A self-proclaimed witchdoctor has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a young mother who allegedly wanted to become his “apprentice.”The Daily Mail is reporting on the tragic case of Leila Cavett, 21, who disappeared after traveling from Georgia to Florida on July 25, 2020, with her two-year-old son, Kamdyn. Sources say she met up with a self-proclaimed witchdoctor named Shannon Ryan, now 44, from whom she was learning witchcraft. Cavett was last seen in the parking lot of a RaceTrac gas station in Hollywood, Florida getting into Ryan’s Lexus sedan, and was never seen again. Her son was found the next day, barefoot and wearing only a t-shirt and a diaper while wandering alone in a parking lot outside an apartment complex in Miramar.
A few weeks later, on August 25, Ryan, who also referred to himself as a chakra master who offered “spiritual enlightenment” and meditation guidance to over 19,000 followers online, was arrested and charged with one count of kidnapping in connection with Cavett’s disappearance.
As the evidence unfolded, investigators discovered that Ryan’s Lexus was the last person seen with Cavett at the Race Trac gas station. Ryan later used Cavett’s debit card to purchase carpet deodorizer, duct tape, and trash bags. He was also caught on camera at Cavett’s vehicle with a bottle of cleaner containing bleach, which was parked next to a dumpster in the Race trac parking lot. The video showed Ryan going back and forth between the truck, the dumpster and a trash can where women’s clothing and children’s toys were later found. He was also seen dragging a large object wrapped in a black trash bag from the truck to the dumpster along with what appeared to be bloody towels.
Investigators gained access to his cellphone data which revealed that on the night of Cavett’s disappearance, a Google search asked for information about whether “bleach and alcohol make chloroform.” Chloroform is a chemical which renders a person unconscious.
The case went to trial in September of this year and resulted in a jury convicting him of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Although Ryan continues to claim innocence, his background is far from convincing. He operated an online spiritual enterprise under the name Magnetic Kundalini through which he offered instruction in witchcraft, tarot and Kemetic readings, and various occult practices such as the use of pendulums, oracle cards, crystal scrying and channeling.
Perhaps the most disturbing of these services are those involving hexing and spellcasting, services which were offered to bring misfortune or punishment upon people.
According to CourtTV, during the September 2026 murder trial, prosecutor Elizabeth Lipella confronted Ryan with a Facebook exchange in which he offered to perform a hex against another person.
“If you hire me for the spell work, the length of time it takes depends on the severity of the punishment you want,” Ryan said on the post. “I could be out of your way in one to three days, but if you want a lengthy torture, one to two weeks should suffice. It all depends on your appetite for destruction. I am your spiritual hit man. Please feel free to delete this chat.”
The Miami Herald is reporting that on the Saturday before his arrest in 2020, he posted a bizarre threat on Facebook to all those who suspected him of being involved in Cavett’s disappearance.
“Anyone who thinks I have something to do with Leila missing can you please comment on this post. I want to demonstrate my powers and make all of you disappear off my timeline all at once. Don’t get scared now. This your five minutes of fame. I won’t delete your comments, Witches Honor. Instead, Next full moon I’m practice my first mass Hexing. Put your name in the pot since you so brave and big and bad and I don’t have any real powers. Make me out a lie. May Jesus (Constantine) receive your prayers and the Blood of Christ (Grape Wine) protect you. See they are just words, anyone can say that (stuff).”
He also admitted online to having a record and serving time in prison. “I did some burglary,” he said in one post. “I sold drugs when I was younger. I went to prison, too. That’s the dirt I grew up out of that made me the god I am today.”
CBS Miami is reporting that during the trial, family members made an emotional appeal to Ryan to reveal where the body of Leila can be found.
"My sister was more than a victim; she was a daughter, a sister, and most importantly, a mother," said her sister, Gina Cavett.
Her brother, Curtis Cavett Jr., demanded answers regarding her whereabouts. "I want the truth. I want to know what you did to my sister. I want to know where she is," he said.
"Although this may seem like the close to Leila's story, my prayer and hope is that God will continue to work on Shannon Ryan's heart and that he will find it within himself to tell us where my sister is," a family member said in court. "She deserved to be put to rest in a dignified manner."
Ryan is planning to appeal the verdict.
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