Cara Ryan's case - Complete timeline of events ahead of Dateline

The case of JJ Rush's murder and his ex-wife, Cara Ryan's role in it, has been explored in the Dateline episode, A Shot in the Dark, which originally aired on June 28, 2019.

In March 2015, the Tampa Bay area was shaken by the death of retired St. Petersburg Police Sergeant John Joseph "J.J." Rush, who was fatally shot inside the Indian Rocks Beach apartment of his ex-wife, longtime Clearwater High School teacher Cara Ryan.

From the beginning, the case was clouded in uncertainty. Ryan admitted she pulled the trigger, but whether she acted in cold blood or in self-defense became the central question in the case. It is explored in the Dateline episode, which re-airs tomorrow.

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The relationship between Cara Ryan and J.J. Rush

Cara Ryan and J.J. Rush got married in 1997. Their relationship was tumultuous from the start, and after nine years, they got divorced in 2006. However, by 2007, they rekindled their relationship, and for nearly a decade afterward, their bond remained unstable, as they continued an on-again-off-again relationship. But by February 2015, Rush had finally moved out of Ryan's home.

Rush had retired from the St. Petersburg Police Department in 2005 after a serious on-duty car accident and was working as an investigator in the Medical Examiner's office at the time of his death. He was 45 years old at the time and had a 21-year-old daughter from a prior marriage. Meanwhile, Cara Ryan worked as a longtime educator, as per Tampa Bay Times.

According to investigators, Ryan and Rush's relationship was riddled with trouble as Ryan exerted a high degree of control over Rush's life, particularly his finances. Rush was allegedly not allowed to maintain his own bank account, with all of his earnings deposited into an account overseen by Ryan.

As per Fox 13 News, in mid-February 2015, Rush moved out of Ryan’s residence, and days later, Ryan discovered that Rush had removed her from his bank accounts, severing her financial control over him. Investigators later suggested that this action became a breaking point for Ryan, sparking feelings of anger and loss of control.

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The night Rush was shot

On the evening of March 7, 2015, Cara Ryan sent JJ Rush a s*xually explicit text message, inviting him to her apartment in Indian Rocks Beach. Rush accepted the invitation. However, at some point during the night, Ryan received a text message from another man she was seeing at that time, according to Fox13 News. That discovery triggered an argument between the couple, which spiraled into tragedy.

Around 10:17 pm that night, neighbors reported a disturbance. Gunshots were heard, and Rush was found shot in the left arm, with the bullet traveling into his chest. He had managed to stumble to a neighbor's home, where he collapsed and later died.

Cara Ryan was arrested (Image via Getty)

When detectives arrived, they immediately identified Ryan as the shooter. In interviews, she admitted pulling the trigger but offered multiple, conflicting explanations for her action.

The outlet reported that she claimed Rush became enraged after discovering her messages with another man, and then sexually assaulted her, leading her to shoot him in self-defense. But later on, she gave other reasons for the shooting, none of which matched the physical evidence.

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Cara Ryan's arrest and trial

Investigators were certain that Cara Ryan shot J.J. Rush but were initially hesitant to file charges until probable cause was firmly established. By March 13, 2015, detectives concluded that Ryan killed Rush in a fit of anger over losing control of him. She was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

During the trial, prosecutors painted Cara Ryan as a jealous ex-lover unable to cope with Rush's independence. Assistant State Attorney Liz Jack argued that Ryan lured Rush to her home for s*x, only to kill him when she realized she could no longer control him.

However, the defense countered this by portraying Rush as a violent drunk and claimed Ryan acted in self-defense after being raped, as per Tampa Bay Times. Cara Ryan's bond was initially set at $500,000, but it was later reduced to $250,000. She was released from Pinellas County Jail on March 20, 2015, a week after her arrest.

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Catch more about the case on Dateline tomorrow on Oxygen.