Sarah Harris’s life seemed idyllic from the outside. She was 25 years old, had just won the Miss Maryland Petit Pageant, and had suddenly been offered her dream job.
But something more sinister is going on, according to a new 48-hour report in an episode titled “Depraved Heart Murders” airing Saturday, Oct. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. It is said that
The episode examines how Harris died in 2022 after first responders found her unresponsive from an overdose at her boyfriend, Dr. James Ryan’s home in Montgomery County, Maryland. I am doing it.
“This wasn’t a simple accidental overdose. This was much more than that,” Ian Iacoviello, a special agent with the Montgomery Police Department and the lead detective on Harris’ case, said in a statement shared by CBS this week. said in a preview of the episode.
The new 48 Hours episode on CBS features in-depth interviews with multiple investigators, including Iacoviello, and Harris’ mother, Tina Harris. Harris’ mother, Tina Harris, said she “never thought” her daughter’s life would end this way.
Iacoviello said Harris was a 25-year-old who was “incredibly intelligent, very energetic and very fun.”
The former Maryland beauty pageant winner met Ryan while she was a patient at an oral surgery clinic and remained in touch after her wisdom teeth were removed, according to Harris’ family.
Dr. James Ryan. Montgomery County Police Department
Harris wanted to work in the medical field and had expressed an interest in anesthesiology.
“She wanted to be a doctor from an early age,” her mother told 48 Hours. “She wanted to help people.”
So when Ryan, now 51, texted a former patient asking if she knew anyone who wanted to be a surgical assistant, Harris asked her mother, “Why not me?”
She started working with Ryan and then decided to live with him after they started dating.
“A lot of people knew him and thought very highly of him,” the detective said.
But an investigation into Ryan’s relationship with Harris reveals something even more concerning, according to a trailer for the 48 Hours episode. Maryland local NBC4 previously reported that the doctor quickly became a suspect in Harris’ death after detectives discovered that Harris had provided her with drugs taken from his own clinic. Ta.
According to Iacoviello, the reason he gave her drugs was to control her.
Ryan, Iacoviello told 48 Hours, “created an addict.” “She was chemically dependent on him,” said Ann Miller, a social worker who also testified for the prosecution.
Miller added: “He saw her as an object… not someone he could have an equal relationship with. So if that’s true, he doesn’t think he can have an equal relationship, he thinks he’s the one in the relationship.” It means that we have tied the knot,” he added. He could control her. ”
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Ryan was ultimately convicted of “depraved heart murder,” an unusual conviction with prosecutors claiming Ryan had shown “extreme indifference” to his life. CBS News previously reported.
Harris’ father, Mark Harris, previously told NBC4 that Harris was a “caring and loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt and friend.”
“Sarah was a shining star in our lives,” he said.
48 Hours on CBS airs Saturday, October 4th at 10pm ET/PT
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA Substance Abuse Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
