Branden Terrell, a Petaluma man who stabbed his friend Ryan Roth dead in 2012 and was released in 2022, is trending following his appearance in an episode of the Team Never Quit podcast with Marcus Luttrell.
Branden Riddle-Terrell, now known only as Terrell, was jailed for eleven years after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is now out on parole.
While Terrell is hard to work to rehabilitate himself and get reintegrated into society – he’s now a born-again Christian – the family of Ryan Roth, who also live in Petaluma, are understandably furious with his release.
All this has created immense interest over the Ryan Roth and Branden Terrell story.
Ryan Roth Stabbing – What did Branden Terrell do?
The Ryan Roth stabbing occurred on February 23rd, 2012, when good friends Ryan and Branden Terrell where at Roth’s residence at an ‘illegal cannabis trimming party’, reports the Press Democrat.
Heavily wasted Terrell, who was under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and nitrous oxide, started waving around a 5-inch hunting knife.
Roth attempted to wrest the knife away from his friend when things went awry as he stabbed him about 18 times.
Still under his drug induced haze, Terrell fled the residence and took police on a chase through three counties.
He drove the car over two sets of spike strips before being brought down by a police dog.
At the trial in Nevada County Superior Court, Terrell pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 11 years in state prison.
He was paroled on Sept. 9, 2022 and went back to live in Petaluma, where the law required him to spend his parole period of three years.
Terrell attempted to turn over a new leaf in prison, having previously served three prison sentences for domestic violence and DUI. He stopped his drug use and gave his life over to Christ. He recalled the experience in a viral Instagram post.
Terrell said he realized he needed a change in his life after a conversation with a serial killer.
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“…So I go in my cell and I start praying, right? And I just hear this LOUD voice saying, ‘what are you gonna do for me? What are you gonna do for me?’ No one’s in the cell, it’s just me, and I knew it was God. And I realized he’s telling me to give him my addiction.,” he wrote. “Alcohol and drugs have always been at the center of my trouble. Clear as day, I need to give it all to Him. So I come out of this prayer and I’m pacing back and forth in the cell. I’m making all these scenarios of why I would want to drink. And then it dawns on me, Branden, those are all just little moments of joy when this promise is gonna be a lifetime of fulfilment.
“I Get down on my knees, make this promise with God, ‘God, I’m never gonna use alcohol, drugs, nothing anymore.’ Since that day I’ve been delivered.”
Terrell made a change in his life in San Quentin prison, starting a media program to better tell the stories of prisoners. He also helped with re-entry coaching to former inmates following his own release.
He has become a bit of a media star, playing baseball while in prison and landing interviews following his release. His story has now been told on the Team Never Quit podcast with Marcus Luttrell which he shared about on IG.
All this attention Terrell is receiving, never mind the fact of serving just a decade in jail for the death of Roth, has incensed the family of the deceased.
Heather Bishop, mother of Roth’s two kids, plastered signs all over Petaluma upon learning of Branden Terrell’s release, tagging him a criminal and a murderer.
“MURDERER — LIVING IN OUR AREA!!! PLEASE BE ON ALERT!” the posters read. “…now living as a free man in Petaluma. We all want our town to be safe and rid of dangerous criminals. JUSTICE WAS NOT SERVED.”
“I know there’s not anything I can do [to bring Roth back],” she said in an interview. “But at the same time, I can create awareness around this situation. I feel like everybody should know what happened.”
“(Terrell’s) gonna have to answer to God someday … I don’t want to ever see him again.” said his mother, Geri Ielmorini.