HARGENS FAMILY URGES U.S. ATTORNEY TO CONVENE FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN SIOUX CITY, IOWA TO INVESTIGATE SON’S 2005 DEATH

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA – The parents of Ryan Hargens, whose shooting death four years ago was first ruled a suicide and then overturned by the county coroner and reclassified as “manner undetermined,” have called on U.S. Attorney Marty J. Jackley to convene a federal grand jury in Sioux City, Iowa to review the facts of the case.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice for Ryan has been delayed four years and counting,” said Roger Hargens of Johnston, Iowa, during a news conference at the Ramada Inn & Suites. “The evidence in Ryan’s death demands a thorough, independent review. The United States Attorney for South Dakota has convened more than one grand jury in Sioux City during his tenure. In the interest of justice for our son and the people of South Dakota, we respectfully ask him to convene a grand jury in this case. Until then, a killer or killers will be free and no one will be safe.”

Ryan Hargens was last seen alive late on Jan. 28, 2005 at the Country Inn & Suites in downtown Sioux Falls. He was found dead of a gunshot wound in his northside apartment on Jan. 31, 2005. He was buried four years ago today.

“Ryan would have been 28 years old. He was absolutely full of life, ready to help anyone who needed a hand and looking forward to a very bright future,” said Jane Hargens, Ryan’s mother. “Only a few hours before his death he told his dad that he was looking forward to transferring home to Des Moines. That fact, combined with the physical evidence, makes it clear that his death was a homicide staged to look like a suicide.”

Following Ryan’s death, the Hargens hired world-class criminologist John Cayton of Access Forensic Laboratory in greater Kansas City. Among the evidence conflicting with the initial ruling by the Sioux Falls Police Department, Cayton determined that blood flow patterns and ballistic analysis at the scene were not consistent with his injury.

Minnehaha County Coroner Brad Randall, who said in October 2007 that he had “absolutely no doubt we are burying some homicides in this state we didn’t know about,” did not examine Ryan Hargens’ body. Randall, who had not seen photos of the crime scene when he ruled the death a suicide on the word of local police, changed the death certificate to “manner undetermined” after reviewing the crime scene photos and meeting with the family and Cayton in June 2007.

“No one in the apartment building heard a gunshot in the early morning hours when Ryan died. A small pillow that Ryan Hargens kept on his couch was missing and has never been found,” Roger Hargens said. “It’s likely that pillow was used by Ryan’s killer to muffle the gunshot.”

In addition to calling for the grand jury, the Hargens are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for his murder. Information may be provided confidentially by calling (515) 277-7437.