In the quiet community of Ramona, California, the life of 28-year-old Courtney Chandler was abruptly cut short on the evening of July 6, 2026. San Diego County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon at a residence on 11th Street. Inside the home, they discovered Chandler and a man, later identified as 32-year-old Nicholas McClure, both suffering from significant traumatic injuries. Despite the arrival of emergency medical personnel, both Chandler and McClure were pronounced dead at the scene.
Upon their arrival, deputies found a man sitting on the front steps of the residence. This individual, 33-year-old Ryan Wesley Proffitt of Escondido, was taken into custody and subsequently arrested on two counts of first-degree murder. Proffitt was booked into the San Diego Central Jail. The investigation into the double homicide revealed a complex and ultimately tragic story of a relationship in turmoil. Prosecutors have suggested that the motive for the killings was jealousy. Proffitt and Chandler were reportedly in an open relationship, and Chandler had recently begun a new relationship with McClure, who had moved into the couple's home. This development is believed to have led to the fatal confrontation.
During his arraignment, Ryan Proffitt pleaded not guilty to the two counts of murder, along with a special circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders. If convicted on all charges, he could face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Deputy District Attorney Miriam Shoval stated in court that after the shooting, Proffitt himself called 911, reporting a "lover's quarrel." This case, born from a modern relationship dynamic that ended in violence, left a community in shock and a family mourning the loss of a young woman just weeks before her 29th birthday. The legal proceedings against Proffitt are ongoing as the justice system seeks to resolve the tragic deaths of Courtney Chandler and Nicholas McClure.
