'Dying To Be Famous: The Ryan Singleton Mystery': Model's estranged husband warned mother about him being in danger
In 2013, a young Georgia model had driven to Las Vegas from Los Angeles in a rental car during a weekend trip. Ryan Singleton was just 24 when he was picked up by the California Highway Patrol in Death Valley as he drove back to Los Angeles and his car broke down. He was dropped off at a gas station in Baker, California. His friend drove from Los Angeles to the gas station to pick him up but when he arrived, Singleton was nowhere to be found.
Singleton's friend filed a missing person report when he returned to Los Angeles. It was only 74 days after he disappeared that Singleton's body was found about two miles from the gas station. An autopsy lists the cause of death as undetermined due to advanced decomposition. The body was missing several organs, including his liver, eyes, and heart, as well as some of his ribs. No one has ever been charged in Ryan's death. Singleton’s manner of death has also been listed as undetermined. The report stated that his head had "missing flesh down to bone on the right-side secondary to animal activity", which was also listed as the reason for the loss of his eyes and other missing organs.
Before his disappearance and death, Singleton was having a thriving career, having left his home at the age of 21 for New York City to make it as a star. It was going well — he had even landed a spot on the runway during New York's Fashion Week. Shortly after, Singleton set his sights on Hollywood. He and some friends packed their stuff into a U-Haul truck and drove west to Los Angeles. They documented their journey along the way for a docu-series called 'Are We Famous Yet?' Singleton's death and disappearance is the subject of Bounce's first-ever true-crime docuseries, 'Dying To Be Famous: The Ryan Singleton Mystery'.
When Singleton made his weekend trip, he was once again living with his mother in Georgia. What made the young model move from Los Angeles during a career that was seemingly picking up? According to Singleton's mother, Iris Flowers' statements, it could have been a bad marriage. Singleton first left LA for New York when he got married to celebrity stylist Kithe Brewster in 2012 -- the wedding had many of Brewster's family and friends, including Cynthia Bailey of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'. Brewster was over 20 years Singleton's senior and has reportedly styled celebrities such as Gwen Stefani and Beyonce.
However, after their marriage, it was clear that things were not right. According to a blogger who reportedly spoke with Flowers, Singleton would make panicked phone calls in the middle of the night to his mother and many of his friends. Allegedly, he once told his mother, "I just threw an $8,000 bag out the window and I don't give a f**k. I can't take this any longer; he's controlling me and we’re living in an apartment with no food, lights, and showering at the YMCA. I can't believe I let him trick me into giving up everything." Singleton would then hang up immediately whenever his husband would enter the room.
The blogger goes on to write that Singleton then left his husband without taking any of his belongings and when he arrived at a relative's house, he reportedly looked like he lost a lot of weight, was filthy, and looked tired. However, Singleton would then return to his husband. Later, Flowers grew suspicious when Singleton and his husband came to Atlanta to get Singleton a new Georgia ID. When she dropped them off at the airport after the couple's visit and left, Singleton called her and asked her to return and get him. Following this, Singleton lived with his mother. According to Project Q Atlanta, while Flowers knew there were problems between Singleton and Brewster, her son did not tell her anything about his marriage.
On the day that he disappeared, Singleton had called his mother asking her to send him the emergency money that he kept in his room. When she tried to call him back, he did not answer or reply. Later that day, Brewster called Flowers asking if Singleton was with her and said that he heard people laughing in the background when he spoke to Singleton a while back. However, Brewster then went on to say that Singleton could be in danger. The blogger writes that Flowers never received an explanation from Brewster for the comment he made. Months later, Flowers reportedly told the blogger that Brewster threatened her to do as he says, or else he would cut off all information about her son from her.
'Dying To Be Famous: The Ryan Singleton Mystery' will premiere on Bounce on Sunday, November 1, at 9/8c.
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