A 27-year-old man who had agreed to an open relationship with his Navy officer girlfriend is accused of fatally shooting her and her new partner inside their home near San Diego after jealousy escalated into violence, prosecutors said.
Ryan Wesley Proffitt, 27, has been charged in the deaths of his girlfriend, Courtney Chandler, 28, and Nicholas McClure, 27, a homeless man whom Chandler had recently brought into the couple’s residence at a military housing complex in Ramona.
According to prosecutors with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Proffitt had become increasingly jealous as Chandler and McClure pursued a relationship, despite his earlier agreement to an open arrangement with the Navy sailor.
Authorities allege Proffitt shot both Chandler and McClure on Monday, then called 911 and told dispatchers he had been involved in a “lovers quarrel,” Fox 5 San Diego reported.
McClure, whom prosecutors described as homeless, had reportedly been staying at the couple’s home for roughly a week and a half before the fatal shootings.
Prosecutors contend Proffitt planned the killings, saying he loaded a firearm and kept it concealed before confronting Chandler and McClure over their relationship. Chandler appeared to know he was armed, allegedly texting a friend about the gun, prosecutors said.
During the confrontation, McClure rushed toward Proffitt, who then fired three shots at him, authorities said. Proffitt is accused of then turning the weapon on Chandler.
When officers arrived after Proffitt’s 911 call, they found him sitting on the steps of the military housing complex and drinking a beer, police said.
Profitt pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder Thursday and is being held without bail.
A GoFundMe campaing launched for Chandler described the Naval officers as a “sister, daughter, granddaughter, and so much more.”
“She was tragically murdered in her apartment in Ramona, California, while on deployment in San Diego with the Navy, alongside another person,” it read.
“Courtney was the life of the party and loved fishing, the outdoors, hunting, the military, and anime. She always insisted on making the turkey for Thanksgiving, and her birthday is coming up—she would have been 29 on July 24. Her loss has shattered our family, and we are doing everything we can to honor her memory while navigating unimaginable grief.”
McClure’s mother told Fox 5 that he was from Kentucky and moved to California to take automotive classes as he worked to “find his way.”
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
