Man extradited to California on murder charge in 2023 disappearance

Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr., 44, was arrested in Tennessee on January 16 and extradited to San Bernardino County, California, where he was booked on murder and conspiracy charges in the disappearance and death of 40-year-old Emilio Ghanem. Prosecutors set bail at $1 million as the case moves into county custody.

Ghanem vanished in May 2023 after leaving a Hemet-based religious organization called His Way Spirit Led Assemblies. He was last seen at a Starbucks in Redlands. Authorities later discovered Ghanem’s rental truck burned in the Mojave Desert, a detail that prompted intensive searches and a long-running inquiry. The investigation widened in December when law enforcement arrested Shelly Bailey "Kat" Martin, 62, and Rudy Franco Moreno, 43; prosecutors described Martin as a leader within the organization and Moreno as a member.

Officials have not disclosed whether Duran was a member of the group, but investigators say the probe links the organization to other alleged crimes. Duran’s booking on homicide and conspiracy counts places him at the center of the inquiry into Ghanem’s death as authorities pursue ties between suspects and the pattern of activity surrounding the group.

For the community, the arrest closes some threads while opening others. The arrest and extradition demonstrate that cases tied to long-missing persons can remain active across state lines, and that evidence such as vehicle destruction and witness timelines can sustain criminal charges years later. Local residents who attended or interacted with His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, who knew Ghanem, or who provided information earlier should review any records, messages, or photos that could help investigators. Preserve digital correspondence and log key dates and locations; those items often prove decisive in linkage analysis and courtroom timelines.

Legally, Duran will remain in custody while prosecutors prepare formal charges and move toward arraignment and pretrial proceedings in San Bernardino County. The $1 million bail reflects the severity of the allegations and the court’s assessment of flight risk and public safety.

This arrest signals an intensifying phase in an investigation that has already led to multiple arrests and may yield further charges as authorities follow investigative leads. If you have information related to Ghanem’s disappearance, preserve it and contact law enforcement. The coming weeks could provide more clarity about roles, motives, and whether the alleged pattern of crimes extends beyond the suspects already charged.