Ryan Harris murder: Chicago child killer Floyd Durr dies in prison

CHICAGO - A Chicago child killer died this week in prison while serving a life sentence.

Floyd Durr, 55, was convicted for the murder of 11-year-old Ryan Harris in 1998, a heinous crime that shocked the Englewood community and garnered national attention. 

Initially, two young boys were arrested for the crime, but subsequent DNA evidence confirmed Durr's guilt. 

Ryan Harris

The Department of Corrections confirmed his death Tuesday but has not disclosed the cause of death.

In October 2021, Sabrina Harris, Ryan's mother, spoke in front of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board stating that Durr should not be granted clemency. 

She held back tears as she told the board, "For him to be able to do all that: breathe, sleep, eat, wake up; it is torture for me."