ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Just before his trial was set to begin, a former WWE wrestler pleaded no contest after being accused of trying to strangle the driver of a moving vehicle in Rochester Hills.
Kyle Rasmussen, 42, from Metamora, Michigan, was arrested last October and charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation. He initially pleaded not guilty to the felony charge, and his trial was scheduled to begin this month.
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However, Rasmussen changed his plea to no contest on Wednesday, July 5. Pleading no contest means Rasmussen accepts conviction, but does not admit any guilt.
On Oct. 29, 2022, it is alleged that Rasmussen was riding in the backseat of a pickup truck heading west on M-59 in Rochester Hills. At around 2:21 a.m., Rasmussen allegedly tried to grab the steering wheel and strangle the driver, a 31-year-old man from Otter Lake.
The driver pulled over to an area off of M-59 near Adams Road, and fled on foot.
Rasmussen’s girlfriend Sarah Ratliff, 30, was also riding in the truck. She, too, exited the vehicle and fled on foot, but was struck by an SUV driving on M-59 about 100 feet from the truck, officials said then.
She was taken to the hospital and died from her injuries.
Rasmussen was arraigned three days after the incident and given a $25,000 bond.
He is known as a former WWE wrestler who performed under the name Conrad Tanner. He also played football at Michigan State University, and was reportedly known for his physicality.