• Home
  • Advertising
  • Support Us
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Digital Archive
Sunday, July 20, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo-475x166
DONATE
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Unsent Messages Project
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • C…Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
      • The C Word … Community
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
Subscribe
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Unsent Messages Project
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • C…Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
      • The C Word … Community
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
Home News Court News

Gay man pleads guilty of 2nd-degree murder in killing of boyfriend

By Neal Putnam

05/04/2023
in Court News, Feature, Featured, Features
1
Gay man pleads guilty of 2nd-degree murder in killing of boyfriend

Ryan Edward Breeland

0
SHARES
352
VIEWS

A gay man with a history of domestic violence has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the beating death of his boyfriend in 2021 in a motel room.

Ryan Edward Breeland, 43, is expected to receive 30 years to life in state prison for killing Kenneth Banks, 32, who was found dead in a motel in downtown San Diego on June 9, 2021.

Sadly, Breeland himself predicted to the victim this was going to happen.  And the victim didn’t take his warning seriously, according to testimony from Breeland’s preliminary hearing in November of 2022.

In a recorded phone call from jail after Breeland was arrested for hurting Banks, Breeland told Banks “the only way out is the graveyard.”

Banks had just told him that he wanted to end their relationship. But Breeland replied, “No, that’s not what will happen,” and then predicted Banks will die from his hand, according to testimony from a detective at Breeland’s preliminary hearing.

The tapes of the conversations were played in court. Banks never responded to Breeland’s chilling words as if he believed them. He ended each conversation with Breeland with saying “I love you.”

Banks probably did love Breeland, but he didn’t know how to stay away from him. The couple lived in a variety of motels, and several of them barred them from returning because of their loud arguments and complaints from other tenants, according to testimony.

Breeland also pleaded guilty to inflicting corporal injury to Banks with a knife, which was a prior domestic assault and to committing a prior sex crime with a minor in South Carolina.

Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast said Breeland would face 15 years to life for the murder plus 15 years for the other crimes to total 30 years to life.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano set sentencing for May 17. Breeland remains in jail without bail.

A motel worker found Banks’ body in bed, covered with a sheet, and she ran from the room, thinking she might throw up. Dorothy Sanchez testified she thought Banks was asleep and was trying to wake him up only to find his body was “completely stiff with a bruised face.”

A detective testified Banks told her Breeland hit him with a chair, punched, and stabbed him during an argument.

The cause of death was blunt force head trauma, according to a deputy medical examiner, who showed the upper body on a large screen in court. Breeland looked up just once to view his partner’s injuries on the screen and looked down for the rest of the hearing.

It is possible Breeland has regrets. The proposed sentence gives him a lot of time to think about that.

Next Post
San Diego Hate Crime Suspect Arrested in Poland for Anne Frank Home Hate Crime

San Diego Hate Crime Suspect Arrested in Poland for Anne Frank Home Hate Crime

Comments 1

  1. Brea says:
    9 months ago

    What a heartbreaking case… I hope Mr. Banks receives the justice he deserves.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THANK YOU!!!! Please Stay Tuned!

LGBTQ San Diego County News is Updating!

After a necessary pause for my healing, I am making important adjustments and updates to the company and website.  These changes are vital for the survival of our community’s only LGBTQ newspaper.

I appreciate your patience and support. Stay tuned for more updates, including a relaunch of the website, and the return of our print edition in the near future. Give at LGBTQSD.news/Support

Still here, still fighting. Onward!

SUPPORT OUR PAPER!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

READ PAST DIGITAL ISSUES

lgbtq_san_diego_county_news

© 2024 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.

Navigate our site

  • About
  • Support Our Newspaper
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • Gay News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • A Note from Assemblymember Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Unsent Messages Project
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • The C Word … Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
  • About
    • Advertising
    • Support Our Newspaper
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Archive

© 2024 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.