An inseparable trio would be forever divided after a New Year's celebration turned tragic and now acts as grounds for a stifled murder and aggravated assault investigation.
On Jan. 1, then ASU seniors Ryan Till and Garrett Bledsoe were both struck in the head with a blunt, metal object while attending a party, according to Tempe police reports.
Till's injuries resulted in his death, while Bledsoe's caused him to suffer from extensive, long-term physical and mental impairment.
The case was investigated by the Tempe Police Department and then passed on to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
And although 11 months have passed, there have been no official charges filed against the victims' alleged assailant.
"Not five minutes go through the day where I do not think about (the events)," said. Cody Faeth, who arrived on the scene minutes after the incident occurred. "I always thought it would die out, but it is always vivid in my mind. It's hard to grasp."
Bledsoe and Till were his best friends, said Faeth, a marketing senior.
The three were inseparable, whether spending time in the gym working out or heading to parties or social events, he said.
The party on New Year's Eve was no exception. They traveled together as a pack, but were separated when Faeth departed from the group to make a phone call, he said.
The next time Faeth saw his friends, they were lying in a pool of blood in an acquaintance's kitchen.
"I walked in and saw both Garrett and Ryan lying face up on the floor, unconscious," he said. "I went to the floor, holding Ryan, while he was bleeding to death in my arms, waiting for paramedics."
Bledsoe and Till suffered one devastating blow each from an unknown blunt object, according to police reports.
According to witness reports, Bledsoe and Till came back to the residence after leaving earlier when the party was broken up by Tempe police.
They were visibly drunk and looking for a fight, one tenant stated in the report.
The finalized police report, which is about 100 pages thick, was submitted to Thomas four months ago with a police recommendation for second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges.
Copies of the report remain under review in the hands of Maricopa County employees.
What Now?
Anne Till, Ryan's mother, remains vigilant in her pursuit for justice. Although there is no relief in sight for her trauma-induced insomnia, Anne said she would continue her quest to see that her son's attacker and the Tempe Police Department receive their dues.
Anne argues that her son's alleged attacker acted with murderous intent, and the Tempe Police were negligent by not responding to her son's 911 call.
"I think about Ryan all the time and I dream about him every night (usually not good dreams)," Anne said in an e-mail. "The more time I spend (dwelling on the incident), the more disturbed my thoughts and dreams become."
Anne said she has fervently pursued the case, and the county and city attorneys have been too busy to focus on her son's case. She has since hired her own private lawyer and filed suit against the city of Tempe and is asking for $1 million. Bonnie Bledsoe, Garrett's mother, is asking for $10 million on the behalf of Garrett and $2 million for herself.
But it's not about the money, Anne said.
"What we want to accomplish is to see justice for Ryan and to make sure that someone else isn't a victim," she said. "We want people to know this could be you. Ryan was like other ASU students."
Along with the pending lawsuit, Anne has presented a petition for justice against the city of Tempe, with just less than 2,500 signatures.
But Ryan and Garrett's popularity has slowly drawn the attention of the community, with thousands advocating justice for their case.
Faeth spearheaded the push for public awareness by using Facebook.com as a social networking device to spread the message.
The two groups he started on Facebook about the petition claim more than 1,500 members combined.
"I feel that something should happen," Faeth said. "Something like this can't go overlooked. I tried to spread the word as much as I could."
Faeth said he believes that legal ramifications for his friends' cases have been stifled because of a lack of media attention and public concern.
He said his pursuit for justice, along with counseling and support from his family, had helped him to better deal with the situation.
But the case must be addressed by a court of law before he can find some sort of respite, he added.
Legal roadblocks
Currently, Ryan and Garrett's case is under review by Thomas' staff, said Mike Anthony Scerbo, a Maricopa County Attorney's office spokesman.
It's fairly normal to see felony cases of this severity take an extended period of time, Scerbo added.
"In some cases it is appropriate to take a little more time to make a charging decision," he said. "Each case is looked at in its own merit."
For the time being, Tempe police will wait for an official decision from Thomas in order to make any official charges.
Currently, the case is no longer under active investigation, said Brandon Banks, a Tempe police spokesman.
It's normal for a case of this magnitude to take this long, Banks added.
"You know how long the justice system takes," he said. "It's the innocent until proven guilty thing that is the hallmark of our judicial system."
Banks said the detective assigned to the case, who he requested remain anonymous, was in contact with Thomas' office last week to tell him Tempe police's investigation into the case was complete.
But in the meantime, the Tills and Bledsoes continue to strive for repercussions to be served against the police department they said mishandled the case.
City of Tempe case
Faeth, who arrived at the scene shortly before police, said the Tempe Police Department was negligent in handling the case.
And as a result, Ryan's father, Donald Till, and his mother Anne; along with Garrett and Bonnie are hoping to shine a light on official negligence in a suit that amounts to $13 million combined.
According to a notice of claims sent to the city of Tempe from Garrett and Bonnie, Tempe police and 911 call dispatchers are at fault for not sending a unit to the party at Ryan's request just one hour before he would meet his fate.
"I'm worried there will be a fight here now," Ryan said in a 2:25 a.m. 911 call. "I'm just worried the people will come get us. Someone said that they'd come back."
Police respondent units were never dispatched at the request of the 911 operator.
"I really don't see a need to send an officer," the unnamed dispatcher said. "You can call us back on 911 if someone comes back."
Although police responded to a 911 call an hour prior to the second call, the City of Tempe should be held responsible for the mishandling of the situation, Faeth said.
But even if the city is forced to pay, that will never bring his friends back, he said.
Anne said she would continue to be haunted by disturbing thoughts that only a mourning mother could conjure; Garrett will never be the same.
"Regardless of what happens, there will never be closure," Anne said. "Ryan has lost everything, so how could there be? He will never get to see the ASU diploma that he worked so hard for, never get to have a family, and never get to see where he could go with his career … now there is no solace."
Reach the reporter at: daniel.oconnor@asu.edu.