FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Finds Insufficient Evidence to Reopen Criminal Investigation
BALTIMORE, MD – The Office of the Attorney General has completed its review of the investigative file from the death of Ronald Byler in 2005 and found insufficient information to warrant opening the matter for further investigation. Mr. Byler, a 37-year-old white man, died shortly after being restrained by a Maryland State Police trooper on July 16, 2005.
This review was completed pursuant to an executive order requiring a review of 41 restraint-related deaths occurring between 2003 and 2019 that independent medical examiners determined should have been classified as homicides. Prior to this audit by independent medical examiners, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) had not classified these cases as homicides. Since the release of the audit’s findings in 2025, the OCME has not changed the manner or cause of death certification in any of the 41 cases.
According to the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), the classification of the manner of the death is not a legal conclusion. A death is classified as a homicide when it results from a volitional act committed by another person. The classification does not by itself establish criminal intent or criminal culpability, which are determinations made through the legal process.
A team of experienced prosecutors and investigators from the Office of the Attorney General is now conducting a comprehensive review of the 41 cases from the audit. For this inquiry, prosecutors and investigators requested investigative material from State’s Attorney’s Offices, police departments, family members of the decedents, and attorneys representing the families. These materials are subject to disclosure to other parties pursuant to the Office of the Attorney General’s obligations under state law.
Today, the Office of the Attorney General announced that it has completed its review of the files from Ronald Byler’s death. This review considered files from law enforcement authorities and the OCME.
The following information was obtained from the investigative file created by law enforcement authorities. On July 16, 2005, Wicomico County 911 received a call from a homeowner in Mardela Springs, Maryland, reporting that a pickup truck had crashed into a tree in his front yard. The homeowner reported that the male driver, later identified as Ronald Alan Byler, had gotten out of the truck and started smashing the windows and windshield of the homeowner’s vehicle, which was parked nearby. When the homeowner told Mr. Byler to stop, Mr. Byler opened the door of the homeowner’s vehicle and started throwing items on the ground.
Members of the Sharptown Fire Department (SFD) arrived at the scene; they observed that Mr. Byler’s pickup truck had crashed into a tree. SFD members saw Mr. Byler hitting the windshield of the homeowner’s vehicle with his bare hands and throwing items. SFD members reported that Mr. Byler yelled obscenities, made threats, attempted to strike them with objects, and struck SFD members. A SFD member used a tool to trip Mr. Byler and, once he was on the ground, three SFD members restrained Mr. Byler. They restrained Mr. Byler as they waited for police to arrive. Mr. Byler continued to struggle and make threats. One of the first responders reported that Mr. Byler grabbed a flashlight and struck him in the head. A Maryland State Police trooper arrived on the scene and attempted to handcuff Mr. Byler, who continued to resist. According to one of the first responders, Mr. Byler threatened to take the trooper’s firearm and shoot him. After Mr. Byler was handcuffed, he continued to struggle. Mr. Byler was restrained on the ground for several minutes by the trooper and a firefighter while they waited for additional officers and EMS to arrive. When EMS arrived and Mr. Byler was rolled over to be placed on a stretcher, he appeared to have stopped breathing. CPR was performed and Mr. Byler was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
On July 17, 2005, the OCME performed an autopsy on Mr. Byler and ruled that the manner of death was “Undetermined.” The toxicology analysis found that Mr. Byler had cocaine in his system at the time of his death. According to the female passenger who had been in the truck with Mr. Byler on July 16, Mr. Byler had used drugs that evening. He began to act and drive erratically afterwards.
In March 2006, the State’s Attorney’s Office for Wicomico County declined to pursue criminal charges arising out of the death of Mr. Byler. Almost twenty years later, pursuant to a state audit, independent medical examiners reviewed the findings of the OCME and determined that the manner of death for Mr. Byler should have been “Homicide.” As of this date, the OCME has not changed the original certification as to the manner of death or cause of death for Mr. Byler.
Against this backdrop, the Office of the Attorney General reviewed the investigative file for Mr. Byler to see whether the evidence warranted further action by state authorities. This review by the Office of the Attorney General found insufficient evidence to prove criminal culpability beyond a reasonable doubt. The Office of the Attorney General accordingly concurs with the decision made by the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2006.
Upon completing its review of the available investigatory materials, the Office of the Attorney General found that there was insufficient evidence to reopen the matter of Ronald Byler for further investigation or for criminal prosecution. The Office of the Attorney General will provide the decedent’s family with an opportunity to review materials in the investigative file.
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