On December 11, 2016, a tragic event unfolded inside a home in Faribault, Minnesota, leading to the death of 8-year-old Lynnaya Jean Jandro Espinosa. A concerned individual contacted the police after observing a male lying in the entryway of a residence in the 2500 block of Hulett Avenue. Responding officers from the Faribault Police Department and a Rice County sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene around 1:44 p.m.
and were forced to enter the home.
Inside, they discovered the body of 33-year-old Ryan Perrizo. During a further search of the house, officers found Lynnaya's body. Investigators also located a handgun near Perrizo's body. Autopsies later confirmed that both Lynnaya and Perrizo had died from gunshot wounds. The investigation by the Faribault Police Department, with assistance from the Rice County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, led authorities to classify the incident as a murder-suicide.
Ryan Perrizo and his late wife, Jodi, had been granted sole legal and physical custody of Lynnaya in 2012, serving as her de facto guardians. Jodi had passed away from a heart attack in 2014, and Lynnaya's birth mother had also died unexpectedly that same year. Neighbors described Lynnaya as "the happiest little girl ever." Her obituary remembered her as a vibrant and girly girl who enjoyed dance, gymnastics, and arts and crafts. She was known for her giving nature, often hand-wrapping toys from her own toy box to give to others. Described as a leader with a maternal nature beyond her years, she was deeply loved by her family and friends.
