Forensic Files

Oral surgeon charged with "depraved-heart" murder in girlfriend’s death

48 Hours

  • Oct 5, 2024
  • 1:27
  • Short

Sarah Harris, 25, was found unresponsive on the floor in the Maryland home she shared with her boyfriend, Dr. James Ryan. Authorities concluded that she died of an overdose from powerful drugs in her system. Ryan was later charged with second-degree depraved heart murder for her death. Here's what that means.

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com

Brief Summary

The episode discusses Sarah Harris's death and Dr. James Ryan's depraved heart murder charge.

Key points

  • The Case of Sarah Harris. A young woman dies with anesthetics in her system, leading to a murder charge against her boyfriend.

More from 48 Hours

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.

Start a Case

Join Team Forensic Files

Regular case drops, breaking crime news, and podcast premieres, straight to your inbox.

or

Forgot your password?