Bad Ticker Likely Killed Santa Ynez Man, Not Daughter’s Ex-Boyfriend

Twenty-six-year-old accused murderer Rylen Quinn Svane-Morris walked out of County Jail this Friday a free man, having been held behind bars for two months on charges that he beat his former girlfriend’s father, Terry Lee Wilson, to death. But on the day of Morris’s preliminary hearing, the homicide charge was dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office.

At the time of Morris’s arrest, it was held that he had been stalking his former girlfriend — Jennie Wilson — broke into the Santa Ynez house she lived in with her father, and got into the shower. When Wilson’s father, 72, discovered Morris’s presence in the house on October 8, it was alleged that a fight broke out during which Morris allegedly stated, “I’ll fucking kill you, old man.”

Murder charges were dropped suddenly on the day the case was scheduled for a preliminary hearing. A press release issued by the District Attorney‘s office stated this precipitous about-face occurred because “new information regarding Terry Wilson’s cause of death” had come to light. Deputy District Attorney Lara Clinton said she could not disclose what that new information was.