Family of woman allegedly shot to death by daughter's ex sues Pierce County for $32 million

SOUTH HILL, Wash. – The family of a woman who was allegedly killed by her daughter’s ex-boyfriend in January announced they are filing a $32 million wrongful-death lawsuit against Pierce County.

Prosecutors allege Austin Nelson, 19, shot 46-year-old Teresa Ryan to death in front of her 5-year-old daughter in the street in front of her home, then went in and shot up the house and killed the family’s dog.

Nelson was charged with murder, burglary and animal cruelty.

Pierce County sheriff's department spokesman Det. Ed Troyer said a suspect hadn't been identified in the vandalism or the burglary until the day before the shooting.

"We had multiple contacts with the victims, but they did not provide us with the suspect’s name," Troyer said Wednesday. "After the burglary, the daughter was driving the suspect’s vehicle and found a gun in the glove box and rifle cases in the trunk. This was not reported to the Sheriff’s Department. There is additional information that we are unable to provide due to the pending criminal case, which we don’t want to jeopardize.

"Pierce County deputies and detectives did an excellent investigation, which lead to the arrest and charges filed against the suspect."

Lawyers for the Ryan family allege Nelson had been terrorizing the 15-year-old girl and her family for months, burglarizing their home, vandalizing their car and making various threats. The lawsuit also alleges that Nelson posted naked images of the girl online.

“Domestic Violence threats, felony burglary, felony child pornography, text threats, car vandalism, none of this was enough to get the Sheriff to even interview him, let alone arrest him,” reads a press release from Sadler Ladenburg, the law firm representing the Ryan family.