State Attorney Amira Fox and Cape Coral Police Chief David Newlan announce that today the
Lee County Grand Jury indicted Ryan Patrick O’Leary and Sheila O’Leary for: First Degree
Murder, Aggravated Child Abuse, Aggravated Manslaughter, Child Abuse, and two counts of
Child Neglect.
Both are formally charged with the neglect, torture and murder of an 18-month-old child due to
starvation and extreme lack of care. The indictment also involves three other victims, a 3-yearold,
a 5-year-old, and an 11-year-old child, who suffered from child abuse and extreme neglect.
The alleged crimes occurred during 2019 in Cape Coral.
Today’s indictment is the culmination of an investigation by the Cape Coral Police Department
with the assistance of the Children’s Advocacy Center.
“The evidence and crime scene in this case are gut-wrenching. These are images as a mother and
State Attorney I will not be able to forget. I commend the detectives and officers with the Cape
Coral Police Department for their difficult task of dealing with the horrendous nature of this
case,” said State Attorney Fox.
Assistant State Attorney Francine Donnorummo, Special Victims Unit Chief, and Assistant State
Attorney Heather Fly will be prosecuting the case.
The defendants will be arraigned on the charges in this indictment on December 23rd at 9 a.m. in
front of the Honorable Judge Margaret Steinbeck.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
ssyoen@sao20.org
239-533-1125