Murder, carjacking suspect identified by authorities
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identity of the man accused of killing a good Samaritan who intervened in an attempted carjacking at Stateline.
Ryan Tietsort, 43, was suspected of fatally shooting Gary Hill during a Sunday morning crime spree.
Police said Tietsort carjacked a father and daughter in Spokane Valley before fleeing east into Idaho at speeds of up to 140 mph.
In the parking lot at Stop-N-Go at Stateline, police said Tietsort intentionally hit motorcyclist Richard Embree with his stolen car.
Embree’s mother, Susan Embree, said he remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
“As Richard’s family, we are so grateful he is alive,” said a GoFundMe campaign organized by Embree’s family to help cover his medical expenses. “His recovery will be long and difficult, keeping him off his job as an RV mechanic.”
Tietsort attempted to steal multiple other vehicles in the parking lot, according to police. He allegedly shot and killed Hill when Hill tried to intervene in one of the attempted carjackings.
“Today a good Samaritan lost his life when he came to aid a woman who was being carjacked,” Hill’s daughter, Laurie Hill, wrote in a public Facebook post.
After the shooting, police said Tietsort stole another vehicle and fled back across the state line into Washington.
Authorities said the crime spree ended after Tietsort crashed a stolen vehicle and exited while armed with a rifle. Police shot and killed Tietsort. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that he died due to gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Hill was a U.S. Navy veteran and father of three.
A GoFundMe campaign organized to cover funeral expenses had raised more than $5,800 as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Gary Hill, father to three, grandfather to three, and friend to many, passed away tragically on Father's Day 2025 — a heartbreaking loss, even as he died a hero,” the campaign page said.
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