6 years after their son died, parents still miss his absence more now than ever

By Kendall Keys, James Paxson

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    MOUNT PLEASANT, Michigan (WNEM) — Six years have passed since Central Michigan University student Ryan Tsatsos was the victim of a hit-and-run and the driver has never been caught.

“Time has moved on, but our time stopped. Even though we get up and go to work every day, and the years we flip the calendar, we still feel like it’s 2015,” said Julie Tsatsos.

Oct. 31 of 2015 is the night when time stopped for Julie and Paul Tsatsos.

“All through Halloween night we were texting,” Julie Tsatsos.

Her and her son Ryan, who was freshman at Central Michigan University.

“I sent a heart and then I got no response. And that’s when my heart sank,” Julie Tsatsos said.

Her maternal instinct told her something was terribly wrong.

“Around what, 1:30, 2:00? The police came to the door. And that’s when I said, ‘no, you cannot be telling me something is wrong with Ryan,'” Julie Tsatsos said.

Police informed her that her 17-year-old son Ryan, had been killed in a hit and run just after midnight.

“I couldn’t believe that was happening again,” Julie Tsatsos.

She said, “again,” because finding out about Ryan’s death was like Deja Vu. Three months earlier, their other son, Darryl, died in a car crash.

“Same time, 2:30 in the morning, Sunday morning,” Paul Tsatsos said.

“We had to come to the hospital,” Julie Tsatsos said.

“Almost identical,” Paul Tsatsos said.

Julie and Paul, mourning the death of one son, were facing the prospect of having lost both of their children. Julie said a silver lining, Ryan saved someone else’s life right before his death.

“She was walking to the left of him, he grabbed her and threw her to the field, and in that time, that’s when he got hit,” Julie Tsatsos.

The Tsatsos’ describe Ryan as a selfless person with a disposition that could brighten anyone’s mood.

“He would do anything for anybody,” Julie Tsatsos said.

“That infectious laugh he had. He had this laugh that you couldn’t help, I don’t care what mood you were in, you just had to laugh with him,” Paul Tsatsos said.

The case remains unsolved, and Ryan’s parents await the answers to questions they have been asking for years like Who did it?

“I don’t know how they sleep at night,” Julie Tsatsos said.

With only memories left of Ryan, they have faith that one day they will reunite.

“The hope of seeing him again when our day has come, that’s the only thing that keeps us going. If I didn’t have that. It’s emptiness,” Julie Tsatsos said.

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