The man sought in connection with a Greenville house fire in which his father was found dead was taken into custody Aug. 9 after a three-day search across several counties in New York.
New York State Police responded to a house fire at 512 Greenville Turnpike at approximately 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 and found the body of 70-year-old Robert Ryan inside.
Troopers said a preliminary investigation revealed the fire was deliberately set, and they were investigating the death as a homicide. They launched a multi-county search for Ryan’s son, 32-year-old Thomas David Ryan, in connection with the case.
The search, which began in Orange County, ended in the Town of Gilboa in Schoharie County, after investigators received a tip from someone who’d seen Ryan’s car in a parking lot.
“This investigation demonstrates what can be accomplished when the community and law enforcement work together toward a common goal,” New York State Police Troop F Bureau of Criminal Investigation Captain Brad Natalizio said in a statement.
How Thomas Ryan was found in New York
On Aug. 7, New York State Police called on residents of the Greenville community to review any available home surveillance footage recorded from approximately 6 p.m. Aug. 6 through the overnight hours.
Thomas Ryan didn’t live with his father, troopers said, and also had no other current ties to the Greenville community at the time. He “lived a transient lifestyle,” they said, previously staying at numerous shelters throughout New York City, Long Island and northern New York.
As of 3:40 p.m. Aug. 7, the search had been expanded to the Plattsburgh area in Clinton County, where troopers said Ryan was known to frequent.
In the evening on Aug. 8, New York State Police received a tip that Ryan’s car — a 2016 gray Toyota Prius bearing New York license plate HNH-7671 — was seen unoccupied in a parking lot at 199 state Route 990V in Gilboa, about 100 miles north of Ryan’s father’s home.
After confirming the vehicle was the one associated with the case, law enforcement immediately deployed to the area to conduct a coordinated search, including members of the New York State Police troops G and F, New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police and Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office.
The search ultimately led to Thomas Ryan being located at 12:10 a.m. on Aug. 9, following another tip from a community member.
Before he was taken into custody by the New York State Police Special Operations Response Team, Ryan received medical treatment for injuries he sustained prior to being apprehended and was transported to a hospital.
Troopers said he was in stable condition on Aug. 9.
What happens next in Ryan arson, homicide case?
Thomas Ryan will be charged and brought before court when his medical condition allows for it, troopers said.
“The information provided by alert members of the public, combined with the relentless efforts of our investigators, Troopers, and law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, allowed us to locate Thomas Ryan and bring this search to a safe conclusion,” Natalizio said. “I am extremely proud of the professionalism, coordination, and determination demonstrated by everyone involved, and we are grateful to the public for their vigilance and continued support.”
The investigation is ongoing, and New York State Police said more information on Ryan’s apprehension and criminal charges would be made available at a later date.
Nickie Hayes is Breaking & Trending News Reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal. See her most recent articles here. Contact reporter Nickie Hayes: NHayes@poughkee.gannett.com, 845-863-3518 and @nickieehayess on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Tips from public lead police to suspect in Greenville killing
Reporting by Nickie Hayes, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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By Nickie Hayes, Middletown Times Herald- Record | USA TODAY Network
