PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man charged with triple murder in December 2018 will have a court hearing this week to determine whether statements he made to law enforcement can be used at trial.
Ryan Warren Ward, 38, will appear in Clallam County Superior Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday for a 3.6 hearing on the suppression of a Jan. 31 interrogation that occurred after he had requested a lawyer.
He is one of three people charged with a Dec. 26, 2018 triple homicide east of Port Angeles.
Ward was charged Jan. 28 with three counts of first-degree aggravated murder with firearms enhancements and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Dennis Marvin Bauer, Kallie Ann Letellier and Ward are each charged for the slayings of trucking company owner Darrell C. Iverson, 57; his son, Jordan D. Iverson, 27, and Jordan Iverson’s girlfriend, Tiffany A. May, 26.
Ward’s attorney, Lane Wolfley, filed a motion Oct. 25 to suppress his client’s Jan. 31 interview with Clallam County Sheriff’s Det. Jeff Waterhouse and Det. Sgt. Eric Munger.
Wolfley argued that Ward said he would “like a lawyer” prior to the interrogation.
Ward invoked his right to remain silent and subsequent questioning violated his Fifth Amendment rights, Wolfley said in his motion.
Prosecutors argued that Ward stated he’d like a lawyer “if I’m being charged” and voluntarily waived his rights to counsel.
The state’s list of witnesses for the 3.6 hearing include Munger, Waterhouse, Sheriff’s Sgt. Don Wenzl and State Patrol Det. Mike Grall.
A six-week trial for Ward, now scheduled to begin Feb. 3, is expected to be reset Wednesday.
“They’re still trying to (complete) the rest of the testing,” said Michele Devlin, Clallam County chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney, in a Friday court hearing.
A State Patrol crime lab is expected to complete DNA testing next month and firearms testing in February, Devlin said.
Devlin added there was no indication on when the crime scene response team would produce its report.
She deferred to Wolfley on whether to reset the trial date Friday or Wednesday.
“I would appreciate being able to wait so that I can confer with other council working on the other cases and just taking an opportunity to talk with Mr. Ward,” Wolfley said.
“We both recognize the reality of the evidentiary situation.”
The victims lived at Iverson’s residence at 52 Bear Meadow Road, where nearly a thousand pieces of evidence were collected.
Ward is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $3 million bail.
Erickson signed a transport order for Ward to appear in Clallam County Superior Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
According to court documents, Bauer was upset with Darrel Iverson’s treatment of Letellier, with whom Bauer had a relationship.
Ward, Bauer’s nephew, according to court records, first said he was not at Iverson’s property when the shooting occurred, then said he was there but did not take part in the killings.
He said Bauer shot Iverson and Iverson’s son and that Letellier shot May.
As Bauer, Letellier and Ward fled Iverson’s residence in a vehicle following the killing, Ward “made comments to the effect” that “the Iversons were both still alive after being shot by Dennis, and he had to finish them off,” Letellier said, court papers said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
