Ryan McArthur

Ryan McArthur is a fictional college student and murder victim and a supporting character featured in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. Played by actor William Butler, he appeared in the 1990 sequel film Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. This is the only appearance of the character.

Biography
Ryan McArthur was a college student studying Pre-Med in Los Angeles, California. He was the boyfriend of Michelle Shatnell. By 1990, Ryan's relationship with Michelle was deteriorating, but the two agreed to engage in a road trip together from L.A. to Deland, Florida to work out their issues. Along the way, they passed a police checkpoint, where they found an area of the Texas highway barricaded off. News reports over the radio revealed the discovery of a mass grave containing anywhere from fifty to seventy bodies. The checkpoint officer cleared them, and warned them to keep on driving and not to stop for anything.

Further down the road, they hit an armadillo, gravely injuring it. Michelle didn't have the spirit to finish it off, so Ryan gave it a mercy killing by bludgeoning it with a rock. They then stopped at the Last Chance Garage to use the restrooms and get some gas. While there, they met a cowboy named Tex, who asked them for a ride. Ryan told him that they wouldn't be able to help him. Tex recommended taking a different route to get to their destination - a road that took them off the main highway.

As things turned out, the proprietor of the gas station, Alfredo, turned out to be a perverted maniac and a fight developed between Tex and he. Ryan and Michelle sped off before they could get involved in the shoot-out, but one of Alfredo's shots went through the back window of the car.

As day turned to night, Ryan and Michelle were attacked by a burly maniac in a skin mask wielding a chainsaw. They managed to escape, but the man tore off the trunk to their car. They then met up with a survivalist named Benny, and told him about the crazy person that tried to kill them. The chainsaw slinging Leatherface caught up with them and captured Ryan after he had stepped into a bear trap.

Leatherface brought Ryan back to his family's house in the swamps, where he was suspended upside down in the kitchen. They had managed to capture Michelle as well and secured her to a chair by nailing her hands into the armrest. Michelle looked on in horror as the family had a little girl execute Ryan by triggering a sledgehammer booby trap. The hammer came down, smashing into Ryan's skull, killing him.

Notes & Trivia



 * In the movie, Ryan McArthur is identified only as Ryan.


 * Ryan McArthur is the third victim of the Sawyer family. He is the third person killed in the film, and the first male character killed. He is the only character killed by Little Girl Sawyer.