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Man charged in deadly baseball bat attack at a Denver strip club

Posted at 2:42 PM, May 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-13 17:50:17-04
Ryan Ashland
Ryan Ashland

DENVER – The man accused of killing one person and injuring three in a baseball bat attack inside a Denver strip club has been formally charged with murder.

41-year-old Ryan Ashland faces two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, second-degree assault and four counts of menacing.

Denver police say on April 28 Ashland allegedly attacked a woman with a baseball bat at P.T.’s Show Club. According to the arrest affidavit, another woman tried to intervene and Ashland allegedly hit her multiple times with the baseball bat. He also allegedly used the bat and beat up a man in the club as well as another man who was walking down the street.

When officers arrived, they found Ashland standing in the parking lot of the club with the baseball bat in his hand. The arrest affidavit says officers told him to drop the bat but he refused. Officers then used a taser to take him into custody.

Authorities say three victims were taken to the Denver Medical Health Center with blunt force injuries to their heads and bodies. The fourth victim, Wendell Janis, died at the hospital as a result of his injuries.  One of the women is still in the hospital. The other two victims have been released.

No motive has been released.