The Murder of Ryne Zahner
For this case, I watched an episode of The Murder Tapes. It’s season 2 episode 8, titled ‘Down By Fire.’
A 26-year-old math teacher is found dead in his backyard.
Background
Ryne Zahner was only 26-years-old at the time of his death. He graduated from Arizona State University, and went on to teach math at Mesa High School, in Mesa, Arizona.
Ryne was described as an inspiration to his students. He was described as kind, compassionate, and respectful. He was also competitive, and loved to be in on all the action in his personal and professional life.
Ryne Zahner
The 911 Calls
On January 15, 2017, several 911 calls came in around 4am.
The third 911 call was from Tyler, one of Ryne’s best friends, who had witnessed the shooting. He told the dispatcher that they were sitting in Ryne’s backyard around the fire, when an unknown white male walked up, and shot Ryne.
When the police arrived, they found Tyler a block away from Ryne’s home. Tyler had fled the scene, and was clearly distraught. He told the police that the unknown male had shot Ryne about 3-4 times. He said he didn’t know where the shooter went because he took off running.
The police asked Tyler if there was anyone else at the house. He said yes, Ryne’s roommates were home. One of them was a Marine, and had possible weapons in the home.
The two roommates were detained after the SWAT team entered the home. A rifle and handgun were found in the room that belonged to the Marine.
Possible Suspects
After the house was cleared, the police turned their attention to Ryne. He was found lying face down near the fire pit. He was obviously deceased, and had been shot several times in the chest.
The police found multiple 223 and 5.56 caliber ammunition, often used in assault rifles.
The police spoke to the two roommates that had been detained. One roommate told the police that Ryne had recently gone through a breakup.
The police spoke to Ryne’s ex-girlfriend. She told them that she and Ryne had broken up a week earlier, and that they hadn’t been happy for awhile. She said she had gotten angry when Ryne threw a New Year’s Eve party. A woman had tagged Ryne on Facebook, and she had gotten jealous.
The woman had a gun, and so did her father, who she lived with. The police took the guns in for testing, and the two were eventually ruled out.
The Best Friends
After some dead ends, the police turned back to Tyler. Tyler revealed that he had actually grabbed the end of the rifle, tackled the man, and elbowed him in the face. Tyler did have some burn marks on his hands.
The police asked Tyler how he met Ryne. Tyler said that he met Ryne through his brother Caleb, who had met Ryne while attending Arizona State University.
On January 16, Tyler arrived at the police station with more information. At first, he let the police ask him some basic questions. He seemed like he had more information, and eventually revealed that he believed his brother Caleb Bartels was involved.
Tyler said he recognized Caleb’s voice on the night of the murder. He said Caleb had become a different person, and that a flipped had switched.
The police asked if there was any animosity between Caleb and Ryne. Tyler said that Ryne and Caleb had been drinking one night. Ryne became playful, and had slapped Caleb, which he didn’t take well.
Tyler also revealed that Caleb was missing, and that he hadn’t been seen in over a day.
The Search for a Killer
An APB (all points bulletin) was put out for Caleb, and his silver 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix.
While they waited, the Tempe police contacted the Oregon police department, where the Bartels’ family was from. The Tempe police learned that Caleb had reported a sexual assault, and that he was the victim. He had been at a party, where he became drunk, and passed out.
Tyler said after that incident, Caleb became aggressive. He also said Caleb had talked about it with Ryne, but became triggered on the night that Ryne playfully slapped him.
Caleb’s family has also said that he has spoken of suicide in the past.
On January 21, 2017, the California Highway Patrol located Caleb’s car in Doyle, California. Caleb was arrested without incident.
The Evidence and Conviction
After Caleb’s arrest, the Tempe police went to California to speak to him. He refused to speak, and the interview was terminated.
The police searched Caleb’s car. Inside, they found a receipt for ammunition, which matched the ammunition found in the backyard of Ryne’s home. They also found a receipt from a rifle, which Caleb had purchased about a month earlier. The rifle itself wasn’t located.
One of Ryne’s neighbors came forward with surveillance footage from the night of the murder. The sound of gunshots were captured. A vehicle similar to Caleb’s can be seen driving out of the neighborhood. A few minutes later, Tyler can be heard on the footage, talking to the dispatcher.
Charges were filed against Caleb. In 2019, after a three week trial, he was found guilty of first degree murder, aggravated assault and burglary. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years.
Caleb Bartels
FINAL THOUGHTS
Many of the talking heads in this episode said that Ryne talked about Caleb to his students. He also had several photos of them together. Ryne and Caleb were once best friends, and obviously cared about each other.
Tyler said that after Caleb changed, Ryne took Caleb’s place in his life. I feel bad for Caleb because something obviously life altering happened to him at that party. However, he took his best friend’s life, and he deserves to be in prison for what he did.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/who-killed-ryne-zahner-where-is-caleb-bartels-now/
https://www.maricopacountyattorney.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=554
