Suvechha Sarkar
The vibrant city of Tempe, Arizona, was shaken up by an unimaginable tragedy in early 2017. Ryne Starr Zahner, who had been an inspiration to his students and a loving soul to his friends and family, was brutally murdered in his home. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Murder Tapes: Down by Fire’ pieces together the events that went down on that fateful night, leading to the untimely demise of the beloved mentor. It also provides witness accounts that helped the officials with a swift investigation, which was soon followed by the revelation of an unexpected murderer.
Ryne Starr Zahner’s Quiet Morning With a Friend Turned Into a Nightmare
Ryne Starr Zahner hailed from Peoria, Illinois, where he was born on February 28, 1990, to Brett and Karla Zahner. He grew up surrounded by the support of his parents and the love of his siblings — Brooke and Skyler Zahner. In 1999, his family moved to Arizona, which ended up shaping a huge part of his life. From a very young age, Ryne had always been someone whose smile could brighten up an entire room. His educational journey was truly commendable, and it started right at Skyline High School. After graduating in 2008, Ryne moved forward to pursue a degree in Secondary Education, with a focus on Maths and History at Arizona State University.
Further determined to shape young minds, Ryne pursued his Master’s in Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University and attained his degree in 2015. He had also acquired principal certification shortly after this. During this entire time, Ryne worked diligently as a Maths teacher at Mesa High School for over four years and never stopped inspiring his students. Ryne was a loving son, a dutiful brother, and a supportive friend above everything. However, his beautiful life turned upside down in the early morning of January 15, 2017. On this chilly morning, 26-year-old Ryne sat by the fire pit, enjoying its warmth while chatting with a close friend in the backyard.
Suddenly, an intruder walked in and opened fire, shooting Ryne multiple times. His friend had tried to take the firearm from the perpetrator and ended up burning his hands. In order to save his life, he ran away from the scene and called 911 to inform the officials about the incident immediately. As law enforcement arrived at the location, they located Ryne deceased in the backyard with multiple gunshot wounds in the chest. Upon inspection, it was determined that his cause of death was from the said wounds. The investigators found numerous shell casings of .223 and 5.56 caliber, which could be used in an assault rifle. Followed by a swift investigation, the officials were soon able to arrest the killer.
Ryne Zahner’s Murder Was a Result of Betrayal From His Former Best Friend
The detectives first questioned Ryne’s friend, who was present at the scene. He informed them that one of Ryne’s roommates was a marine and possessed a rifle and pistols. He reportedly told them he became friends with Ryne after his brother introduced them. However, the friend was unable to give any more accounts since he allegedly blacked out due to the adrenaline. The officials detained both of Ryne’s roommates and questioned them, which led them to his ex-girlfriend. Investigators discovered that the couple had broken up one week before the murder. She reportedly mentioned that she was in the emergency room at the time of the murder. When the officials followed up on the same, they found out that she was telling the truth and ruled her out as a suspect.
The police struggled to find a lead, but eventually, a breakthrough in the case arrived when Ryne’s friend, the eyewitness, returned with more information. He reportedly informed them that he suspected his brother, Caleb Craig Kent Bartels. He allegedly heard Caleb’s voice during the struggle. He shed light on how Caleb had completely changed four years back and had become violent. He alleged that, in the past, his brother had gotten into a fight with Ryne over a playful slap. Last but not least, the police found out that Caleb had gone missing for over a day. After days of searching, the California Highway Patrol spotted his car on January 21, 2017.
That same day, Caleb was finally arrested near the California-Nevada border and brought in for questioning, but he reportedly refused to speak without a lawyer. On searching his car, officials discovered a receipt for ammunition that matched the caliber found at the crime scene. There was also a receipt for a rifle that matched exactly with the caliber that Ryne was murdered with. Although they did not find the murder weapon, investigators received CCTV footage from one of the neighbors in the area. It showed a vehicle moving away from the area after the time of the murder, and it was reportedly similar to Caleb’s car. Ultimately, law enforcement formally charged him with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and burglary.
Caleb Bartels is Currently Incarcerated at a Prison Facility in Arizona
With concrete evidence at hand, the trial for the murder of Ryne Zahner finally commenced. The prosecution presented all the available evidence before the court and mentioned how Caleb had fled the murder scene after shooting Ryne multiple times. They emphasized that this was not a random act of violence but was rather calculated and premeditated. They produced the receipts, which were found in his vehicle, for the exact weapon and ammunition that were used in the crime. Witness testimony from his brother reportedly supported the claim that Caleb had the motive to target the 26-year-old man.
On the other hand, the defense reportedly mentioned that Caleb had experienced sexual assault in the past when he was unconscious and intoxicated. They claimed that this traumatic event had immensely affected his mental health and made him aggressive around his friends. Hence, the defense argued that his alleged instability led to the crime. Nevertheless, after a three-week-long trial, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and first-degree burglary on April 29, 2019. Caleb was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment with an additional 15 years for the assault and 7½ years for burglary on June 10.
On May 7, 2020, Caleb filed an appeal, where he had two claims. The first was the jury instructions, where he argued that the judge should not have told the jury to consider his fleeing after the crime as a sign of guilt. He also claimed that the court made a mistake in calculating how much time he had already spent in jail before he was sentenced. After careful deliberation, the Arizona Court of Appeals stated that the jury considering the evidence of his flight was not an error. However, they agreed that there was a mistake on the jail credit, and he got 25 days more discounted towards his sentence. As of writing, Caleb Bartels is serving his sentence at the La Palma Unit located in Eloy in Pinal County, Arizona.
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