Charlotte County: Ryan Cole sentenced to death
Following the jury's nonunanimous recommendation for death in May, the trial court sentenced Ryan Cole for death.
On May 2, after a trial that began in late April, a Charlotte County jury convicted Ryan Cole of first-degree murder for stabbing 15-year-old Khyler Edman to death in 2019 during a home invasion.
Following a penalty phase, on May 15, the jury unanimously determined that the State proved both aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt. Ultimately, the jury recommended that Cole be sentenced to death by a vote of 10-2.
On Monday, the trial court sentenced Cole to death.
In the Sentencing Order, the trial court agreed with the jury’s findings of the aggravating factors and assigned the noted weight:
The capital felony was committed while the Defendant was engaged in the commission of or an attempt to commit burglary (great weight).
The capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel (great weight).
As to statutory mitigation, the trial court determined that the following statutory mitigation was not established:
The capital felony was committed while the defendant was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
The capacity of the defendant to appreciate the criminality of their conduct or to conform their conduct to the requirements of law was substantially impaired.
As to non-statutory mitigation, the trial court determined the following:
ACES - Parent Substance Abuse (some weight)
ACES - Sexual Abuse (little weight)
ACES - Criminal behavior in the household (little weight)
ACES - Parental mental illness (little weight)
Ryan Cole began to abuse drugs at a young age (some weight)
Ryan Cole later suffered from addiction to methamphetamine and heroin (some weight)
Ryan Cole became an addict with the help of his parents. Family witnessed Ryan receiving pills and injections from parents (little weight)
Ryan Cole’s promising high school baseball career was clouded due to injury and his subsequent drug addiction (little weight)
Ryan Cole was unable to finish his education as he dropped out of high school to help care for his mother (little weight)
Ryan Cole was devastated by the loss of his mother (2010) and father (2020) (little weight)
After suffering the loss of his mother, Ryan Cole was devastated by the loss of his girlfriend Brittany Radil (little weight)
Ryan Cole required special ESE classes through his education (little weight)
Ryan Cole received his GED while awaiting trial in jail (little weight)
Ryan Cole required crisis stabilization under the Baker Act numerous times (some weight)
Ryan Cole suffers from mental illness (some weight)
Ryan Cole has extensive drug abuse history (little weight)
Ryan Cole spent many months homeless and alone (little weight)
Ryan Cole experienced many delusions (not established)
Ryan Cole has had many bouts of extreme paranoia (little weight)
Ryan Cole has expressed remorse regarding the death of Khyler Edman (little weight)