Vegas Heat

Trapped Inside a World of Glamour, Fitness and Fury, a Vegas Dancer is Found Dead

(CBS)  The motive for all this? Prosecutors believe it's the oldest one in the books: sex and jealousy. "That was a recipe for disaster. You've got three people involved with drug use. You've got the potential of Kelly believing that Craig's having a relationship with Melissa. And so, in all likelihood there was a confrontation between Kelly and Melissa. That's probably what started the whole thing," Daskas says.

Prosecutors want the jury to remember that even though Melissa was not perfect, she did not deserve to die the way she did.

But as trial was about to begin, everything suddenly changes: Craig and Kelly end their claims of innocence and accept a plea deal.

Craig pleads guilty to second degree murder arson and kidnapping, while Kelly gets off easy, pleading guilty to battery and arson. But before he's sentenced, Craig tries to take it back by going on local TV to say he did not kill Melissa.

"I took the plea bargain and admitted to something that did not happen so that my wife could go home," he told a reporter.

"So you took a plea deal to a crime that you did not commit?" the reporter asked.

"Yes sir," Craig replied.

Craig tells 48 Hours he never interned to murder Melissa.

In court, a furious Judge Jackie Glass demands to know if there is a deal or not. "The moment I saw that on the news I had concerns about whether your plea was really freely and voluntarily given. So before we go through this I’m here to find out from you, is this what you pled guilty to? And is this what you did?" the judge asks.

"Yes, ma’am," Craig replies.

Melissa's mom, Maura and best friend Samantha, have traveled across the country to be in court.

Kelly, almost unrecognizable from her cover-girl days, speaks for the first time to the court and Maura. "For the past two years and seven months, through prayer, soul searching and many hours of reflection, I have questioned my own actions and my very soul. I am truly, truly sorry for this. I ask forgiveness from both this court and Melissa's family. I take responsibility for what I did," she says.

Legally, Craig admits to murder, but personally he refuses to accept true responsibility for his actions. "I am ashamed, and I am sickened at my actions after Melissa passed away. It was all drug induced, it was all ridiculous. I am so sorry this happened, I don't know where her mom is," he says in court.

Then, it's Maura's turn to speak. "From the moment Melissa failed to arrive on her flight on December 13, 2005, Craig Titus told the kind of lies that pierced a mother's soul. As long as I live, I will never hear her voice, never see her face, never experience the joy of seeing her married nor see the birth of her first child. All of the passages of Melissa's life are forever halted because Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan said so."

Craig receives the maximum sentence, 21 to 55 years. Kelly, who was at Craig's side the day Melissa died, gets six to 17 years.

---

Beneath a beautiful desert sky outside Las Vegas, Maura and Samantha begin constructing their own memorial to Melissa at the very spot where she was abandoned in a trunk and left to burn.

"She was such a beautiful, vibrant person and they took that away from her. She will never get the chance to do anything that she should have been able to have the chance to do," Samantha says.

"It's about Melissa," Maura says. "It's about celebrating who she was and what she meant to us. She didn't deserve this."

---

Craig Titus asked the court to reduce his sentence or let him stand trial.
The request was denied.

Kelly Ryan has filed for divorce.

[j88833]

how in the world does it happen that these 2 sickening pigs are even offered a plea deal....are you kidding me. if melissa's family allowed this to happen then they got what they deserved. i'm amazed a family can be this stupid to actually agree with this. secondly, the prosecution is just as ridiculous for offering any plea in this cas....period. this country is so unbelievably naive, ignorant, stupid, ridiculous, and downright embarrassing when it comes to our criminals

[wyo-kid]

Craig looked like a freak, even at his best I wonder if Melissa ever had any hots for such a freaky looking guy, as I understand his personality wasn't anything to crave. Was jealousy really the cause ?

[hercule1122]

The recurring theme in so many of these cases is drug use and abuse. I see these creepy guys at the gym who strut around and probably have the IQ of their body heat. I don't judge someone on body mass, but these guys can be real turn-offs. I have no doubt that these evil people will never again have a pleasant day, and wish them their just rewards. They planned it and ran like hell when they thought they were on the radar of the police. I hope you have time to realize the trauma you have caused so many people.

[csi-lover]

This was the same judge in the OJ Simpson case. OJ got more time than these 2 losers, and he didn't kill anyone (or at least he wasn't convicted). OJ's biggest mistake was he went to trial instead of just admitting he did it and entered into a plea bargain like these 2 "bodybuilders'. Kelly and Craig should have gotten more time in prison than they did. Notice Kelly without her makeup on? Just another dog in my opinion, as makeup is just an illusion. Always look below the surface. It's no wonder she was jealous of Melissa. And Craig? What an ugly duckling! Their ego is what got in their way. To see Kelly cry after being caught was pathetic. What got me was the camera that caught them putting the lighter fluid in their car, then saying they didn't have anything to do with it. Yea right. These scumbags almost got away with it, as the fire and heat were so intense the body of Mellissa was unrecognizable. They are truly devils, and someone may hunt them down like packrats when they get out of prison.

[andacar]

I have never understood any of this. I'm so lucky to be married to my wife: big and curvy and beautiful. Too many couples think it's all about being ripped and having not an ounce of fat. When are they going to realize the fat is all in their pea brained heads? Somebody once said about the fashion industry something that applies to entertainment; when you scratch the surface, all you find beneath is more surface. Kelly and Craig are sad, pathetic people.

[abcabt1]

...my heart goes out to the mother and family of Melissa...she was a woman, beautiful, and caring...she did not deserve this whatever her faults...i guess the moral here is be very careful who you make your friends...this crew turned out to be her worst enemies...i hope mom is part of a survivors group so that she now can help others avoid this kind of horror and a mothers worst nightmare...take care mom!
abt

[capecodgurl]

I worked for Corelle Co. in 2005. I had no idea Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan were on the run, and famous body builders. They both came into the store a few days before Christmas and both made purchases for kitchen items with their debit cards. I remember them for a variety of reasons. Its scary to think they had just murdered their live-in assistant. My heart goes out to her family, especially her Mother. Shortly after they were in the store they both were arrested. Thank God! If I had known I would of called the police while they were in the store casually shopping. Justice is not served with a 6 yr sentence. I do believe they BOTH should of gotten LIFE with No chance of being out in society.
Craig Titus got what he deserves~ he's sitting in a jail cell.

EG from MASS

[dsmffar]

Neither of these 2 got what was due them! It is obvious they did it just be hearing one of his friends and then one of her friends tell about the discusions they had. They each told their friend the same story. Gees, what a justice system we have, horrible and unfair. Melissa's poor mother. God Bless her. I can not begin to feel what she feels and has to live with.

Final remark - they both look nasty, ugly, and disguisting!

[britter368]

They took about 60 years of life from Melissa, and Kelly only gets six years taken from hers? However, the real judgement will come from God. That's not something she can escape.

[roistacher35]

As a former competitive bodybuilder I have seen all sides of the sport. There are many positive aspects to it such as goal setting, dedication, focus etc.. Of course there is the downside as well. Everyone needs to realize that Craig and Kelly were extreme cases of drugs, partying lifestyle, and swinging. You can safely assume that 99% of the bodybuilding world is not doing cocaine, meth, and commiting murder. I owe a lot of my success as a doctor to my days of bodybuilding. I set my goals and worked incredible hard to accomplish them. I take the positive things I learned from the bodybuilding lifestyle.

[johnman12]

There%u2019s 2 gym types: Narcissists & humble fitness enthusiasts. Narcissists always look in the mirror and look around to see if anyone%u2019s bigger than them. Their motivation to workout is to feed their egos and improve their looks for their own personal self-gratification. The humble fitness enthusiast enjoys doing his own thing quietly, competing with himself & trying to improve only his own personal best. He''s not about "outdoing" anyone else. You can spot the narcissist a mile away. They''re usually wearing revealing/tight clothes, doing ''roids, prepping for a competition; bodybuilding%u2019s consumed their lives. They are obsessed with their looks and the reflection in the mirror. The humble fitness enthusiast just enjoys healthy exercise & only competes with himself. He doesn''t feel the need to take steroids to be the "biggest kid on the block". Fitness to him is about improving his OWN personal best (that''s why it''s called "personal" fitness) and not trying to outmuscle the other guy. Bodybuilding has become a twisted sport. There should be drug testing in it like any other sport. We%u2019ve got "juice freaks" in our gyms. Bodybuilding should be about improving your OWN personal best, and not outmuscling the next guy by using drugs as a crutch. Supplement companies should finance accurate and stringent drug testing for the sport, and their own products should be (independently) tested also.

[NMlost]

jstnthrguy- The quote is beautiful, and so true! It would be nice if more people could differentiate between the good and the beautiful... Oh, and Judge Jackie is righteous!

[roistacher35]

I knew Craig back in the day. He was known to sell steriods and other drugs. He actually went to jail in a big exctasy bust for over a year. Also, Kelly''s mom died while she was in prison. Doesn''t it come a point when Craig should just tell the truth for the sake of the family? The fact that he continues to change his story I''m sure was a major factor in getting the maximum sentence. Kelly was a pawn in all this and has ruined her life. They both look terrible but that''s what the exact opposite of the bodybuilding lifestyle will do to you. The real them is gray hair and looking older than they are.

[johnman12]

Another really good 48 Hours video episode to watch, with a strikingly similar storyline (and outcome!), i.e.: bodybuilding, narcissism, etc., gone to the extreme is "Rage on the Run", but I can''t seem to access it anywhewre in the 48 Hours Video archives...Hey, what''s up 48 Hours Staff? Why don''t you guys make this one video viewable again, it would seem to me to be the appropriate time!
John from Calgary, Canada

[roscoezzz]

Good Post johnman12 -- I agree totally.

It was all about Abuse of Steroids, Cocaine, Painkillers and Grand Illusions. Underneath all those chiseled muscles were two grotesque human beings in Craig and Kelly. What was the Lure? Fame and Fortune in Las Vegas? Stardom? It eventually became drug abuse and the power to push people to murder.
Kelly deserves more than what she got. She was an accessory to murder! Did you see her grey hair and the fallen plastic surgery? I didn''t believe her crying act at all. Craig is just a fool. A fool!

[NJCher]

The problem with these people is they spent all their time on the physique and not enough time developing their minds. There was no balance.

In addition, Kelly was lacking in self esteem, as evidenced by the fact that she altered her appearance to suit Craig.

Craig sounds like a narcissist.

No normal married couple allows a third party into their home unless, of course, it is family that is desperate for a place to live.

Craig and Kelly appear to have been unable to develop any kind of a giving friendship, as evidenced by the fact that no friend wanted to take them in after they murdered Melissa (which the friends didn''t even know about at the time).

Put this all together and there is vast pool of dysfunction.

It''s sad that as a culture, we don''t have some way of helping people like this who are so out of balance. But as a culture, the U.S. isn''t much better off.

[johnman12]

I used to be into the whole body building & fitness scene, the "getting big" scene, etc., myself, although not to the extent of using steroids. For alot of guys, it''s an ego thing about being the "biggest kid on the block", even stemming from childhood. A childish endeavour, really. I''m a big boy myself, about 280 lbs, but not because of weight training. I was always just a big boy. Period. I was just born that way. But in all my travels with this kinda crowd, however, it''s always seemed to me to be all about "ego", "self-gratification", "showing off", "recognition", "getting big", etc., etc. (whatever you want to call it), and not really anything to do with real "fitness". The people you see who are truly into (and enjoy!) fitness in life don''t need to go out for the recogniton or the competitions. This is an industry solely & completely about feeding fragile (yes, fragile!) egos, and most of what I''ve seen in these people is that, deep down, many of them desperately need the recognition in their lives in order to feel good about themselves. The truth is, many of them are confused & troubled people with very low self-esteem...
John, from Calgary, Canada

[jstnthrguy]

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful. ~Ninon de L''Enclos