Jan 10, 2017 3 min read

A fourth search warrant returned by state police Tuesday claims Christopher Griedel was beating and choking his younger brother Ryan Griedel just moments before Ryan shot and killed Christopher during a fight at their Clarksville home Dec. 29.

The warrant, requested last week by investigators to search cell phone records, said Christopher Griedel, 30, was at his parents’ residence at 120 North St. just after noon when he asked his brother Ryan to take him to the hospital for stomach pain. Ryan, Christopher and their mother, Rene Griedel were the only ones home at the time, according to police.

Ryan agreed to take Christopher, and offered to drop Rene off at her church in Waynesburg on the way there, police said. Christopher lost his patience while Rene was getting ready to leave, according to the search warrant, and texted the family’s friend and pastor writing, “Call the police, I’m pissed.”

Police said Christopher then began punching and kicking items on the porch and yelling at his mother. That’s when Rene came outside to tell Ryan not to take Christopher anywhere “if he was going to act like that,” the warrant said.

Police said Christopher became even more angered and Rene went back into the house, locked the door and called the police. Christopher began breaking the windows and screen door of the house with golf clubs, police said.

When Ryan told Christopher he would not take him to the hospital unless he calmed down, Christopher then turned his anger toward Ryan, putting him in a head lock, twisting his neck and choking him, according to the warrant. Christopher then slammed Ryan’s head onto the concrete three times, injuring his nose. Christopher also covered Ryan’s mouth and nose in an attempt to choke him, police said.

Police said Christopher returned to the front porch and struck a front door window with the golf club in an attempt to open the door to get to Rene. That’s when Ryan walked onto the porch and pulled out a .22-caliber revolver and shot Christopher once under his left armpit, police said.

“The victim looked at Ryan Griedel, then walked towards him, walked off the porch, dropped to one knee and then fell to his stomach, which is how the victim was discovered,” police wrote in the search warrant.

Christopher was pronounced dead at the scene outside the house by Greene County Deputy Coroner Mary Lewis.

Ryan, 29, was detained at the scene by troopers and taken to the state police barracks in Waynesburg to be interviewed. No charges had been filed against Ryan as of Tuesday afternoon, according to online court records. Trooper William Brown, the investigating officer, could not be reached for comment Tuesday to discuss the case.

The most recent search warrant, filed Jan. 4, allowed for police to search Christopher’s iPhone and was the fourth warrant they’ve filed in the case. The other three warrants, filed Dec. 30, were to search Ryan’s clothing, car and the home. From those searches, police seized the gun that was used and one empty shell casing, DNA samples, golf clubs and gunshot residue, among other items.

Christopher was arrested Dec. 3 following an altercation with his family and police. He was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation and a warrant was filed for his arrest, although he was never arraigned on those charges.