# Man jailed for life over murder of missing Florida mother

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/self-proclaimed-witch-doctor-learns-fate-for-killing-young-mom-whose-body-was-never-found/
- Published: 2026-10-25T04:42:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T05:02:16+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16236245/Florida-witch-doctor-killer-mom-body.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Shannon Ryan received a life sentence for Leila Cavett’s murder.
- Cavett’s body has never been found.
- Investigators cited surveillance footage, purchases and phone searches.

## Summary

Shannon Ryan, 38, has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 murder of Leila Cavett, a 21-year-old mother whose body has never been found. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, bringing a conclusion to a case that began when Cavett disappeared in Florida and her two-year-old son was found alone.

Cavett travelled from Georgia to Florida with her son in July 2020 and was last seen on surveillance footage at a Hollywood petrol station, getting into a Lexus linked to Ryan. Investigators said footage showed Ryan handling items from her truck and discarding belongings; he also used her bank card to buy cleaning products, bin bags and duct tape. Phone records showed searches about whether bleach and alcohol make chloroform, as well as local commercial rubbish collection times. Ryan’s lawyer plans to appeal his sentence.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.