By CATHY LOGG
Herald Writer
LYNNWOOD — An Edmonds man who twice broke into an Edmonds funeral home and had sex with the bodies of elderly women has reached the end of his prison term and plans to live in Lynnwood.
Ronald Shawn Ryan, 30, plans to move to the 6600 block of 200th Street SW, Lynnwood police announced.
Police have planned a public meeting Tuesday to discuss Ryan’s presence in the community and answer any questions.
Ryan twice broke into a funeral home in January 1993 and was arrested on his third attempt in February that year when he set off an alarm and police found him in an adjacent alley. He moved, undressed and sexually molested four women’s bodies, damaged the facility, and stole items including a compact disc player, a flag, a large crucifix and bottles of wine. Police later recovered some of the stolen items at Ryan’s home.
A Snohomish County Superior Court judge convicted Ryan of one count of first-degree malicious mischief and two counts of second-degree burglary. One of the burglary counts included a sexual motivation, which means that Ryan had to register with the county sheriff as a sex offender.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, nearly twice the state’s standard sentencing guideline at the time.
His public defender argued to the court that Ryan needed treatment, not a longer sentence, but Ryan did not participate in the state prison’s sexual deviancy or chemical dependency treatment programs.
Police announced Ryan’s presence in the community under the provisions of the 1990 Community Protection Act. The act allows police agencies to notify the public about the presence of convicted sex offenders who are considered the most dangerous or a high risk to commit new crimes.
Ryan has no other documented history of sexual deviancy, police said.
Ryan is a white male, 6 feet tall, 150 pounds, with brown eyes and red hair. He has a cross tattooed on his left wrist.
He will be supervised by the state Department of Corrections. He is prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs, and has agreed to participate in treatment, police said.
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