Homicide suspect captured after manhunt in Gilboa

GILBOA―The suspect in a homicide in Orange County has been captured, according to State Police who convened a manhunt Saturday in Gilboa.

Troopers announced at 12:47 a.m. on Sunday that Thomas David Ryan was taken into custody and that the search in Schoharie County had ended. Police had actively been searching the area after receiving a tip of a possible sighting on Saturday.

The 32-year-old was wanted in connection with the death of his 70-year-old father, Robert Ryan, whose body was found following a house fire Thursday night in Greenville, Orange County, more than 100 miles south of Gilboa.

State Police said preliminary investigation revealed the fire was deliberately set and the death was being treated as a homicide.

Thomas David Ryan was reported by State Police to be armed and dangerous and believed to be driving his father's gray 2016 Toyota Prius. State Police received a tip on Saturday evening reporting that the car had been located unoccupied in a parking lot on State Route 990V in Gilboa.

“Upon confirming the vehicle was associated with the investigation, law enforcement resources were immediately deployed to the area. Members of New York State Police Troops G and F, along with New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police, and Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office conducted a coordinated search of the surrounding area,” State Police said Sunday.

“Those efforts culminated in Thomas Ryan being located and safely taken into custody by the New York State Police Special Operations Response Team (SORT), at approximately 12:10 a.m. on Sunday, August 9, after another tip was provided by a vigilant community member,” State Police reported.

He received medical treatment at the scene for injuries sustained prior to apprehension and was ultimately transported to a hospital, where he was in stable condition as of Sunday afternoon. He remains in State Police custody and will be charged and arraigned when his medical condition permits, troopers said.

According to troopers, Thomas David Ryan lived a transient lifestyle, staying at numerous shelters throughout New York State. It was unclear as of Sunday what could have brought him to Gilboa.

“This investigation demonstrates what can be accomplished when the community and law enforcement work together toward a common goal. The information provided by alert members of the public, combined with the relentless efforts of our investigators, troopers, and law enforcement partners across multiple jurisdictions, allowed us to locate Thomas Ryan and bring this search to a safe conclusion,” said State Police Troop F Bureau of Criminal Investigation Captain Brad Natalizi.

“I am extremely proud of the professionalism, coordination, and determination demonstrated by everyone involved, and we are grateful to the public for their vigilance and continued support,” Natalizi said.

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