Bonus: The Third Man

Summary

Devil in the Desert — Bonus Episode: The Third Man (August 29, 2025)

Podcast: Devil in the Desert
Host: ABC News — Brad Milke with guest Matt Gutman
Episode: Bonus: The Third Man
Theme: A deep dive into the lesser-known third perpetrator, Ryan Kevorkian, and his unique perspective on the crime that shocked Southern California.

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Episode Overview

This bonus episode explores untold details about the infamous Mojave Desert kidnapping and mutilation case that have not been covered in the main series. Host Brad Milke interviews investigative journalist and podcast host Matt Gutman, who brings fresh material from police interviews, particularly a revealing 2017 “proffer” session with Ryan Kevorkian — the so-called “third man” in the crime. The episode provides previously unheard testimony from Kevorkian about his history with Hossein Nayeri (the crime’s mastermind), the chilling events of the attack, and what led Kevorkian to cooperate with authorities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background on the Attack and Key Figures

• Main Perpetrators: Hossein Nayeri (mastermind, former high school wrestler), Kyle Handley (received similar sentence as Nayeri), and Ryan Kevorkian (the subject of this bonus).
• The crime targeted Michael, a dispensary owner rumored (falsely) to have $1 million hidden in the desert; he was brutally tortured, including the loss of his penis.
• Nayeri’s charisma and influence repeatedly drew acquaintances back into his orbit, even against their better judgment.
  • Matt Gutman: “The thing with Nayeri is that he gets these people back in his orbit. And even though every fiber in their being screams don't do it, they do it.” [06:36]

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2. Ryan Kevorkian’s Connection and Perspective

• Kevorkian’s History: He and Nayeri wrestled together and joined the Marines around the same time. Their friendship was volatile, with a physical fight severing ties until Nayeri resurfaced in 2012 seeking Kevorkian’s help with a “hit.”

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “He says, so you look like crap. And I'm like, well, thanks. Good seeing you too. After all these years, what do you want?... He’s like, I need your help. I said, what's going on? He says, I have a little hit I want to do in Newport area.” [05:39]

• Initial Agreement: Kevorkian was offered $1,000 and a potential cut, supposedly just to serve as “muscle.”

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “He said, if anything, worst case scenario, you get a thousand no matter what. If there’s more money…then I’ll give you more.” [07:05]

• Kevorkian initially expected a quick home invasion and was surprised by Nayeri’s elaborate preparations—including unlocking access to the targeted house and extensive surveillance.

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3. Account of the Crime from Kevorkian’s Unheard Police Proffer

• Detailed Planning and Surprises: Nayeri’s backpack contained guns, zip ties, food, water, and masks—signaling a much longer and more violent operation than Kevorkian anticipated.

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “I asked him what zip ties. I asked him, what's that?…He said, well, just in case it's not here…I said, what's not here? He said, the money.” [14:13]

• Kevorkian’s Regret & Reluctance: He expressed discomfort, especially upon learning a woman (Mary Barnes, the other victim) was in the house.

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “I said, I want a part of it and stuff. Then he starts getting kind of mad, calling me worthless...I said, you should have told me this from the get go...” [16:12]
  • He claimed to whisper to Mary, “Don’t worry. This is not about you.” [17:37]

• Grisly Details: Kevorkian described Nayeri as impulsively escalating the violence, specifically ordering the mutilation of Michael.

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “But Hussein goes and tells Kyle, you're gonna cut his thing off…It just...came out of the blue.” [18:56]

• Aftermath: Following the crime, the perpetrators casually went for sandwiches at Subway—showcasing a chilling nonchalance.

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “Hussein and Kyle, they left me in the van at a Subway. We ate kind of close to where the house was at…” [19:56]

• Ongoing Fear: Kevorkian expressed continued fear of Nayeri's reach, worried for his own and his family’s safety even after the arrests.

  • Ryan Kevorkian: “This guy’s very...and you guys know that...dangerous dude. Do not put anything above this guy.” [20:55]

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4. Legal Outcomes and Reflections

• Kevorkian's Sentence: By cooperating and taking a plea deal (kidnapping, burglary, assault), Kevorkian received 12 years and 4 months, far less than his co-defendants, who are serving life sentences.

  • Matt Gutman: “Those other two guys pleaded not guilty. When you fight it and then you lose, typically sentences are longer.” [21:30]

• Lingering Uncertainty: Nayeri is still appealing his conviction based on various grounds; the case continues to haunt all involved.

  • Matt Gutman: “With most cases like this, Brad, it's never quite over…this is the kind of case that I think sits with people for a long time.” [22:09]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nayeri’s Influence:
  Matt Gutman — “The thing with Nayeri is that he gets these people back in his orbit. And even though every fiber in their being screams don't do it, they do it.” [06:36]

• On Regret at the Crime Scene:
  Ryan Kevorkian — “I remember telling her, this has nothing to do with you. I'm sorry. I felt horrible, to be honest with you. I really have. I'm not BS with you guys. I felt horrible.” [17:37]

• On Sudden Escalation:
  Ryan Kevorkian — “But Hussein goes and tells Kyle, you’re gonna cut his thing off...It just...came out of the blue.” [19:03]

• Fear of Retaliation:
  Ryan Kevorkian — “I'm worried about him. No, it's my family. He knows where my family’s at…This guy's very...dangerous dude. Do not put anything above this guy.” [20:55]

• On Justice and Finality:
  Brad Milke — “It's totally fair to assume that anyone involved at any level in this heinous plot would be spending most of the rest of their life in prison just because it was that terrible. Kevorkian got much less time than that, though. Why?” [21:13]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ryan Kevorkian’s Background and Recruitment: [04:44] – [07:14]
• Surveillance and Setup for Crime: [07:14] – [08:42]
• Inside the Attic & Realization of Full Scope: [13:15] – [14:05]
• Mary Barnes Returns & Kevorkian’s Reluctance: [15:59] – [16:22]
• Crime Goes Off the Rails—Attack and Mutilation: [17:36] – [19:19]
• Aftermath and Subway Stop: [19:56]
• Kevorkian’s Cooperation & Sentencing Details: [21:30]
• Reflections on the Case's Ongoing Impact: [22:09]

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Tone & Language

The episode maintains a serious, investigative, and at times, reflective tone. Both hosts retain empathy for the victims while striving for a nuanced portrayal of those involved, acknowledging the self-serving elements of Kevorkian’s perspective. The rawness of the crime and emotional complexity resonate through both direct quotes and the careful handling of distressing details.

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For listeners seeking new angles or a more complete understanding of the Mojave Desert case, this bonus episode delivers rare tape and humanizes a figure previously at the narrative’s margins.

Transcript

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[Brad Milke]

See mintmobile.com hey, just this episode contains very graphic descriptions that may not be suitable for all listeners. In a story like Devil in the Desert, sometimes there are a bunch of details that don't make it into the final version of the series, entire sidebars and plot twists that are so interesting, but we just can't quite fit them into six episodes. I'm Brad Milke. I'm host of ABC's Start Here podcast. And as someone who was gasping with each twist and turn of Devil in the Desert, I I'm glad that we get to bring you one of these today in a special bonus episode. Joining me today is the host himself, Matt Gutman, ABC's chief national correspondent, who first learned the story of Hossein more than 10 years ago. He's been following it ever since. Matt, great to have you here.

[Matt Gutman]

Hey, Brad, good to be back.

[Brad Milke]

I think I've told you this before. I'm from Orange county in California, where so much of this story takes place. So I grew up around Newport Beach. I grew up around Balboa Island. I made the drives out to the desert. So I was just transfixed by how unsettling these locations became because of the depravity of this story. Obviously. Nyere is the centerpiece of this series. His name is the one that's most often associated with it, especially after the escape from jail. But there are still other characters in the story that we haven't dwelled on as much. So what I'd like to do here today for the true obsessives among us is ask you who else needs to be talked about here?

[Matt Gutman]

Okay. I mean, obviously there is a main cast of three perpetrators, and the first one is the man that I spent years speaking to and exchanging letters with and finally meeting in jail. And that's Jose Nayeri. He's the man investigators called the mastermind of the whole plan. The other guy is Kyle Handley, who was given almost an identical Sentence to Nyeri for his role in the crime. This man, Michael, who was a dispensary owner, they believed he had a million dollars buried somewhere in the desert. Took him out to the desert, tased, beat him and eventually zip, tied his penis and cut it off and the penis was never found. So an extraordinary act, an extraordinary heinous crime. And the third man, this is Ryan Kevorkian. And in the series, Brad, he's known as Mr. Brown. And we don't talk a lot about him. But what's so interesting about Ryan Kevorkian is that he actually gave a very detailed and long interview with investigators that proffer.

[Brad Milke]

So remind me what a proffer is like just. I know you guys mentioned this with the other proffer in here, but just.

[Matt Gutman]

As a refresher, basically a suspect or defendant sits down with prosecutors and investigators. It's supposed to be a no holds barred interview and what they say can't be used against them in court. Now they can use stuff tangentially and they can also use the information against other suspects or co conspirators. And in that interview he was pretty detailed about how the crime unfolded that night. He gave some shocking details that I actually hadn't heard before. We also have to remember it's his perspective, he is very likely self serving as almost any defendant or suspect would be. But it does give us some insight both into exactly how that night went down, who did what and what their thinking was.

[Brad Milke]

Yeah, and so, you know, the story that you've been describing is all in 2012, but this interview that happens in 2017, what, I guess what do we learn from his again from his perspective.

[Matt Gutman]

So remember, this is happening not long after Hose Nayeri masterminds this insane escape, which.

[Brad Milke]

Absolutely insane.

[Matt Gutman]

Insane. Everybody in Southern California is terrorized, especially anybody who'd ever said anything against him. So you know, Ryan Kevorkian is a little bit afraid of this guy. And you can hear it in, in the interview. And I just want to set the scene of what this interview is like.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

Okay. It's September 14th at approximately 9:07 in the morning.

[Matt Gutman]

And we are so you can hear them sort of setting up the conversation. And one of the things investigators want to know as they start is what Nyere's relationship was like with Ryan Kevorkin.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

I met Hussein in high school on a wrestling team, things like that. You know what high school, Close west. Okay.

[Matt Gutman]

Remember Nayeri was this high school wrestler. Kevorkian was on the wrestling team with him. They even went to the Marines around the same time. In early 2011, Nayeri was already deeply involved in the medical marijuana business. These two guys had a fight, and we're talking like two bears wrestling type of fight. Like a huge knockdown, fist throwing, knuckle dragging fight. And they completely stopped talking. After being friends for, you know, almost well over a decade and. And then at some point in the late summer of 2012, just a few weeks before the attack, Nyere reappeared in Ryan Kevorkian's life. And he asked Kevorkian, hey man, you know, do you want to go out to lunch with me?

[Ryan Kevorkian]

And so I get in a call with him. We go to a little Mexican restaurant. I can't remember what it's called, Don Juan's or something on the main boulevard or something like that. I can't remember. And we sit down, have lunch. He says, so you look like you tell me. You look like crap. And I'm like, well, thanks. Good seeing you too. After all these years, what do you want? Pretty much, you know, I mean, what do you want? Leave me alone, you know, like I'm not bothering you. I'm not bothering knowing what you want. He's like, I need your help. I said, what's going on? He says, I have a little hit I want to do and Newport area.

[Matt Gutman]

And so he's talking about this house on the beach on that palm lined street where Michael lived and where Mary had just moved in like a couple of days before.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

He told me he needed money. Guy owed him some money, whatever. And pretty much he wanted me to be the weight and stuff. He said, so we're just going to surprise him at his house. I'm going to get the money. If any issues, I have you there with me. If not, we're jamming.

[Matt Gutman]

The thing with Nyere is that he gets these people back in his orbit. And even though everything in the every fiber in their being screams don't do it, they do it. And so he eventually agrees to this deal to basically act as the muscle in whatever robbery it is that Nyeri has concocted. Nyere offered him 1000 bucks, but plus a cut of whatever money they steal. And Kevorkian agrees.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

He said, if anything, worst case scenario, you get a thousand no matter what. If there's more money involved, this guy owes me, then I'll give you more. And I said, okay.

[Matt Gutman]

Now remember, in Nyere's head, Michael has a million bucks buried somewhere in the desert. This is a big deal for them. And so a week before the crime, Kevorkian says that he moved into Kyle Handley's house. Like, everything's starting to pick up. And he ends up helping with the surveillance that Nyere and Hanley have been doing on Michael's house in Newport. And as part of the surveillance, they're not just tracking his car. They're not just following him. Nayeri's gotten inside the house. He's gotten video from inside the victim's house in Newport just days before the attack.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

He showed me a videotape. He had a videotape showing me what the house looked like. Okay. And stuff. Yes, he had a videotape. Yes. For Neocide. He showed me actually what the house looked like from the rooms, the rooftop, things like that, where we're gonna hide things like that. He showed me that.

[Matt Gutman]

And they make a plan. They pretend to be construction workers. They're gonna sneak in through an unlocked balcony door, hide inside in the attic until their target, this guy Michael, came home.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

So you got there in the late afternoon. You thought you were gonna spend a couple hours. A couple hours there. Yeah. And then when he got home.

[Matt Gutman]

So, like, in his mind, the plan is they creep in, they hide in the attic, they wait for Michael. Michael comes home, they threaten him. Maybe they have to rough him up a bit. They get the money, they get out. Obviously, that is not even remotely what ends up panning out.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

He had the backpack, but I didn't. He took the backpack, but I didn't know what he had in there till we got to the upstairs.

[Matt Gutman]

And so what is in that backpack is what changes Ryan Kevorkian's understanding of what this is about and entirely. This is not just about muscle. And this night is going to be a lot longer than he or anyone else ended up expecting.

[Brad Milke]

And we're already hearing stuff just in this proffer interview that we haven't heard so far in this entire series so far. And when we come back, there's even more of these previously unheard details. So we'll be back right after the break.

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[Brad Milke]

Hey, we're back with Matt Gutman. I'm Brad Milke, and we're breaking down some of the most compelling details about the third man in this twisted tale, Ryan Kevorkian. So, Matt, in the first episode of the series, we heard from one of the victims of the crime, Mary Barnes. She's telling the story from her perspective of being awoken in the middle of the night with a gun digging into her neck. There's also another way to tell this story from a different perspective, the perspective of one of the attackers in the room. And that's what you guys sort of get here, right?

[Matt Gutman]

So Kevorkian sort of adds the other side of that that we didn't know. They're doing this in the middle or the early afternoon, and they hide in this, like, attic, crawl, like, space at the top of the house. It's super hot there, and they're waiting for hours. Night falls, and Nyere, of course, is prepared. Kevorkian realizes that he's got this big backpack, and not only does he have snacks and whatever they need for the hours, but Nyeri has also packed guns. A pistol and a pump action shotgun. And at this point, Kevorkin's like, dude, I'm not shooting someone.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

Nayori was prepared. He was prepared to shoot. He told me right off the bat, he said, don't worry, I'll get you out of here. You know, you just run. I said, well, yeah, someone shooting, I'm gonna run. That's common sense.

[Matt Gutman]

And so Nayere doesn't just have guns in that backpack. He's got some other equipment that Kevorkian says continues to ring alarm bells for him.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

So he brought food and water. Food and water. Zip ties. He had zip ties. I asked him. In ski mask. In ski mask. I asked him what zip ties. I asked him, what's that? You know, like, you know, he said, well, just in case it's not here. I said, what's not here? He said, the money. I said, well, you told me the money was here. You know, he told me, shut up. Don't worry about it. You know, he argued a little bit and stuff, pretty much. I was just like, you know, I shouldn't have trusted you. You know, what's really going on here? You know what I mean? As it is, I'm stupid to be in this house to begin with. Tie the guy and then leave him here. What's really going on? He's said, if it's not here, that's why I have them. And what does that Mean to you. I'm thinking, oh, crap. I'm thinking, this guy, they're going to take this guy somewhere.

[Brad Milke]

I was, I was just about to say, Matt, when you hear, like, there's zip ties and then also, like, snacks, you're planning on being there for a much longer time. And again, I guess kevorkian has a reason to say, like, I didn't know anything in this session, but that, yeah, would sound like a very concerning.

[Matt Gutman]

Yeah, I mean, I think what you just said is really critical. Ryan kevorkian has to be self serving to some degree in this. Right? He is trying to minimize his role in this as much as possible. I mean, I don't think it's so outlandish that in a home invasion that somebody would bring zip ties. If you're trying to tie people down and keep them from using their phones or running away. I mean, I don't find it that surprising. I'm sure the officers didn't either. But there is a problem that they didn't quite anticipate. And that problem is, is a blonde woman in yoga pants named Mary Barnes.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

The girl comes home first. How did you know that? I could hear.

[Matt Gutman]

She comes home from work, she eats dinner in her room, she gets ready for bed. And this is something that kevorkian simply did not expect.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

I said, I want a part of it and stuff. Then he starts getting kind of mad, calling me worthless. You know what I mean? I said, you should have told me this from the get go. You should have told me this from the get go and stuff.

[Matt Gutman]

Kevorkian's like, hey, man, I didn't sign up for this. I don't want to hurt a woman. It's a big red line for me. He continues to say it in the interview with police, but now Mary's in her bedroom downstairs, and kevorkian realizes that she has to be part of the attack. Everybody in the house is part of the attack. What's about to happen is such a horror. But there is something kind of comic Brad, in seeing these two, like, muscle bound wrestlers, you know, heavies, crouched in this attic with, you know, the litter of their snacks and some water bottles, sweaty and arguing about this crime that they're about to perpetrate and, you know, kind of bickering yet again. And remember, they'd had like a. A knock down, bloody fist fight barely a year earlier. So this is not going great for them. Obviously, they're in it. A few hours later, they come down from the attic. It's the dead of night. Kevorkian says it's Nyere who wakes up Mary and points the gun at her head and zip ties her. But again, according to Kevorkian, it's him who whispers in Mary's ear, don't worry. This is not about you.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

And I. I remember telling her, this has nothing to do with you. I'm sorry. I. I felt horrible, to be honest with you. I really have. I'm not BS with you guys. I felt horrible.

[Matt Gutman]

He felt badly. He's about to feel a little bit worse when he hears Nyere go into Michael's room, wake him up, and just start beating him senseless. He alleges that it was Nyeri who then drags Michael down the stairs. And then it takes a turn, right? They're beating Michael. He says he doesn't have the money. And so Nyeri decides, well, they've got to get loaded into the van and driven out to the desert, where he believes that Michael has stashed a million dollars in cash. We now know that not to be true. We know that Michael never had that kind of cash on him or anywhere near him, but that's where they're headed. And the whole ride out there, they're in the back of the van, and Kevorkian says he's watching Nyeri beat and tase and torture Michael. And finally they get out to the desert, and Kevorkian's able to tell police that the story that Mary couldn't tell him. You know, she had that blindfold on her face, and he describes sort of laying Michael out on the ground. And, you know, the torture is continuing and the threats are continuing.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

But Hussein goes and tells Kyle, you're gonna cut his thing off. He says, thing.

[Matt Gutman]

Tell me the exact.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

I think he told him, I'm gonna cut. We're gonna cut. Since you didn't give us the money, we're gonna cut your dick off. I think he told Kyle that. I heard him talking. Kyle's like, really, you know, like, it just. It came out. I came out of the blue.

[Matt Gutman]

So it seems that the part that makes this story so difficult to listen to and which has obviously completely changed the trajectory of Michael's life, to mutilate Michael was just a spur of the moment decision by Nyere. Handley seems shocked. Kevorkian says he was shocked. And so, remember, Michael is mutilated, doused with bleach, beaten, tased, burned, in agony. They leave Mary and Michael in the desert. It's now the morning of October 2nd. And then the three guys, you know, they go to subway they go get a sandwich.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

Hussein and Kyle, they left me in the van at a subway. We ate kind of close to where the house was at and stuff.

[Brad Milke]

It's all so, like, sadistic sounding, Matt. And it sounds like we keep talking about how Ryan Kevorkian has every reason to tell the cops. Like, none of this was my idea. This was all hossein. But it sounds like cops basically agree with that, right, that Nyere's really the one in charge here.

[Matt Gutman]

Yes. I think, Brad, that becomes even more clear after this proffer with Kevorkian. And you can hear him. I. He is very reluctant. He didn't seem to be in that world at that time.

[Brad Milke]

Seems like he's having normal reactions to hearing, like, let's cut somebody's member off and like that. Like, right.

[Matt Gutman]

Normal reactions to having to bind a woman to hold an innocent person at gunpoint. And at this point, towards the end of the interview, Kevorkian's actually expressing fear about his family. Me worriedly.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

I'm worried about him. No, it's my family. He knows where my family's at. He knows what. That's what I worry about. You know, I was being honest with you guys. This guy's very. And you guys know that dangerous dude. Do not put anything above this guy.

[Brad Milke]

Well, that's like, the muscle of the operation is saying, like, I'm scared of this guy still.

[Matt Gutman]

Yeah.

[Brad Milke]

Sounds like Kevorkian was cooperating. That's why you have this. This proffer deal. But I think it's totally fair to assume that anyone involved at any level in this heinous plot would be spending most of the rest of their life in prison just because it was that terrible. Kevorkin got much less time than that, though. Why?

[Matt Gutman]

I mean, I think he cooperated with police. He also made a plea deal. Right. Those other two guys pleaded not guilty. When you fight it and then you lose, typically the sentences are longer. So he pleaded guilty to two counts of kidnapping, a count of burglary, a kind of assault with a firearm, and he was given what is still a pretty hefty sentence of 12 years and four months. And, of course, Nayeri and Handley are both serving life terms.

[Brad Milke]

Matt, I'm curious just to hear your perspective, because at this point, you followed this case for a decade, So I guess, is it over? Like, what comes next here? But also, what are you taking with you?

[Matt Gutman]

You know, I think with most cases like this, Brad, it's never quite over. So, you know, everybody kind of always thinks about what happens with Nyere. Is this guy going to get out. And what he's doing right now is filing a petition for appeal based on a number of issues. We're keeping an eye on it. There hasn't been any results specifically, but obviously we will bring it to you as soon as we hear anything about that appeal. But yeah, I mean, this is the kind of case that I think sits with people for a long time.

[Brad Milke]

It's really interesting both to hear this new information you've been sharing with us and just to hear your reflections on this. Matt, as somebody who's been following this and who guided us through this entire series, we really great reporting by you, really great work by everyone on the team. And I'm sure you're already working on another case right now, so we'll let you get to it. Thank you so much.

[Matt Gutman]

Thanks, Brad.

[Brad Milke]

All right, and that will do it for us. In the meantime, there is more to come from ABC Audio and the team at 2020 Mystery in Alaska. A brand new true crime podcast is out right now. And if you made it this far, you strike me as someone who likes to be in the know, someone who appreciates not just the what, but also the why and the how. So if that's you, I would definitely suggest checking out the podcast that I host each weekday morning called Start Here. It's a quick daily news show. It's there for you whenever you want to. Just catch up on the news, from true crime yarns to the latest financial news that could impact decision making for you and your family. You'll even hear Matt Gutman sometimes. He's a regular. We've linked to Start Here here in our episode description to make things easy. So again, that's Start Here. Revigate your podcasts. Thanks for having me. And until next time, I'm Brad Milkey.

[Matt Gutman]

You've seen the headlines, heard the debates.

[Brad Milke]

The three point ball has created a monotonous rhythm to the game.

[Matt Gutman]

Has the three pointer ruined basketball? And how did we get here?

[Ryan Kevorkian]

The rise of the three point shot can be partially traced to an eccentric.

[Brad Milke]

Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story.

[Matt Gutman]

Didn'T turn out quite the way he imagined.

[Ryan Kevorkian]

I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history.

[Matt Gutman]

30 for 30 podcast presents Chasing Basketball Heaven.

[Brad Milke]

Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

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Let's go.

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Baton Rouge, but you can't take the.

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The Nader Sisters, we run in a pack.

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