When a father becomes the monster no one sees coming. Maddox Lawrence Tragedy

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Human Wreckage, where we search for
truth in the aftermath ofunthinkable loss and try to
understand how ordinary livesunravel into something
irreversible.
I'm your host, thomas.
On a cold February night in2016, the city of Syracuse, new
York, fell into a kind ofstunned silence.
Not because of a storm, notbecause of a scandal, but

(00:21):
because of a name MaddoxLawrence.
She was just 21 months old, tooyoung to speak in full
sentences, too young tounderstand what fear is, but not
too young to be rememberedforever.
By the time her photo reachedthe news of cherubic face, most
people had already heard theterrible outline of what had
happened.
Maddox had been reportedmissing.
Her father, ryan Lawrence, hadconfessed.

(00:43):
Her body was discovered dayslater, submerged and wrapped in
a bag weighted with rocks, nearthe Onondaga Creek Walk.
What led to that moment offather carrying his child to the
edge of the water is the kindof question this podcast exists
to ask, and often there isn'tone answer.
There are dozens, there'shistory, there's trauma, there

(01:04):
are cracks in the system, andsometimes the only thing that's
clear is how little sense any ofit makes.
Let's get into it.
Ryan and Morgan Lawrence wereyoung parents.

(01:47):
From the outside, they seemedlike any other family trying to
find their footing.
They had jobs, friends and adaughter they doted on.
But behind the filteredInstagram photos and smiling
updates was something darker,something fraying quietly at the
seams.
Ryan was, by many accounts,struggling, struggling with
fatherhood, with insecurity,with feelings of being left

(02:09):
behind as his wife pursued a newjob.
And then came something evenmore devastating Maddox was
diagnosed with a rare form ofeye cancer retinoblastoma.
She was only a few months old,she survived, she beat it and
somehow that is where thenightmare began.
In this episode we trace thestory of Maddox Lawrence, not
just her final days, but thechain of events that led there,

(02:32):
the warning signs, the missedchances, the deep, disorienting
sadness that sometimes hidesinside the people closest to us.
This is not an easy story tohear.
It's not meant to be, but it isunfortunately a necessary one,
because behind every headlinethere is a child, there is a
life and there is wreckage thekind we can't always see until

(02:54):
it's too late.
The Lawrence family, ryan,morgan and their 21-month-old
daughter, maddox, lived onValley Drive in Syracuse, new
York.
Ryan, originally fromBaldwinsville, had a talent for
art.
As a student at CW Baker HighSchool, he earned an honorable
mention in the Scholastic ArtAwards.
Tragically, ryan lost hismother, mary Lawrence, to kidney

(03:15):
cancer when he was just 17.
Mary had worked as a victimadvocate at the district
attorney's office.
After high school, ryan heldvarious low-wage jobs, including
stints at the Real Food Co-op,pastabilities and Teavana at
Destiny USA Mall in Syracuse.
It was at the mall where he metMorgan, a Liverpool high school
graduate.
Morgan also worked multipleretail jobs, including at

(03:38):
Pastabilities, teavana and twoclothing stores in the mall.
While working together, ryanand Morgan became close and
Morgan eventually becamepregnant.
The couple decided to marry andmoved into a rented home on
Valley Drive.
Friends and family describedthem as inseparable.
In 2014, their daughter, maddox,was born A happy and spirited

(03:59):
baby.
Maddox had a unique personality, often making funny little
monster noises, as her aunt,shailen Leonard fondly recalled.
However, maddox had a uniquepersonality, often making funny
little monster noises, as heraunt, shailene Leonard fondly
recalled.
However, maddox's early monthswere challenging.
Ryan and Morgan noticed herleft eye changing color,
darkening over time.
After medical evaluations,maddox was diagnosed with
retinoblastoma, a rare cancer ofthe retina.

(04:20):
During fetal development,retinal cells called
retinoblasts grow rapidly beforematuring into light-sensitive
cells.
In rare cases, these immaturecells fail to develop properly,
growing uncontrollably intocancer.
This was Maddox's reality.
The family's weekends soonrevolved around trips to
Memorial Sloan Kettering CancerCenter in New York City, where

(04:42):
Maddox underwent chemotherapytargeting the tumor and the
blood vessels feeding it.
Each treatment lasted six hours.
Balancing the emotional andfinancial strain of caring for
their daughter, ryan and Morganfaced significant challenges.
They both worked low-incomejobs, making the costs of
treatment overwhelming.
Turning to GoFundMe, theyraised over $9,000 from nearly

(05:04):
100 donors to support Maddox'smedical care.
As Maddox's health improved,the family began to find some
normalcy.
Neighbors often remarked on thebond between Ryan and his
daughter.
Ryan, who delivered pastriesfor freedom of espresso stores
around Syracuse, always broughtMaddox along.
He would carry her in one armand pastries in the other, never

(05:30):
leaving her behind in the car.
Their closeness was evident toeveryone who saw them together.
Around 10 pm on February 20,2016, morgan finished her shift
at work.
Since the family only had onecar, ryan typically dropped her
off and picked her up.
That night, however, morganreceived a strange text from
Ryan informing her that he hadleft the car in the parking lot
with the keys and that sheshould drive herself home.

(05:50):
When Morgan arrived home, shewas met with an unsettling scene
.
Ryan and their daughter, maddox, were gone.
In their place she found adisturbing note suggesting Ryan
might harm himself or Maddox,along with an eight-minute video
addressed to her.
In the video, ryan said I'mleaving and I'm taking her with
me.
Panicked, morgan called thepolice and an amber alert was

(06:12):
issued.
Authorities launched a massivesearch, scouring areas near the
family's home and Destiny USAmall.
The Onondaga County Sheriff'sDepartment deployed their Air 1
helicopter to assist, whilelocal and state police extended
the search to Onondaga Lake, theCreek Walk and abandoned
buildings in Syracuse andBaldwinsville.
Two days later, a breakthroughcame when a woman in

(06:34):
Baldwinsville spotted Ryan onDowner Street, about 10 miles
from the Lawrence home.
Despite being in disguise, thewoman recognized him and alerted
police Upon his arrest.
Ryan initially gave a falsename before admitting his
identity.
His backpack contained campinggear and a book on evading
capture, but Maddox was nowhereto be found.

(06:55):
During his interrogation, ryanfirst claimed he had given
Maddox to a local couple who hadfled to Bolivia.
Skeptical detectives pressedhim until one bluntly asked how
did she die?
Ryan finally confessed bluntforce trauma.
Ryan revealed that afterdropping Morgan off at work, he
had driven Maddox to LabradorHollow, a secluded state

(07:15):
recreation area in CortlandCounty.
There, in a remote section ofwoodland, he placed her on the
ground and struck her in theback of the head with a baseball
bat.
He then burned her body alongwith the bat.
In chilling detail Ryandescribed how he prayed for a
sign before committing the actGod, if I'm not meant to kill
her, make her stumble.
He reportedly said Afterward.

(07:37):
He placed Maddox's remains in ayellow bag, weighted it with a
cinder block and disposed of itin the water near Creekwalk at
Bear and Van Rensselaer Street.
While the confession washorrifying, ryan's motive was
equally appalling.
He admitted that he killedMaddox out of jealousy.
He resented the attention shehad received during her cancer
treatments, particularly fromMorgan, feeling overshadowed by

(07:59):
his own daughter's needs.
After the confession,detectives began searching the
waters of Syracuse's innerharbor.
Police divers were dispatchedto the water near Creekwalk
where they recovered Maddox'sbody.
The scene was so harrowing thatpolice chaplains were brought
in to support the detectives,particularly those present when
her remains were retrieved.
Ryan was charged withsecond-degree murder the same

(08:22):
day, but initially pleaded notguilty.
As the grisly details of thecrime emerged, the community was
overwhelmed with shock andgrief.
Many had held on to hope thatthe situation was a
misunderstanding or a temporaryfamily dispute that would end
with Ryan and Maddox returninghome safely.
The murder devastated theclose-knit Syracuse community.
Makeshift memorials sprang upat the inner harbor near where

(08:45):
Maddox's body was found andalong Onondaga Creek.
Local resident Melody Wilkinsonexpressed the collective sorrow
, saying this shook up theentire community.
We've always been close-knitand when something like this
happens, we come together tosupport each other.
As Ryan awaited trial, those whoknew him struggled to reconcile
the loving father they thoughtthey knew with the man who had

(09:07):
confessed to such a horrific act.
Many questioned whether therehad been any warning signs.
Ryan's family grappled with thetragedy, finding it impossible
to comprehend his actions.
What we saw of Ryan was that heloved Maddox immensely, the
family said in a statement.
We are struggling to make senseof this tragedy and know that
we never will.

(09:28):
His brother, rich Lawrence,spoke openly to the
post-standard, saying there hadbeen no indication Maddox was
ever in danger while in Ryan'scare.
Rich described his brother as aslacker and selfish, but
emphasized that Ryan had neverexhibited violent tendencies.
Rich also admitted that Ryanhad never exhibited violent
tendencies.
Rich also admitted that Ryanwas prone to fanciful ideas like

(09:50):
spontaneously deciding to moveto Florida or dreaming of
becoming an Olympic skier, butthese were harmless fantasies.
Reflecting on the unimaginablecrime, rich said Maddox is the
victim and my brother is toblame.
What Ryan did is unforgivable.
He does not deserve my support.
We are on Maddox's side, theside of the victim.
Initially charged withsecond-degree murder, ryan's

(10:11):
charges were later upgraded tofirst-degree murder as his trial
date approached.
Ryan pleaded guilty to Maddox'smurder as part of a plea
agreement.
In exchange for his guilty plea, he received a sentence of 25
years to life, avoiding thepossibility of life without
parole had he been convicted attrial.
Under the terms of his sentence, ryan would serve a minimum of

(10:33):
25 years, with no chance forearly release as his conviction
was for a violent felony.
In court, prosecutor JeremyColley explained that Maddox's
family had agreed to the pleadeal to avoid the emotional toll
of a trial.
The judge emphasized that hewould not have accepted the
agreement without the family'sconsent.
Motivation often influencessentencing.

(10:53):
In murder cases.
A cold, calculated killing isjudged differently than one
committed in the heat of passion.
Despite Ryan's earlier claimthat jealousy drove him to kill
Maddox, the question of whyremained.
Prosecutors argued that Ryan'sactions after the murder burning
Maddox's body, disposing of herremains and fleeing
demonstrated a premeditated anddeliberate crime.

(11:13):
In contrast, ryan's defenseattorney, michael Vavanese,
maintained that Ryan had been adevoted father and that
something must have caused himto snap.
I don't know that we'll ever beable to comprehend exactly why
he got to this emotional state,vavanese said.
Prosecutor Colley respondedbluntly.
All I know is he killed hisdaughter.
The defense claimed Ryan feltprofound remorse and pointed to

(11:37):
a psychiatrist's diagnosis ofextreme emotional disturbance at
the time of the murder.
However, the prosecution'sexperts strongly disagreed with
this assessment.
The sentencing phase began onNovember 15th, giving Maddox's
family the opportunity to sharetheir grief.
Her grandmother, robin Forster,delivered a powerful statement
revealing a telling detail aboutRyan's actions after his arrest

(12:00):
.
He had divorced Morgan and,instead of requesting keepsakes
of Maddox, asked for a fish tank, a photo of his dog and a bike
without wheels.
These are the things of valueand importance to him.
Robin said, glaring at Ryan WasMaddox ever important to you?
She described how the family'slives had been shattered, with
memories of Maddox now theironly comfort.

(12:21):
Even speaking hergranddaughter's name caused her
voice to shake, and staying inthe home where they had cared
for Maddox was excruciatingMorgan.
Maddox's mother addressed thecourt for the first time.
Through tears, she describedthe crippling anxiety she had
suffered since her daughter'sdeath, which made it nearly
impossible to hold down a job.
She shared how isolating it wasto be alone, yet even harder to

(12:44):
be surrounded by people.
As conversations often turnedto Ryan and the murder.
Turning directly to Ryan, sheasked I would give anything to
hug her again.
I just think it's so cowardlywhat you did.
What was the point?

(13:14):
Yet before she could enjoy thecarefree childhood she had
earned, her life was cruellytaken from her.
Even more tragic was thebetrayal of trust by the one
person she should have been ableto rely on unconditionally her
father.
We began this episode with thename Maddox Lawrence, and now,
as we reach the end, that namecarries a weight we can't and

(13:35):
shouldn't try to escape.
She was a toddler, a daughter,a fighter, a little girl who
smiled, through surgeries andsetbacks no child should ever
endure.
She had made it through cancer,she had come out the other side
, and then the unimaginablehappened, not from disease, but
from betrayal From the veryperson who was supposed to
protect her.

(13:55):
Her death is not just a tragedy.
It's a rupture, a point wherereality splits and nothing fits
back the way it should.
The story of Maddox is not onlyabout Ryan Lawrence's crime.
It's also about what goesunseen, the isolation of mental
illness, the invisible toll ofcaregiving, the pressure on
young families to holdeverything together when they

(14:16):
are barely holding themselvesand hauntingly.
It's about how those cracks cango unnoticed until they widen
into catastrophe.
After Maddox's murder, peopleacross the country ask how could
this happen?
But the harder, more importantquestion is how do we stop it
from happening again?
There are no easy answers and,if we're being honest, there may

(14:37):
not be satisfying ones either.
What we have instead is a callto pay attention, to listen more
carefully when someone we loveis slipping away from themselves
, to believe people when theysay they're struggling, and to
stop pretending that being aparent or a partner or a person
in pain is something we can justpower through alone.
Ryan Lawrence is serving a lifesentence and yet, in a deeper

(15:00):
way, everyone who knew and lovedMaddox is still living in the
shadow of that night.
Grief like this doesn't end.
It changes shape, it moves inand makes a home.
But Maddox is more than the wayher life ended.
She was funny, she wasresilient, she danced to music
and lit up at the sight of hermom.
She deserved to grow up up, tolaugh, to be celebrated for who

(15:21):
she was not remembered, only forhow she was lost.
So today we remember her, Notas a headline, not as a lesson,
but as a little girl whomattered.
If you or someone you know isstruggling with depression,
overwhelming stress or violentthoughts, please reach out.
There is help.
There is always another path.
Thank you for listening toHuman Wreckage.

(15:42):
This episode was written andproduced with the hope that,
through even the darkest stories, we can find something worth
holding on to, something human.
I'm Thomas.
Take care of yourself and takecare of each other.
Thank you.