Web of Lies: The Crossbow Killer

Brett Ryan was a man who lost control and committed a series of heinous crimes, leading to his eventual arrest by the Toronto police. Despite his guilt, the judge saw him as both the perpetrator and victim of the tragedy.

Liam Hall
11 min readFeb 11, 2023
Brett Ryan — Photo Credit

In 2007, 26-year-old Brett Ryan found himself $60,000 in debt and living in a large home on Conference Boulevard with his family, close to the border of Scarborough and Pickering.

This was not the life he envisioned for himself. Despite his friendly demeanor, Brett had been struggling. He had dropped out of university and was working as a house painter.

Desperate to escape his financial troubles, Brett turned to crime and robbed his first bank on October 20. Over the next eight months, he committed 12 more bank robberies, earning him the nickname “The Bearded Bandit” due to his disguise of bandages and a beard.

Eventually, Brett was caught by police and pleaded guilty. During his trial, his background as a generous volunteer was highlighted, and he received a lenient sentence.

Despite his criminal acts, Brett was described by the judge as a person of integrity and a productive member of society. With his big smile, warm…

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Liam Hall
Liam Hall

Written by Liam Hall

I like to write about crime, among other things. Studying computer security. Join Medium using my referral link https://zeph456.medium.com/membership

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