Craig Titus
Encyclopedia
Craig Michael Titus is an American former IFBB
professional bodybuilder
and a convicted murderer.
and Greek
origin with a French mother and a Greek
father and lived most of his early life near Detroit, Michigan
, in a city called Riverview
. He has a younger brother, Kevin, and a younger sister, Nicole. Titus played high school football but quit because he was too small. He also wrestled at 132 lbs. After graduation Titus decided to put on some muscle by weight training
.
from July 2003 until November 2005. Previously married to bodybuilder Kelly Ann Ryan
, Ryan filed for divorce while both were in prison in connection with the murder of Melissa James. The divorce became final in December 2009.
, and was sentenced to 16 months house arrest via monitoring with an electronic anklet. In July 1997, Titus was sentenced to 21 months in prison for violating his probation by using anabolic steroid
s.
In December 2005, Titus and his wife Kelly Ryan
were implicated in the death of Melissa James, their personal assistant, in Las Vegas, Nevada
. Titus admitted to an affair with James. After fleeing cross-country, the couple were arrested in Stoughton, Massachusetts
. The FBI claimed intelligence that Titus and Ryan might have been trying to head to Greece
; Titus is of Greek descent, and Greece has no extradition
treaty with the United States. In February 2006, after being extradited to Nevada from Boston, Titus and Ryan were denied bail. On March 29, both pleaded not guilty to a felony charge for killing their live-in assistant. The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, although prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek it. Anthony Gross, also charged as an accomplice in the crime, pled guilty in February 2009 and received probation.
Despite previous statements asserting their innocence, both Titus and Ryan pled guilty to various charges on May 30, 2008, just days before their murder trial was set to begin in Las Vegas. On August 22, 2008, Titus was convicted of second degree murder, kidnapping and arson. He was sentenced to 21 to 55 years in prison. With time served from the date of capture, Craig Titus is eligible for parole release on December 23, 2026.
International Federation of BodyBuilders
The International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
professional bodybuilder
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
and a convicted murderer.
Early life
Titus is of FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
origin with a French mother and a Greek
father and lived most of his early life near Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, in a city called Riverview
Riverview, Michigan
Riverview is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 12,486 at the time of the 2010 census.The city is a suburb in the Metro Detroit area, located along the shore of the Detroit River. Riverview incorporated as a village in 1922 and as a city in 1959...
. He has a younger brother, Kevin, and a younger sister, Nicole. Titus played high school football but quit because he was too small. He also wrestled at 132 lbs. After graduation Titus decided to put on some muscle by weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
.
Career
When Titus graduated from high school, he was 5'6" and 140 lbs. By the age of 21, he was 5'9" and 185 lbs. Once he started seeing good results from weight training, he decided to become a bodybuilder. Titus's first bodybuilding show was the 1988 Houston Bodybuilding Championships in which he won the Men's Open middleweight class and the overall title.Personal life
Titus wrote a monthly column for Muscular DevelopmentMuscular Development
Muscular Development is an American fitness and bodybuilding magazine first published in 1964. It was founded by Bob HoffmanBob Hoffman - athlete, nutritionist, weightlifter, coach and philanthropist - was born on a farm in Tifton, Georgia on Nov 9th 1898. His family stock was good. Bob was never...
from July 2003 until November 2005. Previously married to bodybuilder Kelly Ann Ryan
Kelly Ryan
Kelly Ann Ryan is a former International Federation of BodyBuilders professional fitness competitor.- Personal and professional background :...
, Ryan filed for divorce while both were in prison in connection with the murder of Melissa James. The divorce became final in December 2009.
Criminal convictions
In April 1995 in Louisiana, Titus pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute EcstasyMethylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
, and was sentenced to 16 months house arrest via monitoring with an electronic anklet. In July 1997, Titus was sentenced to 21 months in prison for violating his probation by using anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially simply as "steroids", are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue ,...
s.
In December 2005, Titus and his wife Kelly Ryan
Kelly Ryan
Kelly Ann Ryan is a former International Federation of BodyBuilders professional fitness competitor.- Personal and professional background :...
were implicated in the death of Melissa James, their personal assistant, in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Titus admitted to an affair with James. After fleeing cross-country, the couple were arrested in Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,962 at the 2010 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, and from Cape Cod.-History:...
. The FBI claimed intelligence that Titus and Ryan might have been trying to head to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
; Titus is of Greek descent, and Greece has no extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
treaty with the United States. In February 2006, after being extradited to Nevada from Boston, Titus and Ryan were denied bail. On March 29, both pleaded not guilty to a felony charge for killing their live-in assistant. The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, although prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek it. Anthony Gross, also charged as an accomplice in the crime, pled guilty in February 2009 and received probation.
Despite previous statements asserting their innocence, both Titus and Ryan pled guilty to various charges on May 30, 2008, just days before their murder trial was set to begin in Las Vegas. On August 22, 2008, Titus was convicted of second degree murder, kidnapping and arson. He was sentenced to 21 to 55 years in prison. With time served from the date of capture, Craig Titus is eligible for parole release on December 23, 2026.
Competitions and titles
- 2005 IFBB Iron Man Pro—6th
- 2004 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength—6th
- 2004 IFBB Florida Xtreme Pro Challenge—7th
- 2004 IFBB Grand Prix Australia—6th
- 2004 IFBB Arnold Classic And Internationals—6th
- 2004 IFBB Iron Man Pro—5th
- 2003 IFBB Night Of Champions—3rd
- 2002 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength—7th
- 2002 Mr. OlympiaMr. OlympiaMr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
-- 11th - 2002 Night of ChampionsNight of ChampionsNight of Champions is a bodybuilding contest held every year in New York City, USA. It began in 1978 and is considered one of the top professional bodybuilding events, with the top five finalists qualifying for the Mr. Olympia contest....
XIV—5th - 2002 Southwest Pro—7th
- 2001 British Grand Prix—9th
- 2001 Mr. Olympia—12th
- 2001 Arnold ClassicArnold ClassicThe Arnold Classic, renamed Arnold Fitness Weekend, is an annual bodybuilding competition, named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. It takes place in late February or early March in Columbus, Ohio, United States.-History:...
-- 6th - 2001 San Francisco Grand Prix—2nd
- 2001 Ironman Pro Invitational—5th
- 2000 Toronto Pro—1st
- 2000 Arnold Classic—10th
- 2000 Night of Champions—11th
- 2000 Ironman Pro Invitational—8th
- 1996 NPCNational Physique CommitteeThe National Physique Committee is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States. Amateur bodybuilders compete in various competitions from local to national competitions sanctioned by the NPC...
USA Championships—1st Heavyweight and Overall (earning pro card in the IFBBInternational Federation of BodyBuildersThe International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
) - 1995 NPC USA Championships—2nd Heavyweight
- 1994 NPC National Championships—2nd Heavyweight
- 1994 NPC USA Championships—2nd Heavyweight
- 1993 NPC USA Championships—4th Heavyweight
- 1991 NPC Ironman/Ironmaiden—Overall
- 1990 NPC Tournament of Champions—3rd Heavyweight
- 1990 NPC Western Cup—Overall
- 1989 NPC Houston Bodybuilding Championships—Overall
- 1988 NPC Houston Bodybuilding Championships—1st Middleweight and Overall
See also
- List of male professional bodybuilders
- List of female professional bodybuilders
External links
- Biography
- Contest history Muscle Memory competition history
- Indictment Grand jury indictment of Craig Titus, Kelly Ryan, and Anthony Gross