Ryan Waller and Heather Quan had been in a relationship for almost eight months and had recently started living together. While Waller had just completed his high school education, Quan was pursuing her degree at college. In Phoenix, Arizona, they rented an apartment together with one more roommate named Alicia.
Waller used to live with his girlfriend, Heather Quan, in an apartment they shared in Phoenix with a roommate who wasn’t present. After living in the house for just a few months, Ryan Waller and Heather Quan faced a break-in on December 25, 2006, by Ritchie Carver, who used to live in the apartment, and his father, Larry Carver.
Ritchie Carver shot Ryan twice in the head. After that, Carver proceeded to another room and shot Heather Quan, who was resting on the couch, killing her on the spot. At the time of the incident, she was only 21 years old.
The Carvers then proceeded to rob the place, taking some electronic items and a guitar, which were never found. Unknown to the perpetrators, Waller had survived the attack.
The Police At The Crime Scene
As it was close to Christmas, Ryan’s parents grew concerned when he failed to show up for the Christmas dinner. They went to his house, and knocked on the door, but received no response.
When Ryan’s parents failed to receive a response at his house, they alerted the police. Upon arriving at the scene, the police discovered Heather’s lifeless body. Remarkably, Ryan was still alive and moving around the apartment when they arrived.
Due to the trauma and severity of his injuries, Ryan claimed to have no recollection of the incident when interrogated by the police. Unfortunately, instead of providing the medical attention that he urgently needed, the police questioned him about the incident. Despite his condition, Ryan was able to identify Ritchie Carver and his father as the individuals who had attacked him and Heather.
The police assumed that he and Quan had a domestic dispute before she was killed. They treated the murder case as an instance of domestic abuse gone wrong.
Despite having a traumatic brain injury from the gunshot, Waller was kept in the police car for four hours and then interrogated for another two hours. The interrogation video, which has become infamous, shows Waller disoriented and giving incoherent answers to simple questions asked by the lead detective, Paul Dalton.
Ideally, Waller should have been given medical attention as soon as possible. However, more than six hours passed before Detective Dalton noticed the wound and finally allowed paramedics to examine Waller.
Ryan Waller remained in the hospital for 35 days, but unfortunately, he suffered significant physical and neurological damage. As a result of the gunshot wound, he lost some of his brain function and his left eye. Moreover, he experienced seizures for several years following the incident. Eventually, the seizures became the cause of his untimely death.
On January 20, 2016, Ryan Waller suffered his final seizure, which ultimately resulted in his untimely death. He fell and hit his head while in a grocery store, causing him to bleed out. At the time of his passing, Ryan was only 27 years old.
Finally, the actual perpetrators of the crime were brought to justice. Ritchie Carver received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, and after a lengthy process, Larry Carver was also sentenced to life in 2013.
The Waller family filed a $15 million lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Department and the City of Phoenix for their mishandling of Ryan Waller’s case. The family spent four years preparing for the lawsuit, seeking justice for their son’s mistreatment during the investigation. Unfortunately, the lawsuit was unceremoniously dismissed just three weeks prior to the trial, leaving the family without the opportunity to pursue legal action against those responsible for their son’s mistreatment.
Credits: Vocal Media