The murder case against former fitness professionals Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan in the death of their former assistant, Melissa James, gets odder with each passing week. The latest is that a former cellmate of Craig Titus has been charged with trying to hire a hit man to kill three key witnesses in the case. Titus and Ryan's involvement in the attempt is unclear and so far they have not been charged.

Glen Puit of the Review-Journal has owned this story locally since Titus and Ryan were returned to Las Vegas to face trial for James' death. Puit today reports on numerous contacts and connections between Titus and the man arrested for allegedly trying to have the witnesses against Titus killed.

Fitness professionals Craig Titus and his wife Kelly Ryan are charged in the murder of their assistant Melissa James. Titus apparently fired his lawyers, because they would not let him give press interviews.

The Review-Journal scored the first interview with Titus since his December capture (when Titus and Ryan were either vacationing or on the lam, depending on whose interpretation of events you believe). In the interview, Titus proclaims both his innocence and his general good virtue as a person. "My wife and I are caring people. We are loving people," Titus says.

According to the Review-Journal, "Titus said the only thing he is guilty of is bad judgment on the night James' body was set ablaze in the trunk of Ryan's red Jaguar in the desert off Blue Diamond Road."

Titus doesn't mention it, but if he is responsible for the fire, in my opinion it wasn't very caring and loving of him to be involved in that.

On this same subject, according to the Review-Journal's account of the police interview conducted just after his arrest, Titus claims he allegedly told police he found James dead of a drug overdose in the car. He also described this now-beloved friend's body as "stinking up my (expletive) car."

Then there was the newspaper's account of his initial interview with police, after which came the fleeing/vacation thingy, when he claimed to know nothing about James death at all, nor how her body wound up in his wife's car.

Even less caring and loving is the paper's description of the police's version of events, which involves Titus and Ryan allegedly using a Taser on James, then drugging her and duct-taping her face.

And according to all the Review-Journal articles so far, Titus seems poised to admit being involved with putting James' dead body in a car trunk and setting it afire.

I will, of course, contact Craig Titus' new lawyer and request an interview. My guess is that his lawyer will not allow him to answer questions directly about certain elements of the case. The lawyer would not let the him answer any questions about the night James died in the Review-Journal interview. But I still hope Titus' love of press interviews continues long enough to talk to the Buffet. Please feel free to post your questions here for Craig Titus.

(Photo: Jae C. Hong / AP)

The murder case against the bodybuilding celebrity couple Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan is back in the headlines. On Tuesday a court hearing was held to determine wether to dismiss charges against the duo of allegedly killing their personal assistant, Melissa James, 28.

Most press accounts have focused on the voluble and apparently not very bright Titus. But Clark County prosecutor Robert Daskas argued: "It was Kelly Ryan herself who was involved in the fight with Melissa Jamas. It was Kelly Ryan who used a Taser or stun gun.... It was Kelly Ryan herself who injected Melissa James with morphine."

According to the Review-Journal, Craig Titus then interrupted the proceedings offering a dream moment to prosecutors by yelling in open court: "No she did not!" Prosecutor Daskas was ready, saying instantly, "Well, let's ask Mr. Titus who did it." Titus offered no answer beyond, "I'm getting tired of him saying that."

Well, Mr. Titus, you are going to find a murder trial totally exhausting, because the judge refused to dismiss any charges. The trial is set to begin in January.

(Photo: Bizuayehu Tesfaye / AP)

What's so funny? Former fitness competitors Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan were both denied bail on Tuesday by Judge Jackie Glass. Judge Glass set the trial for the duo in the alleged murder of their personal assistant Melissa James for January 2007. According to the Review-Journal, after Glass made the ruling, Titus burst into inexplicable laughter.  I do not know what Titus was laughing about yesterday. But what is putting a smile on my face this morning is reading a brief item on the facing page in the paper. In another case Tuesday, the same Judge tossed the book at a convicted 21 year old murderer, Randy Lopez, with a sentence of 64-150 years. According to the Review-Journal:

"Glass said Lopez deserved to be shown the same amount of compassion he showed his victims."

In this case, Titus is accused of drugging, tasering, beating, duck taping, strangling and burning the body of James. If convicted, I suspect Judge Glass will remember Titus' good humor in court at his sentencing.