The unsolved murder case of Carol Ryan, which occurred in 1996, continues to baffle investigators in Onondaga County. Despite extensive documentation and interviews, the killer has never been found. The investigation focused on early leads, including Carol’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby Magee, her boyfriend Walter Krukowski, and her abusive ex-husband, Patrick Ryan. However, no physical evidence connected any of them to the crime scene. The current lead detective believes that Carol was killed by a stranger, a theory supported by the District Attorney. The case remains open, and anyone with information is urged to contact the authorities. Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com reported
In the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, there is a large filing cabinet that stands five feet tall and is completely filled to the brim. Each of its five drawers is crammed with an abundance of documents, including witness statements, lab reports, crime scene photos, and numerous other pieces of evidence, all pertaining to the unsolved murder of Carol Ryan. It is a rarity to find a cold case with such an extensive amount of documentation and interviews within the county sheriff’s office, yet despite this, Carol’s case remains unresolved.
The date was September 1, 1996, when Carol met a horrifying fate. She was brutally murdered, her body left on the side of the road in Jamesville after an explosive device was detonated inside her. Unfortunately, her killer was never apprehended, and her case remains one of the most unsettling murders in the history of Syracuse.
In the fourth episode of the true crime podcast “Firecracker” by syracuse.com, the investigation into Carol’s murder is explored in detail, revealing how it was characterized by fits and starts. Additionally, the podcast sheds light on three individuals who were initially considered “early leads” in the weeks following Carol’s murder.
One of the individuals questioned by investigators was Carol’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby Magee. There were reports of neighbors hearing arguments between the couple at Grant Village in Eastwood a few days prior to Carol’s murder. However, Bobby lacked a car and a driver’s license, making it difficult for him to transport Carol from Eastwood to Jamesville, where her body was discovered. Lead detective Carl Kruger recalls interviewing Bobby multiple times, even resorting to showing him crime scene photos in an attempt to unsettle him. However, Bobby eventually provided enough of an alibi to shift the focus away from him, and the investigation regarding his involvement fizzled out. Bobby passed away in 2012.
Another person of interest was Walter Krukowski, who was dating Carol at the time of her death. Carol’s son, Shawn Hamilton, harbored negative feelings towards Walter and shared a disturbing anecdote about him using explosives to eliminate squirrels in his house. Despite this, Walter never became a prominent suspect in the investigation. Detectives determined that he had no apparent motive or reason to want Carol dead, as they were close and he was devastated by her loss. Walter passed away in 2002.
Detectives also looked into Carol’s ex-husband, Patrick Ryan, who Shawn described as an abusive individual. Carol and Patrick were married for a decade during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Patrick, a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War and a retired truck driver, had remarried and started a new family long before Carol was killed. Although he had a history of violence towards Carol, investigators ultimately cleared him of any involvement. Patrick passed away in 2006.
It is worth noting that there is no physical evidence linking any of these individuals – Carol’s boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or ex-husband – to the crime scene. Detective Alexander Hebert, who was assigned to the case in 2021, now believes that Carol was killed by a stranger. Hebert explains that in homicide investigations, the focus typically begins with people who knew the victim and expands from there. Since no one close to Carol has been arrested thus far, Hebert posits that the perpetrator was likely unknown to her. Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick, who was involved in Carol’s case from the start and remains the district attorney today, shares this opinion. He believes that the murderer encountered Carol that night and had a deep-seated hatred towards women.
Nearly three decades have passed since Carol Ryan’s murder, yet her killer continues to elude the police. Over the past year, syracuse.com journalists have delved into Carol’s case, conducting interviews with her family and friends, witnesses, detectives, forensic and legal experts, and even persons of interest. “Firecracker” is the most comprehensive journalistic investigation of her case to date.
Listeners can tune in to the fourth episode of “Firecracker,” titled “The Cabinet of Carol Ryan,” to learn more about the investigation and subscribe to the podcast exclusively on Wondery+. Syracuse.com is proud to partner with Wondery+ to bring this podcast to a national audience.
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office at 315-435-3051. To submit an anonymous tip, text TIPONON followed by your tip to 847411.
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Katrina Tulloch is a journalist and videographer for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. You can reach her at any time through email, Instagram, or Facebook, or by calling 518-810-5022. Samantha House also contributed to this report.
For more extensive coverage on Carol Ryan’s cold case, please refer to the following articles:
– “Carol Ryan’s murder still unsolved after 27 years; hope hinges on new DNA technology”
– “Carol Ryan’s cold case: Horrific Syracuse murder remains unsolved 26 years later”
– “After 20 years, CNY woman’s brutal murder remains unsolved”.