Alabama 'witch' faces Florida charge in missing mom case a day after federal charges are dropped


Alabama ‘witch’ faces new state charge in Florida as part of ongoing missing mom case a day after a federal judge dismissed the kidnapping charges against him

  • Shannon Ryan, a self-described ‘witch’ is a suspect in the disappearance of Leila Cavett, who went missing in Florida last July
  • Her son, two years old at the time, was wandering alone about 12 miles from where Cavett was last seen
  • Ryan was facing federal kidnapping charges related to the boy, but those were dropped Thursday
  • The same day, he was charged with a felony charge of child neglect without great bodily harm in Florida, and is currently in Broward County Main Jail 

A self-described ‘witch’ from Alabama who was suspected of being involved in the disappearance of a Georgia mother has had kidnapping charges related to her son dropped without explanation by a federal judge.

But Shannon Demar Ryan, 40, was immediately re-arrested on Florida state charges. 

Ryan was the last person to be seen with Leila Cavett, 21, before she vanished nearly nine months ago.

She traveled from Georgia to Florida to sell Ryan her pickup truck, met him at a gas station in Hollywood, Florida on July 25, 2020 and headed to the beach in Ryan’s gold Lexus, according to the federal complaint. She has not been seen since. 

The next morning, her son was found about 12 miles away wandering around a Miramar apartment building, according to court documents.   

Ryan was facing federal kidnapping charges related to the boy, but those were dropped Thursday.

He now faces a Florida state felony charge of child neglect without great bodily harm connected to Cavett’s son. 

He appeared in court via Zoom Thursday morning for arraignment. 

Self-described 'witch' Shannon Ryan is a suspect in the ongoing disappearance of Leila Cavett. Federal charges against him were dropped, but he now faces a state charge in Florida.

Self-described ‘witch’ Shannon Ryan is a suspect in the ongoing disappearance of Leila Cavett. Federal charges against him were dropped, but he now faces a state charge in Florida. 

Nine months have passed since Leila Cavett, 21 at the time, went missing. Her son was found the morning after she was last seen.

Nine months have passed since Leila Cavett, 21 at the time, went missing. Her son was found the morning after she was last seen. 

After Cavett’s disappearance, Ryan taunted law enforcement on social media, where he has a dedicated following for being a ‘witch doctor,’ a Florida prosecutor said during Thursday’s arraignment. 

Before his arrest, Ryan continuously posted on Facebook pages ‘Shannon Ryan’ and ‘Magnetic Kundalini,’ the latter of which is devoted to ‘Witchcraft, Knowledge of Self, Kemetic Kundalini & Chakra meditation, Kemetic Science, Health, wellness, fitness, mentorship,’ the Miami Herald reported. 

Among his many posts was a 51-minute video from Aug. 9, 2020, in which he describes his relationship with Cavett from their first meeting in 2019 through her disappearance.

 It wasn’t long after that he was arrested by federal agents and charged with lying to authorities and later kidnapping the boy, but those charges were dropped without explanation. 

The dismissal was signed by federal court Judge Lurana Snow. DailyMail.com has contacted the judge for comment. 

A spokesperson for the Broward County State Attorney’s Office declined to comment when asked if more charges could be added, only saying, ‘The case is ongoing.’

Broward County was the location of the last major search for Cavett. 

Last October, FBI agents scoured a county landfill after receiving a tip, but their efforts proved fruitless. 

Shannon Ryan taunted law enforcement on social media after Cavett's disappearance.

Shannon Ryan taunted law enforcement on social media after Cavett’s disappearance. 

A Broward County, Florida, landfill was the site of a massive FBI search for Cavett last October.

A Broward County, Florida, landfill was the site of a massive FBI search for Cavett last October. 

Cavett traveled from Georgia to Florida to sell Ryan her pickup truck (pictured)

Cavett traveled from Georgia to Florida to sell Ryan her pickup truck (pictured)

Last year, Cavett’s family told Sun South Florida Sun Sentinel that they fear she’s dead. 

‘I don’t want my daughter to be dead,’ Kirby told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. ‘But I cannot live the rest of my life in denial either.’    

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