Firecracker Episode 4: The Cabinet of Carol Ryan – Unsolved Murder Case Haunts Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office

Police – Accident – Death – Obituary News : There’s a large filing cabinet in the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office that holds all the evidence and documentation related to Carol Ryan’s unsolved murder. Despite the sheer amount of information in the cabinet, her case remains unsolved, making it one of the most disturbing cold cases in Syracuse history.

On September 1, 1996, Carol was brutally murdered when someone detonated an explosive device inside her and left her for dead on the side of the road in Jamesville. The killer was never found, and the investigation into her murder has been characterized by starts and stops.

In the fourth episode of the true crime podcast “Firecracker,” produced by syracuse.com, the investigation into Carol’s case is detailed. The podcast reveals information about three individuals who were identified as “early leads” in the weeks following her murder.

One of the individuals questioned was Carol’s ex-boyfriend, Bobby Magee. Neighbors reported hearing them fighting a few days before Carol was killed. However, Bobby didn’t have a car or a license, making it difficult for him to transport Carol from Eastwood to Jamesville. Despite being questioned multiple times and shown crime scene photos, Bobby was eventually cleared as a suspect. He passed away in 2012.

Another person of interest was Walter Krukowski, who was dating Carol at the time of her death. Carol’s son, Shawn Hamilton, shared a disturbing story about Walter using explosives to get rid of squirrels in his house. However, investigators determined that Walter had no motive to kill Carol and was devastated by her death. Walter died in 2002.

Carol’s ex-husband, Patrick Ryan, was also questioned by detectives. Shawn described him as an abusive man, but investigators ultimately cleared him as a suspect. Patrick, a Marine Corps veteran and retired truck driver, remarried and started a new family before Carol’s murder. He passed away in 2006.

Despite questioning these individuals, no physical evidence connects them to the crime scene. Detective Alexander Hebert, the current lead investigator on Carol’s case, believes that she was killed by a stranger. Hebert explains that when investigating a homicide, they start with people who knew the victim and work their way out. Since nobody close to Carol has been arrested, he believes the perpetrator didn’t know her. Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick shares this opinion, stating that the murder was likely committed by someone who encountered Carol that night and harbored a hatred for women.

Almost 30 years later, Carol Ryan’s killer remains at large. Over the past year, syracuse.com journalists have conducted an in-depth investigation into her case, interviewing family, friends, witnesses, and experts. The result is the true crime podcast “Firecracker,” which provides the most comprehensive coverage of Carol’s case to date.

The podcast episode titled “The Cabinet of Carol Ryan” delves into the details of the investigation and presents new information. Listeners can subscribe to “Firecracker” exclusively on Wondery+ to learn more about this chilling cold case.

If anyone has any information about Carol Ryan’s murder, they are urged to contact the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office at 315-435-3051. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by texting TIPONON and the tip to 847411.

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