After nearly six years of legal proceedings, businessman Ryan Sugrim stood before Justice Navindra Singh in the Demerara High Court on Tuesday, and pleaded guilty to the 2019 murder of his ex-wife, Zaila Sugrim.
With the admission of guilt, the long-running trial came to an abrupt end, and Justice Singh has set March 18 for sentencing.
On the afternoon of May 11, 2019, Zaila Sugrim lost her life when visited her ex-husband’s home in La Union, West Coast Demerara (WCD). Reports are that it was their son’s birthday, and she had gone to see her children. However, what should have been a routine visit quickly turned into an argument.
Ryan Sugrim
According to Ryan Sugrim’s statement to police, the dispute began when Zaila found suspicious numbers in his phone. He claimed that during the heated confrontation, she allegedly pulled his firearm from his waist and pointed it at him, threatening to kill him. He further stated that in the midst of the struggle to retrieve the weapon, the gun discharged, striking her in the face. She collapsed instantly, lifeless.
Instead of calling for help or reporting what had happened, Sugrim said he panicked and immediately began plotting a way to cover up the crime.
That night, after checking on his children, Sugrim returned to the gruesome scene and dragged Zaila’s body to the back of his gas station, where he set it on fire using tires and kerosene. He later told police that he had attempted to burn the body in a bid to destroy the evidence, but the flames grew too large.
Reports are that a neighbour, who saw the suspicious blaze in his backyard, called the fire service, but before they could intervene, Sugrim hurried to the fence and told the neighbor not to alert them, claiming that he had everything under control and was merely burning garbage. When the fire service arrived, the same neighbour relayed Sugrim’s explanation, and the firefighters left without investigating further.
Once the fire had subsided, Sugrim went a step further. He dug a shallow grave in the yard and buried Zaila’s charred remains, believing he had successfully hidden the crime.
Zalia Sugrim
His efforts to avoid suspicion did not end there. Neighbours observed him emerging from the back of his property with mud-stained clothing. He left home twice that day and, upon returning the second time, washed his car using a bucket and cloth before heading back to the garden.Once again, he was seen with mud on his boots, raising further suspicions.
Reports are that that night, he gave his children an unusual warning, he told them not to go to the back of the garden for the next two weeks, claiming there was a large African bee nest there.
Disappearance
On Sunday, May 12, 2019, Zaila’s children began asking for their mother. It was Mother’s Day, and she had promised to spend time with them. When they questioned their father about her whereabouts, Sugrim allegedly lied, telling them she had probably changed her plans.
Later that day, he repeated the story about the bee nest, warning his children once again to stay away from the abandoned house at the back of the yard. His excuse quickly unraveled when an uncle later checked the area and found no such bee nest on the premises.
By Monday, May 13, concerns over Zaila’s disappearance had intensified. That morning, Sugrim visited his lawyer’s office with his children before proceeding to the Tactical Services Unit, where he lodged his firearm along with 11 matching rounds of ammunition.
Later that afternoon, police arrived at his home and searched his three-story building, but initially found nothing suspicious. However, a more thorough examination of the yard led to a disturbing discovery, burnt articles, and a section of fresh dirt covering an area in the garden.
When questioned, Sugrim claimed he had burned garbage because his children wanted to plant a garden. But as officers began digging, they unearthed burnt particles and human remains. When pressed, Sugrim insisted it was just rubbish.
Investigators then turned their attention to his vehicle, where they found red spots resembling blood in the trunk, along with wire rope tied with brown fiber string. When questioned about the stains, Sugrim claimed they were from planting materials.
The next day, police returned to Sugrim’s property with further information. Upon their arrival, he told them that the locks to the gas station had been changed, preventing him from accessing the premises.
As police examined the garden area, they noticed a patch of disrupted soil. When asked what was buried there, Sugrim responded, “I don’t know.”
As digging began, an unbearable stench filled the air, and flies swarmed the site. Within moments, investigators uncovered a human hand wrapped in cloth. When they confronted Sugrim about the discovery, he remained silent.
Body found
Moments later, as they continued their excavation, police pulled Zaila Sugrim’s full body from the grave, wrapped in red and white cloth. The remains were taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, where forensic analysis was conducted.
During the investigation, police reviewed CCTV footage from Sugrim’s gas station. However, they discovered crucial segments of the footage were missing, leading them to suspect that he had deleted incriminating evidence.
When confronted about his movements on the day of the murder, Sugrim refused to answer, merely stating, “I will look at what you have, and I will not say anything.”
Final confirmation of Zaila’s identity came from forensic DNA testing conducted in Florida on February 11, 2021, which confirmed that the burned remains belonged to the deceased mother of five.
Ryan was arrested and was formally charged with murder. His response was chilling: “Is stress caused this thing.”
He later provided a written statement, attempting to justify his actions by blaming his deceased ex-wife for their marital troubles. He claimed that she had stolen from him, frequently argued, and even physically assaulted him
