State v. Ryan

The defendant, Dennis Ryan, was charged with first degree murder in the torture death of James Thimm. Thimm died on or about April 30,1985, as the result of being physically abused for several days before his death.

The defendant’s father, Michael Ryan, who will be referred to as Ryan, was the leader of a group or cult that was living on a farm near Rulo in Richardson County, Nebraska. The defendant and Thimm were members of the group, but Thimm had fallen out of favor and had been demoted to the status of a “slave.” Ryan decided that Thimm should be tortured and then killed, and directed the…