Pretrial Services Coordinator Resigns Amid Investigation into Tragic Events

Pretrial Services Coordinator Resigns Amid Investigation into Tragic Events

Aug 10, 2024 – ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The fallout from the tragic incidents involving Ryan Ricky Houston reaches the Buncombe County’s Pretrial Services Program. As investigations into the matter are ongoing, the pretrial services coordinator associated with Houston’s case, Nelly Vargas, has tendered her resignation.

Ryan Houston’s Violent History Underscored

Court documents present alarming details about Houston, whose violent acts resulted in the death of a mother, a retired police chief, and himself. Buncombe County’s records confirm that Vargas was overseeing Houston’s pretrial services and that her name is listed on the court documents pertaining to him.

The catastrophic events surrounding Houston have sparked an internal review of the county’s personnel and pretrial services operations alongside a state-level investigation. District Attorney Todd Williams of Buncombe County appealed to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to conduct an independent inquiry into the county’s Pretrial Services.

Interstate 40 Incident, Pretrial Services Report, and Electronic Monitoring Issues

Evidence shows that on Thursday, Aug. 1, exactly an hour before the fatal crash on Interstate 40 in McDowell County, the electronic monitoring device of Houston stopped functioning at 10:03 p.m. This significant development led Vargas to submit a Pretrial Services Violation Report to the court on Aug. 2. Nevertheless, there was an error in the report, which was rectified by a separate court official and refiled on Aug. 7, a full five days after a devastating crash claimed Houston’s life and that of the former Marshall police chief, Thomas Michael Boone.

Further investigations revealed that there had been over 200 issues with Houston’s electronic monitoring prior to these incidents.

Buncombe County Pretrial Services’ Operation under Scrutiny

As the events surrounding Houston continue to unfold, questions arise over the operations of Buncombe County Pretrial Services. The SBI confirmed that it had previously received two investigation requests concerning Houston in 2023. The requests were linked to the deputy-involved shooting incident with Houston and the allegations of attempted murder of his estranged wife alongside the reported assault on an Asheville Police officer. All these cases were awaiting trial during the time of the tragic events on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.

As investigations intensify, further updates are expected into the county’s pretrial services operations and its role in the incidents leading up to the tragic events that saw the loss of three lives.