A senseless act of violence that stole the life of Mitchell Weemes on a July night in 2022 reached its conclusion in a Montgomery County courtroom last week. It was a brief confrontation, a gun drawn in cold blood, and a life lost in an instant. On May 9, 2025, Judge Lisa Michalk of the 221st District Court formally sentenced Daniel David-Joseph Ryan III to 49 years in prison after a Montgomery County jury convicted him of Murder and determined his punishment. Just two days earlier, on May 7, the jury found Ryan guilty after hearing compelling evidence that he had senselessly gunned down Mitchell Weemes.
On the evening of July 15, 2022, Ryan approached Mitchell Weemes at a Pinehurst gas station and asked for marijuana. The encounter escalated quickly. As Ryan walked away, he turned back, drew a firearm, and fired three times, striking Weemes once in the chest. Weemes began running before collapsing and succumbing to his injuries in front of his common-law wife. Ryan fled the scene but was apprehended shortly afterward in a greenbelt area behind a nearby shopping center, still in possession of the murder weapon.
The trial, which began on Monday, May 5, was led by Chief Prosecutors Sara Corradi and Wesley LeRouax. Jurors heard testimony from law enforcement officers, forensic experts, and eyewitnesses who helped reconstruct the events of the night in question, piece by piece. During the punishment phase, the prosecution revealed that Ryan was a convicted domestic
abuser, legally barred from possessing a firearm at the time of the murder. Jurors also heard from Montgomery County Jail staff, who testified that Ryan had been involved in multiple
violent altercations while in custody, including at least two fights he initiated. These incidents, combined with his prior conviction of Assault Family Violence, painted a clear picture of a defendant with a longstanding pattern of aggression, volatility, and disregard for the law. The jury considered this troubling history carefully as they determined an appropriate punishment.
Ryan’s 49-year sentence means he will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence—24.5 years. The successful prosecution of this case was the result of strong teamwork between the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the dedicated prosecutors of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
Chief Prosecutor Sara Corradi:
“Daniel Ryan had a documented
history of aggression, and on that
July night, he turned a petty
confrontation into a cold-blooded
murder. The jury saw him clearly
for what he was: a continuing
threat to others.”
District Attorney Brett Ligon:
“This wasn’t just murder; it was
cowardice disguised as
confrontation. The jury spoke for
Mitchell, his family, and this
community. In Montgomery
County, we don’t excuse
violence—we answer it with
consequences.”
ORIGINAL STORY AND VIDEO
At 11:45 pm Friday, as detectives worked the scene of the officer-involved shooting in Magnolia, another call came in for a shooting just down the road. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Precinct 5 Constables responded to the scene. They arrived at Mike’s Grocery #5 in the 30200 block of SH 249 to find a white male deceased. A witness said an altercation outside the store and a black male on a bicycle shot him. Units started to fan out, and a short time later, they were able to locate and detain the shooter.
