A plea agreement has been reached in the case of a fatal stabbing at a party in Lake of the Pines last year. The Nevada County District Attorney’s office says Brandon Riddle-Terrell has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of 33 year-old Ryan Roth. Roth was stabbed several times, and drugs
and alcohol were present at the party. Assistant District Attorney Anna Ferguson says Riddle-Terrell was so drunk that defense lawyers were considering an insanity plea.
Click here to listen to Assistant DA Ferguson
That would have meant a four-year sentence, and with time credits and good behavior, could have resulted in just a few months behind bars. However, Ferguson says, a jury could have gone the other way.
Click here to listen to Assistant DA Ferguson
The voluntary manslaughter plea means 11 years in prison, and Riddle-Terrell will serve at least 85 percent of that term, or over nine years. Riddle-Terrell was 24 at the time of his arrest. Sentencing is scheduled for August 21st.
Chris
That's bullsh** .. He knew exactly what he was doing. 9 years that's all you get for taking a life, a father, and one of the better people I've had the pleasure of knowing.. He should be in prison for the rest of his life! Brendon Terrell is one of the more scummy low life pieces of work that we don't need in this society.. 9 years that's a joke.. God will judge that sick looser now.. I hope the very worst for that POS!!
Jessica
This is so gross!!!! He murdered my friend & should serve life behind bars!! He took a father of 2 little boys away forever & now he gets a slap in the wrist?? Wow, this is going to lead other people who are jealous, obsessed & wanna be's to murder those people! Brandon wanted to be Ryan but he couldn't so he killed him, this did not have anything to do with drugs or alcohol, this was about pure jealously!!! I'm sick about this I can not believe that our laws will allow this super freak to be let out ever, he is a threat to our community... He is a loser, & will never be accepted! Like I started this comment THIS IS GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karin Smith
Why in gods name was he not sentenced to LIFE.. He committed murder..
Patty Haley
It's all because someone hired him a private attorney. Someone knew better than to rely on a public "pretender". Once again the guilty gets off lightly while other "supposed" murderers get railroaded while the true criminal gets away with homicide. This is especially true if deputies make "mistakes" investigating the initial report.
Linda (Beck)
SAD, JUST SAD !!! Should have gotten much longer !!!
One day he will be judged by the ultimate judge !!!!!!
Valerie
The fact that this scumbag will serve under 11 years for stabbing someone over 18 times is a crime in itself, not to mention that the someone he stabbed was a sober, defenseless father of 2 young sons who was simply laying on his couch watching movie in his own home. This article quotes the DA as saying a deal was made because this was a risky case and could have resulted in only a 4 year sentence because "Riddle-Terrell was so drunk that defense lawyers were considering an insanity plea". WHAT?! SINCE WHEN CAN VOLUNTARY INTOXICATION QUALIFY A MURDERER FOR AN INSANITY PLEA? If that's the case then Jodi Arias simply should have gotten drunk before she brutally killed Travis Alexander and used that ridiculous defense, then maybe that MURDERER would be out of prison in a few short years too instead of facing the death penalty like she is! The scumbag that MURDERED Ryan could not have been too wasted considering that after he committed his horrible gruesome act he had the presence of mind (and physical and mental ability) to flee the scene and lead police on a high speed chase through several counties- after he kidnapped and attempted to strangle a woman. The judge that presided over the Preliminary Hearing also used that reasoning to explain why he did not buy the scumbags claim that he didn't know what he was doing because he was so intoxicated and subsequently ruled that he should stand accountable to a MURDER charge, so why did the DA feel this was such a "risky" case? This scumbag has a long history of violent crimes (there was even a warrant out for his arrest at the time of Ryan's MURDER) which shows this is his character and not a one time act. In my opinion someone who can stab someone over 18 times (intoxicated or not) is a danger to society. It is a travesty of justice when someone can do this and in less than 10 years be out of prison and free to commit more violent crimes and destroy more families... but I guess that's what happens when a MURDERER has a family that will support his crime by hiring high priced attorneys to keep him from serving the life sentence he truly deserves.
Patty Haley
Valerie makes SEVERAL good points!