Ryan becomes smitten with the former night shift employee Samantha Owens (played by Taylor Cole) and has given her a present to congratulate her for her promotion as a detective. Eric first gives her the present, but then tells her that the gift was from Ryan. On the No Good Deed episode, Ryan finds out that Sam has a boyfriend, Assistant State's Attorney Josh Avery (played by Ryan McPartlin). After finding out that Josh set up Sam, Ryan confronts Josh at his home and gets knocked out violently in Habeas Corpse. He finds Josh dead after waking up and gets interrogated. Ryan then discovers that Sam was Josh's killer and is crushed to find out that Sam left him and the crime scene. He is later consoled by his colleagues (including Sam's friend Walter, who was also a night shift employee), and Horatio joins the team and expects Ryan to pay for his drink.