Petaluma Man Convicted in Stabbing Death Gets 11 Years

A Petaluma man was sentenced to 11 years in state prison for stabbing another Petaluma man to death last year in Nevada County, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat Reports.

Prosecutors say Riddle-Terrell was intoxicated when he stabbed 33-year-old Ryan Roth with a folding pocket knife at least 18 times in his chest arms and head, the report said.  

The incident occurred during  a marijuana harvest party at Roth's home in Lake of the Pines (near Auburn).

Prosecutors say Riddle-Terrell was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and nitrous oxide, the report said.

Roth hadn't consumed any drugs the night he was killed according to tests cited in the report.

Roth's family owns an Petaluma-area dairy business. He was a father of two.

Riddle-Terrell was arrested at the end of a frantic chase, the report said. The chase spanned three counties and culminated with the deployment of a K-9 unit.

Riddle-Terrell initially faced murder charges but prosecutors say they agreed to a plea on lesser charges because they feared his mental state at the time of the killing could have led to a lighter sentence, the report said.

Prosecutors said assessment of his drug-fueled mental state on the night of the killings said he was insane, the report said.

A courtroom statement written by Eric Gibbs, Roth's older brother, summed up the victim's family's dissatisfaction with the sentencing, according to the report.

“Your short time of incarceration compared to the lifetime of pain and suffering you’ve caused so many people is ridiculous. We will never forget Ryan and I will never forgive you,” Gibbs's statement read.