Liz Martin “lost everything” the night her husband, 64-year-old Robert “Bob” Beland, was killed by a drunk driver who crashed into their Humboldt Hill home. 

Bob Beland pictured with his dog, Buddy. Photo: Liz Martin

“There just aren’t even words for this type of tragedy,” Martin told the Outpost during a recent interview. “We lost everything. The house, the business, my husband … rebuilding over these last few years has been a constant reminder that life will never be the same.”

Nearly four years after the tragic incident, Ryder Dale Stapp, the man responsible for Beland’s death, has been released on supervised parole.

Stapp was celebrating his 25th birthday, drunk and speeding down Humboldt Hill on the night of June 28, 2019, when his truck ran off the road and crashed into a house, killing Beland, who was asleep in his bed beside his wife. 

Stapp pleaded guilty to felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and to hit-and-run causing injury. On Feb. 25, 2020, he was sentenced to 11 years in state prison, the maximum term of 10 years for manslaughter and an additional year for the hit-and-run charge.

Prior to sentencing, Beland’s family was aware of the possibility that Stapp could be released in five and a half years for good behavior. They were “blindsided” when the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) informed them that Stapp would be released on supervised parole this year.

“My son [Dylan] and I originally received notice that he was going to be released in May earlier this year,” Martin said. “And then it was moved to the beginning of April and we were a little blindsided by that. … I don’t have any outrage, I’m just profoundly sad. That’s what I’ve felt since the beginning.”

Dylan Beland acknowledged that he never expected Stapp would serve the full eleven-year sentence for his father’s untimely death but said, “Three years is a punch in the gut and, to be honest, enraging.”

“Not because I am of the belief that every criminal should be locked away for life, but because my mom, my wife, my uncle and I are still every day grappling with the fallout of Stapp’s selfishness, stupidity and carelessness,” Beland wrote in an email. “What amount of rehabilitation could he really have received in these few years? And I wonder what message his early release conveys to the community regarding drinking and driving. [It] feels paltry.”

The Notice of Release does not offer any explanation for Stapp’s early release, only noting that “there are many contributing factors which determine [the] release date” of an inmate. 

Reached for further comment on the matter, CDCR spokesperson Mary Xjimenez told the Outpost that Stapp’s sentence was reduced because he participated in the California Conservation Camps program, which provides participants “with a 66.6 percent credit-earning rating” for individuals housed in a fire camp or minimum custody settings who are convicted of nonviolent crimes. “Stapp was released for parole … after serving his full sentence as defined by the law,” Xjimenez added.

Dylan Beland criticized the notion that Stapp’s actions were considered nonviolent and took issue with the state’s handling of DUI crimes. 

“I would like people to simply be reminded of the consequences of drunk driving – consequences that are rarely endured by the driver,” he said. “Please be responsible. My dad was the hardest-working and most generous person I’ve ever known. … It is heartbreaking that he was robbed of his retirement that he labored so hard for, for so many years. I miss him terribly.”

Martin still struggles daily to fill the void her husband left behind.

“Often I’ll think about sharing something, but I don’t have anybody like that to talk to now,” she said. “You just want to share something small that happened during the day or a wonderful photo you took – just the little things in life that you share with the person that you love. … He was my best friend. We shared so much together.”

When asked if she had anything more to share with the community, Martin remained hopeful that Stapp “has come to his senses and will make amends with the community.”

###

PREVIOUSLY: