True crime podcast helps exonerate man jailed for murder

More than two years after a “Crime Junkie” episode raised questions about the conviction of James Harry Reyos, who was imprisoned for the 1981 murder of a Catholic priest, Reyos has been declared innocent.

Reyos was convicted of murdering Father Patrick Ryan in June 1983 despite evidence placing him in another state at the time of the murder, according to the Los Angeles Times. When popular true crime podcast “Crime Junkie” released an episode in May 2021 on the case, two listeners brought the episode to the attention of local law enforcement, who took a second look at Reyos’ conviction.

On Oct. 4, 2023, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals exonerated Reyos, clearing him of all charges, per the Innocence Project of Texas.

The murder of Father Patrick Ryan

Father Patrick Ryan, an Irish Catholic priest, was found brutally beaten to death in a motel room in Odessa, Texas, on Dec. 21, 1981.

Reyos, a hitchhiker who had met Ryan a few days prior, was the police’s only lead. He told investigators Ryan had sexually assaulted him after the two had a few drinks together, and then driven him to nearby Hobbs, New Mexico, per Crime Junkie.

Reyos then drove to Roswell, New Mexico, and Ryan returned to Odessa, where he was murdered. Although Reyos became a suspect soon after the murder, police released him when he provided receipts and a speeding ticket proving he had been in Roswell at the time of Ryan’s death, per Crime Junkie.

However, a year later, Reyos told police he was responsible for Ryan’s death. According to Texas Monthly, Reyos was heavily intoxicated at the time and felt guilty for being one of the last people to see Ryan alive.

Despite Reyos retracting his confession and having a clear alibi, police charged him with Ryan’s murder. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison but was released on parole in 1995, per the Los Angeles Times.

How was James Harry Reyos cleared of the murder?

“Crime Junkie” released a podcast episode in May 2021 detailing Ryan’s murder and the physical impossibility of Reyos having committed the crime.

Two listeners from Odessa, Harlee and Michael Gerke, were shocked by what they learned and asked Michael’s father, Odessa Chief of Police Mike Gerke, if he was familiar with the case.

According to a “Crime Junkie” update on the case, this encouraged police to reexamine the evidence. They identified fingerprints found at the crime scene and matched them to three men, now dead, who were identified as the true perpetrators of the crime, per Texas Monthly.

In response to this discovery, the Innocence Project of Texas “filed a writ to overturn James’ conviction in February,” which prompted a hearing on the new evidence, according to the organization’s website.

On Oct. 4, Reyos was officially declared innocent. His record will be cleared, he will no longer be on parole and he will receive reparations from the state, per “Crime Junkie.”

“I am so grateful to Innocence Project of Texas for this day,” Reyos told the Innocence Project upon his exoneration. “I want this to serve as hope to the people of Texas that justice can prevail.”