Father of Lee County homicide victim breaks silence

FORT MYERS, Fla. Sandy Modell has been silent for nearly a year.

Modell’s 32-year-old son, Ryan, was killed last March in the Emerson Square community of south Fort Myers. He accidentally went to the wrong unit on his walk home from the pool, where he had been drinking with friends, according to investigators.

The man who lived in that unit shot Ryan outside, Modell said.

“Between the time when he felt there was a threat and when he murdered my son, it’s such a long period of time that a ‘stand your ground’ defense isn’t supported,” he said.

Modell waited patiently for the state attorney’s office to file charges, to no avail.

“I expected an indictment by the end of August, and we’ve heard nothing. They keep saying it’s in review, review, review, but they’re not taking it seriously,” he said. “They don’t like taking on cases that aren’t slam dunks.”

Modell added that if the state attorney’s office doesn’t act promptly, he will take the case to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office.

The state attorney’s office declined to comment, saying the case is still under review.