According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Cheryl McCally, a jury found defendant, Dr. James Michael Ryan, 50, of Clarksburg, guilty of second-degree depraved heart murder and involuntary manslaughter for the death of 25-year-old Sarah Harris, along with possession with the intent to distribute midazolam and distribution of ketamine and diazepam. The jury deliberated for less than three hours following a two week trial. Ryan faces up to 55 years in prison when he is sentenced. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The victim, Harris, was found deceased in the home she and Ryan were renting in Clarksburg on January 26, 2022. A medical examiner determined her cause of death was ketamine, propofol and diazepam intoxication. Ryan had been supplying her with drugs, taken from his oral surgery practice, often administering them himself. Prior to their romantic involvement, Harris was Ryan’s patient who he recruited as an employee.