A man with a history of domestic violence has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the beating death of his boyfriend in a Downtown motel.

Ryan Edward Breeland, 43, is expected to receive 30 years to life in state prison for killing Kenneth Banks, 32, who was found dead in a motel in the 4300 block of 10th Avenue in Downtown San Diego on June 9, 2021.

Sadly, Breeland himself told the victim this would happen when the victim attempted to break up with him previously, according to testimony from Breeland’s preliminary hearing in Nov., 2022.

A detective testified Banks told her Breeland hit him with a chair, punched, and stabbed him during a prior altercation.

In a recorded phone call from jail after Breeland was arrested for hurting Banks, Breeland told Banks “the only way out is the graveyard.”

Banks had told him that he wanted to end their relationship. But Breeland replied, “No, that’s not what will happen,” and then predicted Banks would die from his hand, according to testimony from a detective at Breeland’s preliminary hearing in Nov., 2022.

The tapes of the conversations were played in court. Banks never responded to Breeland’s chilling words. He ended each conversation with Breeland with “I love you.”

Breeland also pleaded guilty to inflicting corporal injury to Banks with a knife, which was a prior domestic assault charge, and to committing a prior sex crime with a minor in South Carolina.

Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast said Breeland would face 15 years to life for the murder plus 15 years for the other crimes to total 30 years to life.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano set sentencing for May 17. Breeland remains in jail without bail.

A motel worker found Banks’ body in bed, covered with a sheet, and she ran from the room, thinking she might throw up. Dorothy Sanchez testified in the preliminary hearing that she thought Banks was asleep and was trying to wake him up.

The cause of death was blunt force head trauma, according to a deputy medical examiner, who showed the upper body on a large screen in court. Breeland looked up to view his partner’s injuries on the screen just once, and looked down for the rest of the hearing.