Flagstaff, AZ- Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating the death of 29 year-old Ryan Peters and his three year old daughter Teigan Peters, both from the Phoenix area. On June 22, 2009 at about 12:25 a.m. the deputy assigned to the Fredonia district located a campsite in the area of Parissawampitts Point off of Highway 67 that leads to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He observed the bodies of an adult male and a very young female, both with apparent gunshot wounds.
On Sunday June 21, 2009 at about 9:p.m. officers of the Mesa Police Department contacted the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office for help locating Ryan Peters and his daughter. The Mesa Police Department was originally contacted by a relative of Ryan Peters who described him as despondent and possibly suicidal as the result of a recent divorce and the determination of the custody of his daughter.
Mr. Peters’ family members contacted the Mesa Police department on Sunday at about 5:30 p.m. with concern for the safety of Mr. Peters and his daughter Teigan. At the time of the initial report it was only known that he was camping however the location was unknown. During the course of the afternoon several family members were in cell phone contact with Mr. Peters and shared that information with the Mesa Police Department.
During their investigation Mesa Police Officers and Detectives learned that Ryan Peters’ ex-wife filed a custodial interference complaint with the Gilbert Police Department on June 19, 2009 when Mr. Peters failed to return Teigan to her mother as stipulated by a custody agreement.
At about 9:p.m. on Sunday a family member told Mesa Police Officers he had talked with Ryan and confirmed he was camping in an area between Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives will continue the investigation of this apparent murder-suicide in an attempt to determine the events that lead to the deaths of Ryan and Teigan Peters.
This is all bull sh*t i am a very close friend of the family and Ryan and his ex wife have been divorced for almost 3 years now this is not recent. He is a coward and should rot in HELL for what he did to his daughter and the pain this family has to feel,there were so many signs that he was unstable and no one would listen to his ex-wife they were divorced based on his abusive life style against her. People like this need to be investigated further when a divorce is based on something like domestic violence this coward peice of SH*T pathedic excuse for a human or a FATHER will hopefuly rot in HELL forever… Teigan we miss you and love you rest in peice honey.
The only reason Ryan and Teigan are not with us today is because of his ex she used that baby against him constantly!! just yesterday she texted a message to the grieving family claiming Ryan was not Teigan’s Father! that should tell you what kind of sick bitch she is and I will pray everyday for the rest of my life that she rot in hell when she dies!! And may she live a long life with her ugly boyfriend who called Ryan all the time to harass him and tell him if it was the last thing he did he would make sure Teigan called him Daddy!! so don’t call yourself a friend of this family because all the friends of this family know who’s to blame!!
Ryan was a wonderful father who worked very very hard to support his daughter and showed that little girl ever possible moment that she was the light of his life. This mother is not the innocent flower people are making her out to be. I only wish I could have done more to support, love, and care for Ryan during this tough time. A human mind can only handle so much hardship and pain before one melts down with hopelessness and loss. I wish so very much Ryan and Teigan were still with us, Teigan was a sweet friend to my daughter and Ryan has been a close friend of mine for over 10 yrs now. He was suffering and there was noone there to assure him that things would eventually get better and that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. He had called me on several serveral occasions depressed and stating “the baby was being cared for someone he did not know” “that the new boyfriend was having Teigan call him Daddy”, “That Tisha was staying with his daughter in a very bad part of town and he was worried for her safety” and that the courts did not care. It is so terribly heartbreaking that he had to take his daughters life, but I believe that in his mind it was the only way he would get to be with her. I’m so sad and Miss them both so very much. Stay strong Peters family. I am sure Ryan and Teigan will meet us all at the gates of heaven someday, He will be forgiven, as God will realize that Ryans plate was too consumed with sadness and depression to make rational decisions. To file custodial intervention papers on Fathers day is a real blow. I love you Ryan and Teigan and will miss you forever more.
I have been grieving for the family in the recent days since I have heard this devasting news. I have read many articles published by the local news stations and have read the comments posted by readers. Some of the stories have led the public to believe that this was a recent divorce, which it was not. That has been clarified here already. Others express their sadness and concern for Teigan and her family. Still, others choose to argue with each other and say ugly things that only cause more hurt. I, too, would like to express my opinion, which hopefully does not pain those who disagree.
From the very little that I know, Ryan must have had some painful emotional problems he was dealing with that became too much for him to bear on his own, and those who knew him well him probably know this already. I feel for him and his family, yet my heart is more consumed with anguish for little Teigan whose life was cut short. Still, we have Tisha who is left suffering, perhaps as he intended??? This is not only a tragedy, but a travesty of justice. This was a preventable crime that Tisha tried to stop from happening, whether she knew what he was planning on. For those of you who have implied and stated otherwise, we all know that is nonsense. As we try to make sense of this tragedy, we will think and say awful things to each other—because there is no sense in this. This is not Tisha’s fault, regardless of how much you posters who knew Ryan may dislike her. She has survived life’s difficult times and will survive this. She loves her daughter and is a beautiful person. It is hard to imagine because of what he did, but I am sure Ryan loved his litle girl, as well. My heart goes out to Tisha and her family, as well as Ryan’s grieving family.
Sometimes we must look beyond the painful reality we are dealing with to see the big picture. I know that like our Savior Jesus Christ, Teigan still lives and she will see her family again. I hope this knowledge brings some peace to her surviving family. Tisha, if you are reading this, I pray that you will continue to have a happy life and experience the joy of motherhood again. May the memory of Teigan bring you happiness until you see her again.
As an outsider, I have to say that if what pushed him over the edge was his wife going to court and saying she thought he shouldn’t be allowed around their daughter any longer, he kind of made her point for her. It’s hard to say she was wrong after he put a bullet in the kid.
And no matter how great a dad he might have been up until June 18th, it’s all more than counterbalanced by the fact he killed his only child in cold blood in the middle of the wilderness where her corpse could be consumed by animals. This shouldn’t be a he said/she said kind of nit-picky thing.
“She has an ugly boyfriend who used to tease Ryan!”
“He killed their only child.”
End of argument. His side loses.
Jake who the hell asked you anything!! what are you someone special butt out!!
She Still Lives – what are you to embarrassed to admitt your a family member of her’s I don’t blame you!!! Why don’t you take your kid to cracksvill and let them stay the night with somebody you don’t know and don’t want you to know anything about them. I wonder why!! well what you have to say means nothing to me and so many that know the truth!! There is so much more to this story and hope to tell it soon. I love and miss you Ryan rest in peace and give Teigan a hug and kiss for me tell her I will miss her forever.
Nobody asked me. I even said, “As an outsider.” The difference between you and me is that I can offer an unbiased viewpoint while yours is obviously tainted by your inability to reconcile the good you want to believe was within someone you knew and the horrific thing that he did that, frankly, cannot be defended. The very fact that anyone would say there was any justification for a man to shoot his own child is a testament to just how unqualified you are to comment on this story. I’m sorry for any pain you may be trying to cope with, but no matter how badly a man’s ex-wife may treat him, there’s absolutely no justification for killing one’s children.
PS If you hope to tell “so much more to this story” soon, you should learn to spell and use punctuation.
Jake get a life, you bore me !!
No good Dad will kill their kid – no matter what harsh words were spoken! RIP Teigan.
No good Dad will kill their kid – no matter what the circumstances. This was a SELFISH act of violence – a man like him under the impression if he can’t have her no one can – the true profile of an abuser. RIP sweet baby girl. You are with your REAL Father now – God will be holding you safely in his arms until Mommy comes to be with you.
Ryan and Teigan, I miss you so much it hurts. Teigan I know it hurts when people say bad things about your Daddy cause we know what a special person he was so hug him for us all sweetie.
This is so very tragic and sad, the main point is this father killed his own daughter in cold blood .. I don’t think he’s thinking of hugging and kissing this precious innocent child if he could do that to her.
This man knew he was falling apart and so did his family someone should of taken him to get treatment for his depression before it came to this tragedy. So the main point is this innocent beautiful little girl died seeing her own father kill her.
Rest in Peace Teigan you are with the Angels now sweet baby.
Wow, I am shocked to read these comments and especially the family member’s comments. A father and child are dead and a mother has lost her daughter and the audacity people have to judge and write the nasty comments amaze me. I really cannot believe this story and what I have read. This is sad enough without adding all this hatred. My gosh a child is murdered and all people are concerned about is cutting one another down and pointing fingers. No matter how rotten one may think another is, this woman lost a child and this family lost a son and family members are left with grief and disbelief. Comfort one another and help each person get through this tragedy.
As a human being with compassion and dignity, all I can say is this is tragic. We can not judge, blame, point fingers and make this any worse then it already is. Please love each other and find peace, most of all pray that the Lord is watching over Ryan, Teigan and their family members. God be with you all and rid your hearts of this hatred for it will consume you.
I will pray for this family.