249:, the police interviewed both her and her husband Titus. Melissa James was their live-in personal assistant. The police released the couple, pending more investigation. They fled across country to Massachusetts. Titus had admitted to detectives of having had an affair with James, but said he and his wife had ended their working relationship with her, claiming she had embezzled from them.
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His first bodybuilding competition was the 1988 Houston
Bodybuilding Championships. He won the Men's Open middleweight class and the overall title. Over the next several years of placing among top finishers in competitions, he established himself by 1996 and was accepted into the professional ranks
266:
Days before their murder trial was set to begin in Las Vegas in June 2008, Titus and Ryan each pled guilty on May 30, 2008 to various charges related to James's death. They had made plea deals with the prosecutor to avoid capital charges that risked the death penalty. Titus pled guilty to
177:. He is of Greek descent. He has a younger brother, Kevin, and a younger sister, Nicole. Titus went to public schools. He played high school football but quit because he felt he was too small, at 5'6". He also wrestled in high school.
185:
When Titus graduated from high school, he was 5'6" and 140 lbs. By the age of 21, he was 5'8" and 185 lbs. He began to see good results from weight training and decided to become a bodybuilder.
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146:) is an American convicted murderer. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and arson in the death of 28-year-old Melissa James on December 14, 2005 in
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In
February 2006, Titus and Ryan were denied bail. On March 29, each pled not guilty to a felony charge of killing Melissa James. The charge carried the possibility of the
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After a nine-day investigation and manhunt, police apprehended the couple and their alleged accomplice, Anthony Gross, near Boston. They were promptly extradited to
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Ryan had pled guilty to arson and battery with a deadly weapon with significant bodily harm. She was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 3–13 years in prison.
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Titus had difficulties with controlled substances. In April 1995 in
Louisiana, Titus pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute
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in the Nevada desert. A trucker had reported the car to authorities, who put out the fire before all evidence was destroyed.
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On
December 14, 2005, the charred, gagged and bound body of 28-year-old Melissa James was found in the trunk of a burning
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230:. They had gotten to know each other through competitions. For a time, they had lived in Southern California.
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194:. He continued to compete into the 2000s, often placing among the top ten in his class. (See list below.)
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210:. In July 1997, Titus was sentenced to 21 months in prison for violating his probation by using
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282:, kidnapping, and arson. He was sentenced to 21 to 55 years in prison. He is incarcerated at
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Fire in the Desert: The True Story of the Craig Titus-Kelly Ryan Murder
Mystery
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1988 NPC Houston
Bodybuilding Championships—1st Middleweight and Overall
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USA Championships—1st
Heavyweight and Overall (earning pro card in the
174:
700:, Grand jury indictment of Craig Titus, Kelly Ryan, and Anthony Gross
206:. He was sentenced to 16 months' house arrest via monitoring with an
150:, Nevada; Melissa had been a personal assistant to him and his wife,
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and arrested on charges of murder of James, kidnapping, and arson.
586:. Las Vegas, Nevada: 8 News NOW. August 22, 2008. Archived from
63:
from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
18:
468:. Nevada Offender Tracking Information System. Archived from
584:"Pro Bodybuilders Sentenced in Aide's 2005 Death in Vegas"
437:"Bodybuilding.com - Craig Titus Pro Bodybuilding Profile"
154:. He was sentenced to 21 to 55 years in prison in 2008.
278:
On August 22, 2008, Titus was recorded as convicted of
398:
491:Daniels, Lisa; Curreri, Frank (28 December 2005).
192:International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation
392:1990 NPC Tournament of Champions—3rd Heavyweight
380:1994 NPC National Championships—2nd Heavyweight
310:2004 IFBB Arnold Classic And Internationals—6th
8:
636:"Bodybuilders Plead Guilty In Gruesome Slay"
754:American people convicted of drug offenses
674:(TMM Publishing, published July 17, 2015)
386:1993 NPC USA Championships—4th Heavyweight
383:1994 NPC USA Championships—2nd Heavyweight
377:1995 NPC USA Championships—2nd Heavyweight
304:2004 IFBB Florida Xtreme Pro Challenge—7th
157:He was a former professional bodybuilder.
56:about living persons that is unsourced or
734:American sportspeople convicted of crimes
610:"Bodybuilder, wife get prison in slaying"
515:
513:
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
417:List of female professional bodybuilders
739:American people convicted of kidnapping
428:
672:Swift Injustice: The Craig Titus Story
412:List of male professional bodybuilders
570:"Pro Bodybuilders Sentenced in Aides"
460:
458:
7:
759:People convicted of murder by Nevada
694:, Muscle Memory, competition history
169:and lived most of his early life in
744:American people convicted of murder
389:1991 NPC Ironman/Ironmaiden—Overall
724:American people convicted of arson
439:. Bodybuilders.com. Archived from
319:2002 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength—7th
307:2004 IFBB Grand Prix Australia—6th
301:2004 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength—6th
14:
363:2000 Ironman Pro Invitational—8th
351:2001 Ironman Pro Invitational—5th
348:2001 San Francisco Grand Prix—2nd
779:Sportspeople convicted of murder
749:American people of Greek descent
660:(Stephens Press, February 2007)
493:"Bodybuilders accused of murder"
316:2003 IFBB Night Of Champions—3rd
23:
769:People from Wyandotte, Michigan
543:Mower, Lawrence (31 May 2008).
329:2002 Night of Champions XIV—5th
1:
16:American murderer (born 1965)
545:"Bodybuilder admits killing"
395:1990 NPC Western Cup—Overall
360:2000 Night of Champions—11th
286:, a state prison in Nevada.
284:Lovelock Correctional Center
34:biography of a living person
522:"Craig Titus Murder Charge"
335:2001 British Grand Prix—9th
226:, a fitness competitor, in
142:(born January 14, 1965, in
61:must be removed immediately
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729:American male bodybuilders
313:2004 IFBB Iron Man Pro—5th
298:2005 IFBB Iron Man Pro—6th
222:In 2000, he remarried, to
165:Titus was born in 1965 in
774:Professional bodybuilders
245:After tracing the car to
614:Las Vegas Review-Journal
549:Las Vegas Review-Journal
466:"Offender Detail Record"
357:2000 Arnold Classic—10th
520:Curreri, Frank (n.d.).
293:Competitions and titles
273:first-degree kidnapping
234:Murder of Melissa James
670:Tracy Mitchell-Milam,
332:2002 Southwest Pro—7th
48:Please help by adding
472:on September 27, 2011
338:2001 Mr. Olympia—12th
354:2000 Toronto Pro—5th
280:second-degree murder
269:second-degree murder
228:Clark County, Nevada
198:Criminal convictions
54:Contentious material
764:People from Detroit
590:on October 19, 2014
524:. Criticalbench.com
443:on November 5, 2006
167:Wyandotte, Michigan
144:Wyandotte, Michigan
140:Craig Michael Titus
680:978-0-578-16457-1
666:978-1-932173-74-1
616:. August 23, 2008
254:Las Vegas, Nevada
212:anabolic steroids
208:electronic anklet
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656:Glenn Puit,
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592:. Retrieved
588:the original
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526:. Retrieved
500:. Retrieved
497:NBC News.com
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476:September 6,
474:. Retrieved
470:the original
445:. Retrieved
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117:January 2011
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43:verification
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714:1965 births
324:Mr. Olympia
708:Categories
698:Indictment
620:October 8,
594:October 8,
528:October 8,
447:October 8,
423:References
247:Kelly Ryan
224:Kelly Ryan
161:Early life
152:Kelly Ryan
87:newspapers
218:Marriages
171:Riverview
148:Las Vegas
39:citations
640:CBS News
554:22 March
502:22 March
406:See also
65:libelous
204:ecstasy
190:of the
175:Detroit
173:, near
101:scholar
678:
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240:Jaguar
181:Career
103:
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366:1996
341:2001
326:—11th
322:2002
108:JSTOR
94:books
32:This
676:ISBN
662:ISBN
622:2013
596:2013
556:2024
530:2013
504:2024
478:2010
449:2013
372:IFBB
345:—6th
80:news
41:for
368:NPC
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