In the quiet community of Lake Desire near Renton, Washington, the life of 27-year-old Ryan Prince, a White male, was tragically cut short on the evening of February 17, 2014. What began as a suspected burglary escalated into a violent homicide that left a community in shock and a family grieving an immeasurable loss. Prince was discovered unresponsive on his bedroom floor by his roommate's girlfriend, having been shot multiple times.
The initial investigation into Ryan Prince's death
suggested he may have interrupted a burglary at the home he shared with his employer, the owner of several local medical marijuana dispensaries. The house had been ransacked, and a surveillance video storage device was missing. As detectives delved deeper, a crucial piece of evidence came to light. Prince's cell phone, found about 200 yards from his home the day after the murder, contained a photograph taken just ten minutes before a neighbor reported hearing gunshots. The picture was a close-up of a license plate on a burgundy Chrysler PT Cruiser, a final, desperate clue left by a man facing imminent danger.
This pivotal photograph led investigators to Stephen M. Marshall, the man to whom the vehicle was registered. Five days after the slaying, Marshall was arrested in Tacoma. The investigation further revealed the brutal nature of the crime; not only had Prince been shot four times with at least two different guns, but he had also been severely beaten. An autopsy revealed that a barbell had been shoved into his throat with such force that it broke his hyoid bone, a testament to the merciless violence of his attackers.
The trail did not end with Marshall. Further investigation led to the arrest of a second suspect, Ryan Daniel Erker. Erker was charged with second-degree murder, the same charge initially brought against Marshall, which was later upgraded to first-degree murder. It was determined that Marshall was the ringleader of a robbery plot targeting Prince's roommate, believing there would be a significant amount of cash in the home due to the nature of his business. Erker's role was to scout the location and act as a lookout.
In the end, justice for Ryan Prince came through the courts. Stephen Marshall was convicted of first-degree murder and illegal firearm possession, receiving a sentence of 31 years in prison for what prosecutors described as a "merciless killing." Ryan Erker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and, after cooperating with investigators, was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Though the legal proceedings brought a close to the case, the violent and untimely death of Ryan Prince remains a stark reminder of a life taken too soon.
