GERMANTOWN, Md. – A 50-year-old oral surgeon from Germantown, Maryland, was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Wednesday after being convicted last year in the death of his girlfriend. The conviction stemmed from his involvement in supplying and administering powerful drugs to his girlfriend, which ultimately led to her death.
During a four-hour sentencing hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court, the family of the victim, Sarah Harris, described the oral surgeon, James Ryan, as a “monster” and a “predator.” They accused him of leading Harris down a road of addiction that ultimately took her life.
Ryan was convicted of murder in August in the death of 25-year-old Sarah Harris, who was found dead at Ryan’s home in January 2022. The court heard testimony that he set up an intravenous stand to administer drugs to Harris, ultimately leading to her death from intoxication from ketamine, Propofol, and diazepam.
Prosecutors argued that Ryan showed “an extreme indifference” to Harris’ life by continuously supplying her with drugs as her health deteriorated. She weighed only 83 pounds at the time of her death.
Ryan’s attorney claimed that he was only trying to help Harris as she battled her own addictions and expressed remorse for what happened. However, the judge did not find this argument compelling, and Ryan was ultimately found guilty on charges of second-degree depraved heart murder, involuntary manslaughter, and drug distribution.
The court also heard emotional statements from the victim’s family, including a powerful moment when Harris’ mother held up a small bag containing her daughter’s ashes and hair, confronting Ryan with the devastating loss. Ryan’s claims that he did not administer the drugs that led to Harris’ death were dismissed by the judge as “defying logic.”
Ultimately, Judge Cheryl McCally delivered the 45-year prison sentence, emphasizing that there was no reason for any of them to be in the courtroom had Ryan sought help for Harris, as his oath as a medical professional was to do no harm.
Ryan’s actions in supplying and administering drugs led to the tragic death of Sarah Harris, leaving a family shattered and a community reeling from the devastating impact of addiction.