Ryan Waller: A Tragic Tale of Murder and Police Misconduct
A Photo of Ryan Waller after the incident. Photo: Okay Bliss
Ryan Waller and his girlfriend Heather Quan were shot during a home invasion in December 2006. Police arrived at the scene and assumed critically injured Ryan had killed his girlfriend, interrogating him for hours, and preventing him from receiving vital medical treatment.
Who was Ryan Waller?
Ryan Waller’s girlfriend, Heather Quan.
Ryan Thomas Waller, born on February 12, 1988. Ryan was fond of playing the guitar during his younger years.
According to his father, Donald Thomas Waller, also known as Don, Ryan was a quick learner who could rap along to a song upon hearing it.
Ryan had an interest in technology. He hailed from Knoxville, Tennessee, but resided in Phoenix, Arizona, both before his passing.
Ryan Waller and Heather Quan were in a relationship for almost eight months and had recently moved in together. Waller had just finished high school, and Heather was in college. They decided to rent a house in Phoenix, Arizona, with a third roommate named Alicia.
The Break in at Ryan Waller’s Apartment
Ryan Waller before the break in at his apartment that changed his life forever. Photo: celebsuburb
On December 25th, 2006, Richie Carver and his father Larry Carver illegally entered the home of Ryan and Heather by breaking through the backdoor. They subsequently shot Ryan Waller in the face and Heather Quan in the head, killing her instantly.
The Carvers proceeded to ransack the house and made off with electronic devices and a guitar that were never retrieved. The attackers were unaware that Waller survived the attack.
Ryan's parents became concerned when he didn't attend the family Christmas dinner and didn't respond to their calls. They eventually decided to go to his house, and upon finding no answer, they requested the police to conduct a wellness check on their son.
The police arrived at around midnight and spotted a body through a window. Despite this, they opted not to break in and waited for hours to obtain a search warrant. During this time, Alicia arrived home and headed straight to her room without noticing anything out of the ordinary in the living room. It wasn't until the police returned and knocked on the door that she answered.
Upon searching the premises, they discovered Heather Quan's lifeless body and subsequently arrested Ryan, who was wounded, on suspicion of murder. The police assumed that his facial gunshot wound was a black eye and speculated that he and Quan had a violent altercation, leading to her demise. They treated the case as a domestic abuse incident that had gone awry.
The Police Investigation of Ryan Waller
Despite suffering from a traumatic brain injury caused by the gunshot, Waller was made to remain in the police vehicle for four hours and then subjected to a two-hour interrogation.
The interrogation video has since become infamous, as it depicts a confused Waller struggling to provide coherent answers to straightforward questions posed by lead detective Paul Dalton.
The Waller family initiated legal proceedings against the Phoenix Police Department and the City of Phoenix for their handling of Ryan Waller's case, seeking $15 million in damages.
Interestingly, just three weeks prior to the trial, the lawsuit was dismissed after the City of Phoenix filed a "Motion for Dismissal" with the court.
The city's argument was based on the opinion of a brain expert who evaluated Ryan's injuries and claimed that the delay in treatment would not have affected the extent of his injuries.
The judge agreed with the city's position, ruling that Ryan would have sustained the same injuries regardless of the delay, and dismissed the lawsuit.
The Waller family, however, believes that corruption on the part of the city attorneys, police officers, and detectives played a role in the case's dismissal, fearing that the jury would rule in favor of the family.
Ryan's father cited an expert brain surgeon from Florida who would have testified that every minute was critical when a brain was bleeding and swelling, leading to catastrophic damage.
Allegations of Fabricated Evidence in Ryan Waller’s Case
There are allegations that the Phoenix police department falsified information to cover up their negligence regarding the case of Ryan Waller. They are accused of changing the incident date from December 25 to December 23 to evade responsibility.
Detective Dalton was also accused of tampering with evidence, but faced no consequences from the police force. The police report is said to contain false information regarding the shooting date, allegedly to deflect attention from their delayed medical response.
Evidence suggests that Waller spent December 23 helping his parents remodel their bathroom, and Alicia testified that the incident happened on Christmas night.
Quan's obituary and tombstone also list her death as December 25, 2006. Waller's surgeon stated that his wound was fresh and showed no signs of being a two-day-old injury.
The Waller family hopes that by spreading the word about the injustice, they can gain enough exposure and pressure to reopen the case and have their day in court against the Phoenix Police Department.
The Police Arrest Richie and Larry Carver
Richie and Larry Carver. Photo: Vizaca
Once the police realized that Waller was innocent, they were able to apprehend the real perpetrators. During the interrogation, Waller provided crucial information by stating that "Richie and his dad" had broken into the house and shot them.
Waller informed detective Dalton that Carver "used to live" at the residence. However, Dalton misconstrued the statement and assumed that Waller was referring to an ex-roommate.
Acting on the misleading tip, the police first apprehended Richie Carver. Larry had fled to California immediately after the crime, taking the .22 caliber murder weapon with him. He was eventually captured as well.
Subsequently, Larry’s wife, Cheryl, gave an interview to the detectives where she corroborated that Larry and Richie had left on December 25, 2006.
They had left on the pretense of retrieving Richie’s belongings from his former home and confronting someone regarding a "pistol whipping" incident.
According to her, Larry confessed to the murders upon his return home, stating "I’ve just f—ed up, I killed two people, and I gotta get out of here."
Shortly before the Carvers' murder trial was set to begin, Cheryl withdrew her statement, claiming that she couldn't remember Larry's confession and had lied to the detectives out of anger towards him due to their tumultuous relationship.
As a result, the case against Larry was dismissed, since his wife's confession was the only evidence against him, and he was released.
In contrast, Richie Carver was found guilty of several charges, including felony murder, burglary, aggravated assault, and misconduct involving weapons, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Richie had a history of violence, having been previously imprisoned for armed robbery and having juvenile records for multiple assaults and domestic violence.
Heather Quan's family appealed to the legislature for changes to spousal privilege laws after Larry was released because of Cheryl's refusal to testify against him.
Arizona lawmakers passed "Heather's Law," which eliminated spousal privilege in cases where a spouse voluntarily provides information to the police about their partner's involvement in criminal activities.
Larry's case was reopened after a long legal battle, and he was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, burglary, and aggravated assault.
He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in January 2013.
The Injuries and Eventual Death of Ryan Waller
Waller's treatment of his gunshot wound was delayed, leading to a brain infection that prevented him from receiving immediate surgery to remove the bullet. He underwent surgery three days later on December 28, 2006. He remained hospitalized for 35 days.
The bullet entered Waller's face from the left side, traveling to his left temporal lobe. Fragments of his eye socket and a bone were lodged in his brain, causing brain swelling, in addition to a bullet splinter behind his left eye. During the arrest, he was tackled to the ground, breaking his jaw.
Waller suffered from permanent damage as a result of his injuries, including the loss of his left eye, severe seizures, and memory loss. Expert medical professionals have stated that timely medical intervention could have prevented the extent of his injuries and infection.
Ryan returned home to live with his parents, where he was cared for until his passing. On January 20, 2016, he suffered a fatal seizure, hitting his head during the fall and bleeding out in a grocery store.
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