The Dateline episode “A Shot in the Dark” investigates the 2015 death of former St. Petersburg police officer Sgt. John “J.J.” Rush. He was shot dead by his ex-wife, former teacher Cara Ryan. According to Ryan, she invited Rush to her home but he got angry when he discovered she was sexting with another man and left. When he returned moments later, he threatened to kill her and that’s when Ryan fired at him once with the .38-caliber pistol that Rush had given her years before. Prosecutors say Ryan lured him into her home to kill him, but in January 2017 a jury found Ryan not guilty.
Ryan’s lawyer said his client’s innocence was clear enough from the beginning and she “should never have been arrested.” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Ryan was arrested and charged with second degree murder because physical evidence at the scene showed she lied about what happened when she shot Rush. Gualtieri also said Ryan learned that Rush had taken her off of his bank account two days before his murder. Ryan speaks with Keith Morrison on Dateline on Friday, May 12 at 9pm on NBC.
