monthly stay, run down hotel. Yes, off her normal path, but as I mentioned in a previous post, would be quite possible for the perp to be staying there and walk back to hotel or have had his rig/truck parked at the truck stop nearby.

So you think she may have gone to the gas station and was accosted there?

I wonder who lives at the driveway. Is this a person who is there all of the time and would be using the driveway or is it a vacation property or is it someone that is gone for some reason?

 

[diggndeeperstill]

I do think that is one possibility, although I don’t know why she would have been there. I also think there is a big potential for it to be someone close to her.

I can’t identify the driveway specifically, but a few posts back of mine show a driveway that is possible. And yes, it’s just a long drive leading to a home. There seem to be two of those on that stretch of road, ironically right off the highway based on the address info given.

I would imagine LE has the surveillance from the truck stop and would know of her last uses of credit and debit cards because they said they were reviewing those.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Bumping this thread, and checking to see if there are any updates. Hope we get some news soon.

 

[kay74]

So much to check out, surveillance cameras, credit/debit cards, hopefully eyewitnesses and most importantly keep praying.

 

[PayrollNerd]

2 states, 2 counties, 2 cities, 2 jurisdictions, 1 Mom. This has to be complex to pull together with many different policies, procedures & laws. The radio silence from LE tells me they are carefully dotting all their i’s and crossing all their t’s. Once everything is in place, it’s going to stick. Prayers to the family for patience and justice for Kathleen.

 

[Detectivediva]

2 states, 2 counties, 2 cities, 2 jurisdictions, 1 Mom. This has to be complex to pull together with many different policies, procedures & laws. The radio silence from LE tells me they are carefully dotting all their i’s and crossing all their t’s. Once everything is in place, it’s going to stick. Prayers to the family for patience and justice for Kathleen.

It's possible I'm missing something but haven't seen the family or others in general (not including here) demanding answers or justice like I do in others cases where foul play is likely. Also I see absolutely no update from LE (not even addressing that the public isn't in danger) so that makes me lean towards self harm.

 

[PayrollNerd]

It's possible I'm missing something but haven't seen the family or others in general (not including here) demanding answers or justice like I do in others cases where foul play is likely. Also I see absolutely no update from LE (not even addressing that the public isn't in danger) so that makes me lean towards self harm.

And that same reasoning makes me lean towards known perp. Either way this family’s loss is heartbreaking.

 

[kay74]

And that same reasoning makes me lean towards known perp. Either way this family’s loss is heartbreaking.

You really thinks so. I can't see that. She had 3 sons in their late 20's possibly a 30 year old. They are probably busy with their lives and don't want to go in front of a tv camera, husband is not there (separated?)They are probably leaving it up to the authorities. I could be wrong.

 

[LarkBunting]

You really thinks so. I can't see that. She had 3 sons in their late 20's possibly a 30 year old. They are probably busy with their lives and don't want to go in front of a tv camera, husband is not there (separated?)They are probably leaving it up to the authorities. I could be wrong.

Her sons adored her. One of her grandkids is even her namesake. I can’t begin to imagine their total heartbreak & devastation. If anyone wants answers & justice, I am 1,000% percent sure it is them, most of all.
It must be agony just to wake up & put one foot in front of the other for all of them. It breaks my heart.

 

[Detectivediva]

Her sons adored her. One of her grandkids is even her namesake. I can’t begin to imagine their total heartbreak & devastation. If anyone wants answers & justice, I am 1,000% percent sure it is them, most of all.
It must be agony just to wake up & put one foot in front of the other for all of them. It breaks my heart.

I think you misinterpreted Kay's comment...no one is questioning that the family absolutely adored her...Everyone knows that. IMHO some of us think the family and LE might not be demanding answers/justice because there is perhaps reason to think it may have been self harm. If not usually you see the family being more vocal in the media. This is in no way meant to be negative towards the family...we are just theorizing based on many other cases/outcomes in the past. As was mentioned, regardless of the reason... It is absolutely heartbreaking. May Ms. Ryan rest in peace.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Her sons adored her. One of her grandkids is even her namesake. I can’t begin to imagine their total heartbreak & devastation. If anyone wants answers & justice, I am 1,000% percent sure it is them, most of all.
It must be agony just to wake up & put one foot in front of the other for all of them. It breaks my heart.

I can tell from the media reports about her she was very loved, highly respected and genuinely a kind lady. While I believe the perp was known to her, that’s doesn’t mean I necessarily think it was her family. This was a violent crime by someone angry. She likely had no known enemies, at least not outwardly known. Jealousy, resentment and rage can explode after simmering for years. People keep up appearances for a long time, until they just can’t anymore. Then they formulate they’re revenge for whatever perceived wrong they think was the truth.

I have no doubt LE is working hard coordinating the investigation between both states. I do believe this will be solved but its going to take time. Prayers and patience to this family. Their days must be overwhelmingly difficult.