Father believes son found dead in Lee County was murdered

FORT MYERS, Fla.- The father of a man found dead on Sunday says he believes his son was stalked and executed.

Thirty-two-year-old Ryan Modell’s body was found at a home on the 17000 block of Old Harmony Drive in the Emerson Square community after authorities responded to a 911 hang-up, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Sandy Modell, Ryan Modell’s father, says his son was celebrating a new job offer over the weekend with friends in the condo complex where he lived when he accidentally went to the wrong condo. He believes his son was murdered as he was walking away.

“Basically, you follow an impaired person who was unarmed and that person, and you leave your house to do that and they end up dead, I don’t know what would you call that?” Sandy Modell said. “Someone took it upon themselves to leave their residence and decide to be a, I don’t know, an executioner for all I know.”

The sheriff’s office has not said if they suspect foul play in Ryan Modell’s death or if any arrest has been made. What led to the 32-year-old’s death remains a mystery but Sandy Modell says his son would never hurt anyone.

“He was a great kid, he was a great son, he was great friend and this shouldn’t have happened.”