Sep 22, 2008 11:24 pm US/Central
Man Charged With Killing Girlfriend, Staging Crash
ANOKA, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Natasha Waalen's 33-year-old boyfriend Ryan Boland was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Anoka County
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28-year-old Natasha Waalen was discovered dead next to her motorcycle in Andover early Friday morning, September 19.
CBS
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Court papers also say that a second person was involved in either the murder, staged motorcycle accident or both. That person is Boland's brother, Timothy Boland.
Anoka County
The boyfriend of a woman whose body was found on a road in Andover has been charged with her murder and accused of staging a crash to cover it up.
Ryan Patrick Boland, 33, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Natasha Leigh Waalen.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Anoka County on Monday, Boland killed Waalen at the Anoka home where the two lived and tried to make her death look like a motorcycle accident.
Early Friday morning Waalen's body was discovered with her motorcycle on Tulip Street at 168th Avenue in Andover. At first, investigators thought she had died in a crash but the Anoka County Medical Examiner reported the injuries were not consistent with an accident.
Lt. Paul Sommer from the Anoka County Sheriff's Department said it's unlike any case he's ever seen.
"This is a tragic, tragic murder," Lt. Sommer said. "There's a 4-year-old child left behind and a young woman who lost her life."
According to the medical examiner, Waalen died of blunt force trauma as a result of multiple blows to the head. She also had defensive wounds on the back of each hand.
Police said she was found with no identification and not wearing shoes or socks. Waalen had a red "tie down" strap intertwined around her body and arms. Investigators suspect her body had been strapped to her bike before the crash.
The criminal complaint said that police interviewed Boland who said the two got into an argument Thursday night after Waalen had been drinking at their home. Boland told police Waalen was trying to leave the home on her motorcycle but he wouldn't let her go because of her intoxicated state. He told police eventually he let her leave and had not seen Waalen since.
During the interview with police, Boland acknowledged that the red tie down found on Waalen sounded like similar ones inside his garage.
According to the criminal complaint, police searched Boland's pickup truck where they found traces of blood on the tailgate, steering wheel and the truck's seats. Inside the bed of the truck police found a broken orange plastic pressure clamp. Police said the missing pieces to the clamp were found at the crash scene near the motorcycle.
Police also searched the home where the two lived and found blood in the garage, and some carpet with a portion of it cut out. Police later found a piece matching the carpet from the home in dumpster one-half mile from the residence.
Court papers also say that a second person was involved in either the murder, staged motorcycle accident or both. That person is Boland's brother, Timothy Boland. He is expected to be charged Tuesday.
Ryan Boland's bail is set at $1 million and he is being held in the Anoka County Jail.
According to a friend of Waalen, the relationship between the victim and Boland was abusive. Boland was convicted of domestic assault in 1999. He received two years probation.
The two had a 4-year-old daughter together. Now Waalen's sister, Tera, is doing what she can to make sure the girl is cared for.
A fund has been set up for Natasha Waalen's 4-year-old daughter. Donations can be sent to the information below:
Stifel Nicolaus
701 East Lake Street
Wayzata, MN 55391
Or call Dave Anderson (952) 475-4515
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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