Prosecutors allege the jealous boyfriend retrieved a firearm from a bedroom, loaded it, and concealed it while planning to confront his Navy girlfriend and her homeless lover about their relationship.
Ryan Wesley Proffitt, 27, is accused of murdering his girlfriend Courtney Chandler, 28, and Nicholas McClure, 27, a homeless man Chandler had moved into the couple’s home in a military housing complex in Ramona.
Proffitt had allegedly grown increasingly jealous of Chandler and McClure dating after he agreed to an open relationship with the Navy sailor, according to prosecutors in the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Shoveal told the court that Proffitt told investigators he retrieved a firearm from a bedroom, loaded it, and concealed it while planning to confront Chandler and McClure about the future of their relationship.
Chandler’s family said she would have turned 29 later this month.
“Courtney was the life of the party and loved fishing, the outdoors, hunting, the military, and anime. She always insisted on making the turkey for Thanksgiving, and her birthday is coming up—she would have been 29 on July 24.”
McClure’s mother told Fox 5 that he was from Kentucky and moved to California to take automotive classes as he worked to “find his way.”
According to prosecutors, Chandler sent a text message to a friend shortly before the shooting, saying Proffitt had a gun.
“Chandler had sent a text message at 8:34 p.m. So shortly before the 911 call stating, ‘Hey, he’s got a gun. I need you,'” Deputy District Attorney Miriam Shoval said.
“According to the defendant, he was told that if he was going to be like this, he should just get the f— out of the house. At which point McClure charged him and the defendant shot McClure three times. He then turned the gun on the victim,” Shoval said.
Proffitt is accused of gunning both Chandler and McClure down on Monday, dialing 911 after the alleged slaying to say he he had been involved in a “lovers quarrel.”
After Proffitt called 911, police found him sitting on the steps at the military complex drinking a beer.
In the viral moment from prosecutors’ court testimony, the details of the July 6 shooting at the Ramona military housing complex emerged piece by piece, painting a picture of escalating jealousy and premeditated confrontation.
In his police statement, Proffitt said he and Chandler had been dating for a little more than a year. They recently decided to open their relationship, and Chandler started dating McClure. Proffitt said McClure was homeless, and Chandler brought him home to live with them about two weeks before their murders.
Prosecutors say Chandler worked for the Navy, and while officers were working the scene, one of her coworkers approached them to tell them he’d been ordered to come and check on her.
Proffitt pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of murder, plus a special circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders. If convicted of all charges and allegations, he faces either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if prosecutors pursue capital punishment.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.