A jury Friday found Dr. James Michael Ryan, 50, of Clarksburg guilty of second-degree depraved heart murder and involuntary manslaughter for the fatal overdose of his girlfriend, Sarah Harris, 25.
He also was found guilty of possession with the intent to distribute midazolam and distribution of ketamine and diazepam.
Ryan, a dentist and oral surgeon, faces up to 55 years in prison. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours following a two-week trial.
Harris was found dead in the home she and Ryan rented in Clarksburg on Jan. 26, 2022, according to the State’s Attorneys Office for Montgomery County. A medical examiner determined she died of ketamine, propofol and diazepam intoxication.
Ryan had been supplying her with drugs, taken from his oral surgery practice, often administering them himself, according to the State’s Attorneys Office.
During the trial, multiple Montgomery County officers testified about text messages between Ryan and Harris that showed Harris asking Ryan for drugs, and Ryan offering to get the drugs and administer them.
Susan Harris
In one particular conversation a month before Harris died, Ryan wrote that he gave Harris ketamine. Investigators also pointed to a conversation Harris had with her ex-boyfriend stating she overdosed in December of 2021.
Harris’s family also testified that they were worried about her after noticing she was wearing long sleeves to hide her drug use, weeks before her death.
Prior to their romantic involvement, Harris was Ryan’s patient, who he recruited as an employee.
Ryan practiced oral and maxillofacial surgery at Evolution Oral Surgery in Germantown. Harris worked as a surgical technician there.
