Can you help bring Ryan home?
In the spring of 1999, a 22-year-old Native American man named Ryan Cooper disappeared from Rochester, New York. He was a father to a young son, with another child on the way. Cooper was last seen around May 16, 1999, and for years, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remained a painful mystery for his family, many of whom resided on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation, a considerable distance from Rochester.
The investigation into Cooper's disappearance eventually uncovered a dark connection to a violent drug trafficking ring. In March 2011, a significant break in the case occurred when federal authorities indicted several individuals on a host of drug and weapons charges. Among those charged were two of Cooper's own cousins, James Kendrick and Pablo Plaza. The indictment included the murders of both Ryan Cooper and another man, Francisco Santos, who had vanished a year earlier in 1998.
According to authorities, Kendrick was the leader of this violent criminal enterprise. The motive behind Cooper's murder was a chilling one: he was also a member of the drug gang and possessed knowledge of Santos's murder, including the location of his body. The gang feared he might cooperate with the police and silenced him to ensure his permanent silence.
In a significant development in May 2014, Pablo Plaza struck a plea deal with prosecutors. He admitted his involvement in both murders and pleaded guilty to the murder of Francisco Santos. Plaza revealed to investigators that he had been present when two other individuals beat Ryan Cooper to death. In July 2016, James Kendrick was convicted on numerous charges, including the murders of both Santos and Cooper. Despite the convictions, Ryan Cooper's body has never been recovered. Authorities believe his body was dismembered, possibly with a wood chipper, and his remains were scattered in garbage bags near railroad tracks in Rochester.
