then ryan faced cross examination, and defense attorney rudy lowenstein had already told the jury he to put ryan on trial. >> the killing of ariet girgis was because she interrupted a robbery or a drug transaction or a collection of a debt of some kind between ryan and these two suspects. >> the defense argument -- ariet's murder was tied directly to ryan's criminal activity. >> i think that the evidence suggests that he was involved with people that were dealing hard-core drugs. >> ryan admitted that he smoked and sold weed, but lowenstein told the jury ryan was doing much more than that. he'd pointed to the drug paraphernalia police found in ryan's room -- tin foil and what lowenstein said was a pipe with white residue, which he said was consistent with heroin and methamphetamine use, evidence that police had failed to test. the defense said it showed ryan's drug dealing was bigger than he'd let on. then, the defense directed jurors to those threats ryan had received on his computer just weeks before the murder. "you'd better watch your back." "i know where you live." and the taunt