1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Previously on Paper Ghosts. I wanted to torture Ron. I did. 2 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie. I wanted to torture the man. 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: There was enough talk beforehand during her phone calls for 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: Irene to figure out that this was not a spontaneous attack. 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: This was a planned thing. It was something that Ron 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: had thought of for weeks at least before he carried 7 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: it out. It was not in the heat at the moment, 8 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: so he was put in a facility that cared for 9 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: people that were like vegetables. How Chief and naggled the 10 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: system to be able to remarry at him in his 11 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: condition is beyond my imagine. Nation. My name is m 12 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: William Phelps. I'm an investigative journalist and author of forty 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: four true crime books. This is season two of Paper 14 00:00:52,680 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: Ghosts Burned. When you have spent as many decades as 15 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: I have investigating cases of the missing and murdered, there 16 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: can sometimes be an overwhelming numbness to the information you discover. 17 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: I'm no longer shocked by the ways in which people 18 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: commit murder, nor am I disillusioned when justice is never 19 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: fully realized. It's a sad reality in my line of work, 20 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: yet one that is unfortunately common in cases that have 21 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: gone cold. By September, two months after the Stevenson murders, 22 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: Dick Weston and Drusilla Merita were indicted by a federal 23 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: grand jury, but not for murder. The FEDS nailed Dick 24 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: for crossing state lines carrying a six thousand dollar diamond 25 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: ring believed to have belonged to Lynda Stevenson, Drusilla for 26 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: her help, and hiding the ring. As for Ron Thomas, well, 27 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: the guy was an anomaly. He had escaped legal recourse 28 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: and was no longer the feds priority. Carol Thompson, Billy 29 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: and Lynda Stevenson's daughter, wasn't sensed by this. It felt 30 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: as if Ron had not only been given a free pass, 31 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: but that law enforcement had just written him off and 32 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 1: forgot about him. Yet, as Carol tells me, when you 33 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: know in your gut someone responsible for taking your family 34 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: away from you is walking around a free man, the anger, anxiety, 35 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: and pain accompanying that reality impairs your ability to function. 36 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: I'm constantly in her face about Ron. You know, what's 37 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: gonna happen, What's gonna happen, What's gonna happen? You know, 38 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: And we're gonna Getti. We're gonna get Hi, We're gonna 39 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: get him, were gonna We're gonna move forward with Weston. 40 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: We've got plenty of evidence on him. We're moving forward, 41 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: and we're gonna get wrong too. I mean, that's what 42 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: I was told the whole for a good time. They 43 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: never did. Nearly three months later, the trial for Dick 44 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: Weston Andrew sillimare Rid his sentencing began in an Indiana 45 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: federal court. That wasn't enough for Carol. Dick's demise was 46 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: a victory, yes, but there was still that overwhelming feeling 47 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: of being ahead at halftime and knowing you're going to 48 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: ultimately lose the game. The cops weren't moving fast enough. 49 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: They were let him get away. In my mind, and 50 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: and I'm pissed. More than a dozen witnesses were summoned 51 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: to testify during the trial, including Ron Thomas. I'm ready 52 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: for the court case, but the night before, I'm pissed. 53 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: I'm pissed this man murdered my family and Ron is 54 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: out there. So I decide that I am going to 55 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: take a gun to court the next day and I'm 56 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: going to kill Ron on the courthouse steps. The amount 57 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: of grief. Carol was a experiencing it can change who 58 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: you are, turn you into a person willing to do 59 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: just about anything to take that pain away. Add some anger, 60 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: and you're like a powder kick ready to explode from 61 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: the smallest spark. Carol's father in law noticed her frantic 62 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: behavior and suspected she had something planned. He reached out 63 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: to Clarence Pennington, the chief of detectives for the Claremont 64 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: County Sheriff's Department at the time. So next thing I know, 65 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: Penny is knocking on the door. Penny comes in and 66 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: he's talking to me, sitting down and at the table 67 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: he's talking on I don't know why he's there, but 68 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: me and Penny had gotten really close over the time, 69 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking, well, maybe he just wants to talk 70 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 1: to me about tomorrow, you know, because I do have 71 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: to testify and I'm scared now I'm never testified anyway. 72 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: He point blank says to me, You're not taking a 73 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: gun tomorrow. You're gonna behave You're not gonna do this. 74 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: I know what you're thinking. I'm not stupid. I'm I'm 75 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: a policeman. Know exactly where your head is. And yet 76 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: you're not doing it. And I just said, Pennington, I 77 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: need to do this, and he's like, no, Carol, this 78 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: is not the time. I'll get him for you give 79 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: me a little more time. I promise you I'll get him. 80 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: He goes and and Carol, I'll tell you what. He 81 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: didn't even be there tomorrow, So you are just it's 82 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: not gonna happen. He's not evenna be there, absolutely one, 83 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: He's not gonna be there. Pennington wasn't lying. Carol was 84 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: scheduled to be the first witness on the stand to testify, 85 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: and Ron Thomas wasn't due to appear until later in 86 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: the week. Well, they put me in this little room 87 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: and they said stay in the little room. You're sequestered, 88 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: right and yeah, okay, So I'm off running around the courthouse. 89 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: So they tell me again, stay in the little room. Okay. 90 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: I don't know why they're so insistent that I stay 91 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: in the little room, but they want me in the 92 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: little room. So I get up to leave the little 93 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: room again and my father all jumps up and he's like, 94 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: what are you doing? Come on, what are you doing. 95 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: I'm I'm thirsty. I'm gonna go find a pop machine. 96 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: So he's like, okay, fine, if you're going though, I'm 97 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: going with you. And as I'm about I'm about halfway down, 98 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: and in front of me, coming up the staircase is 99 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: Ronald Thomas. I got nowhere to go. I can't go up, 100 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: I can't go down, And all immediately I feel my 101 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: father in law arm. You know, he's got he's got 102 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: his hand on my arm and he's holding me pretty 103 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: tight because I'm sure he was terrified. He probably didn't 104 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: know what I was gonna do. Well, you know, I 105 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: didn't have the gun though, So there goes that dream 106 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: out the window. So Dad tugs at me and we 107 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: head down and Ron keeps coming up. He gets right 108 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: to me, and you know how when you run into 109 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: an old dear friend, they stopped and that means you're 110 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: supposed to stop. He did that. He literally stops like 111 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: he's gonna talk to me. Yeah, and I mean, my 112 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: mine is blown. And Ron says, hey, Carol, how's it 113 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: going up there. I'm not saying anything. I'm just I'm 114 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: just looking at him, you know, And I say the 115 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: first thing that comes to mind, you know, Ron, I 116 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: don't now, why don't you go up there? And ask 117 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: those cops who asked them. And then Dad tugs me 118 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: back down the steps. So I get to the bottom 119 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: of steps, and you can imagine I'm doing, you know, 120 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: a hundred miles an hour to my father in law. 121 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god, Oh my god. I can't believe he's here. 122 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: Oh my god, he's here. He's here. Pennington lied to me. 123 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: He's here. And I have no way to do anything. 124 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: I can't do anything. And I'm just going on and on. 125 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: I knew I could get him, now, I knew I could. 126 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: And as we're talking, I'm walking because I am blown 127 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: away that this man is here and this is the 128 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: first time I've seen him since the murder. And I 129 00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: know he did it. I know he did it in 130 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: my heart. No, he did it, you know. And so 131 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: I'm just losing it to my father in law. And 132 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: we come to a kind of like a dead end, 133 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: and we spent around and guess who was behind me, 134 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas. He had followed me. He had literally turned 135 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: around and followed me down the steps. Well, this, I 136 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: think scared my father and all. So he immediately pulls 137 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: me around Ron. And as he pulls me around Ron, 138 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: he pulls me into a group of police that are 139 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: walking just coming in and an anything happens to be 140 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: in there. He brings me into them and I immediately say, 141 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: pen antent, he's here, he's here, and but he's like 142 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,719 Speaker 1: what what what? And I'm like, Ron is here, And 143 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: they're all looking around like they don't see him, you know, 144 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: But they immediately put me in the circle. They've got 145 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: me in case, and they're leading me up back to 146 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: that little room that I was supposed to day in 147 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: four decades have passed and you can still hear a 148 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: level of fear and stress that is as real as 149 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: it was on the day it all happened. Add to 150 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: the mix of sociopath like Ron Thomas, who went out 151 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: of his way to intimidate Carol at all costs, and 152 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 1: what you have is a situation that can literally bring 153 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: you to your breaking point. When I got to the 154 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: top of those steps, I look back over my shoulder 155 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: because I want to know where he went, because he vanished, 156 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: and there's these columns. He had tucked himself into the columns. 157 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: But as I look over my shoulder, he is looking 158 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: up at me over his shoulder. Despite the uncomfortable running 159 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: with Ron Thomas, Carol Thompson remained the prosecution's strongest witness. 160 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: Dick's legal team attempted to poke holes in her story 161 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: during cross examination, but Carol pointed to Dick in the 162 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: courtroom and positively identified him as the mystery man who 163 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: came to her family's house on the night of the murders. 164 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: She also ideed her mother's purse that was found in 165 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: the river near Brookville, as well as the diamond ring 166 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: Drusilla Meritta had been hiding. Beyond that, Carol denied Dick's 167 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: lawyers failed attempts at insinuating it was a romantic relationship 168 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: between ron Thomas and her mother, Lynda Stevenson, which was, 169 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: in the scope of this case, a bottom feeder move 170 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: if I've ever heard one. As the trial moved into 171 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: day three, another major witness for the prosecution arrived at 172 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: the courthouse, Nathan Barger. She was much stronger, now, scared, 173 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: but certainly unafraid to speak her truth. Didn't put me 174 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: in a room to white for me to go in. 175 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: Don't set me out and out. Oh why there comes 176 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: round Thomas, sits damn next to you, stride cross from 177 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: and what does he do? Well? How he said howdy, 178 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: how are you? I said, I'm just fine. Thomas's role 179 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: as an FBI informant wasn't known to anyone at the time. However, 180 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: the statements she gave to the FEDS that were used 181 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: to indict Dick and Drusilla were made public in the 182 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: local paper a few months prior. And now there was 183 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas sitting across from Thomatha staring at her. I 184 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: don't remember which one the officer's come down through there 185 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: and I said, I need speak you and proud of 186 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: so it took me back in the office. He said, 187 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: you know who that is? After I said you know 188 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas, he said, journed not to leave this rint. 189 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: That's important to leave me after in first play, for 190 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: that's an ourt from my mottail over here, but my sales, 191 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: not no one who's out here, not no one what's 192 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: going to happen? And I okay, I mean this is 193 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: what I get agreed. Up until this point, the only 194 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: known interaction Tanatha had with Ron Thomas was when Drusilla 195 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: brought her to Ron's house to collect money to pay 196 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: Dick's lawyer. So Ron knew what Tanatha looked like, and 197 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: he was aware of what she saw. Mind you, Ron 198 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: Thomas wasn't scheduled to testify a trial until the fourth day. 199 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: There was no reason for him to show his face 200 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: in the courthouse, and technically, under the law, he wasn't 201 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: even supposed to be anywhere near the building until after 202 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: he testified, unless, that is, he had come to try 203 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: and unnerve another key witness. Do you think he was 204 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: trying to intimidate you when he sat down in front 205 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: of you? Anything was possible, It just weren't easy. Feeling. 206 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: Facing Dick Weston in court was difficult, but also necessary 207 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: for Tanitha. You know you're gonna have to testifying court, right? Oh? Yeah? 208 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: And what are you feeling about that? Well, as long 209 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: as I tell all the truth, I had nothing to 210 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: do with it. I could tip it out because I 211 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: had kids and I weren't letting my kids down for nothing. 212 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: Were you scared? Tell me about that? Well, if you 213 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: you don't know where if you lay down to take 214 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,439 Speaker 1: a nap or lay down go to sleep, where you 215 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: gonna wake up or not. You don't know where your 216 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: kids is going to be, where you left him or 217 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: not not. With everything that was going on, no doubt 218 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: in your mind that he's guilty of this crime. I 219 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: know it was. I know what today. He done it, 220 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: he might undone now being downe his part at it. 221 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: What was it like walking into the courtroom with Dick there, 222 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: let's right at him because he done it and I didn't. 223 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: I had a clear consciens. What kind of look did 224 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: he give you back? It weren't nice, it was evil. 225 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: If Liz had killed, he'd kill it. Tnathan was terrified 226 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: of testifying. She claimed to have already lost her home 227 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: and job because of her involvement in this case. In addition, 228 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: her life became a whirlwind of moving her family from 229 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: state to state, running scared from the fallout. If you 230 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: recall on a previous episode, when I first sat down 231 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: to interview her, she kept two loaded weapons within arm's reach. 232 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: Her trepidation is still very much present even to this day. 233 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: And they were around the news, you'd say, now, let's staff, 234 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: you know it happened. I mean, if you think, well, 235 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: that one in my head, I just read that. That's 236 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: in a book. No it ain't. It happened to your 237 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: own back accord. When it takes your everything you've ever 238 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: worked for all your life, sure you are what have 239 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: you got nothing? At some point during the investigation, the 240 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: Claremont County Sheriff's Department offered a dollar reward for anyone 241 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: with information leading to an arrest in the Stevenson murders. 242 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: Based on what I've gathered, many people believe Tnathan collected 243 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: the money. Somebody was asking me how much JO was 244 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: getting and how much I got out of it. I 245 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: said I didn't get nothing. Well said, they were just reward. 246 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: Didn't you get it? I said no, I didn't get 247 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: no reward. So people think you got the reward. I 248 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: think I got a reward. I did not get non reward. 249 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: I lay up through Hey over thirty years, and it 250 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: seems like you live in fear. Still still do. At 251 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 1: times I go through that. I am nasily something trigger 252 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: around TV. Really, there's always something that reminds you of 253 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: something that happened in Atlanta time. But it's this way. 254 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: I don't have a guilty conscious. I just stopped to think, well, 255 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: where would we have been if this hadn't happened. But 256 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: right that nothing to do about it. He's over with. 257 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: Over the course of six days, the jury heard from 258 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: the usual suspects, law enforcement and FBI agents involved in 259 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: the investigation, the church youth leader who found Linda Stevenson's 260 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: purse in the river, a woman who previously owned the 261 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: Diamond Ring Linda always War, a man who sold Billy 262 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: Stevenson the forty four caliber weapon he used to defend himself, 263 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: and a number of acquaintances who saw Dick Weston at 264 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: a bar hours before he arrived at the Stevenson home, 265 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: and then Ron Thomas. While under oath, Ron admitted to 266 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: being at the Stevenson's home on the night in question, 267 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: but he said he went there alone. When asked if 268 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: Dick Weston was with him, Ron said no. He stated 269 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: he had never sold drugs, and admitted to funding thousands 270 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: of dollars for Dick Weston's legal defense, but claimed it 271 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: was merely alone as the two men were not close friends. However, 272 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: after he finished testifying and began walking out of the courtroom, 273 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,160 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas locked eyes with Dick Weston and the two 274 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: made a hello gesture to each other. Everyone saw it, 275 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: including the judge and jury. After sixty five minutes of deliberation, 276 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: the jury came back with a verdict. Dick Weston and 277 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: Drusilla Meritta were both found guilty as charged. Drusilla received 278 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: an indeterminate prison term of up to five years. Dick, 279 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: on the other hand, was considered a special offender because 280 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: the evidence presented at trial proved he was implicated in 281 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,639 Speaker 1: both the robbery and murders. The federal government sought a 282 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: sentencing hearing and gave him twenty five years in prison. 283 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: A separate murder trial was held, and on March one, 284 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:24,159 Speaker 1: Dick Weston was convicted and four counts of murder and 285 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: sentenced to four consecutive life sentences. That psychopath was going 286 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: to die in prison. It was the final chapter and 287 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: many had been waiting and hoping to hear, and for 288 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 1: season detectives like Tom Cooper, it was an end to 289 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 1: a nearly two year search for a family and community 290 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: seeking justice. It was one of the highlights on my career. 291 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: Calls to get the resources to work to so we 292 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: did with the FBI and the state police, always age 293 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 1: to get him to all work together. It was just 294 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: it was amazing back to it didn't always happen that way. 295 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: You know, there are a lot of egos involved, and 296 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 1: in this case, uh, there was no egos. I was 297 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,239 Speaker 1: really pleased with that and proud to do that. So 298 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: what did it mean for the community to solve this case? 299 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: You think? I think the community, especially Bethel area, it 300 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: was a big relief to them that was sold, that 301 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 1: was able to bring somebody to justice for it, because 302 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 1: if we hadn't, I think the community itself would have 303 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 1: been living and fear. As Dick Weston was serving his 304 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,199 Speaker 1: time in prison, Ron Thomas was living in South Carolina 305 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: with his mistress, Irene Floyd, free from any prosecution. Two 306 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: years after the questionable death of Irene's second husband, and 307 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: just weeks after Ron divorced his wife of several decades. 308 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: Irene Floyd and Ron Thomas were married. Six years and 309 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: one child later, the two were still together and living 310 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: a simple life. Ron was now working as a carpenter 311 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,239 Speaker 1: and partner at a roofing company. He seemed to be 312 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: staying out of trouble, though from what my sources in 313 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: South Carolina tell me, Ron continued to be involved and 314 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: all sorts of illegal business. As Dave Bell, the former 315 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: detective you heard in the previous episode explains, something happened 316 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: to Ron Thomas. He was found uh in the waving around. 317 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:42,959 Speaker 1: He had been ship but he had multiple John chop 318 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:48,479 Speaker 1: moves to his right risk chest and right temple and uh. 319 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 1: There were no signs of forced entreat of the home. 320 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: According to the county's sheriff, it was around seven thirty 321 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: am on a Sunday morning when Irene Floyd returned home 322 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: after visiting her her from a previous marriage. She claimed 323 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: to have found her husband faced down dead on their 324 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: living room floor. Ron Thomas had been murdered. They recovered 325 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: two different packs of cigarettes from the crime scene. Three 326 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: cigarette butts were found in an ash tray near Ron's 327 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: body in the living room, one of those formal rooms 328 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: nobody in the family used. Looking at the crime scene 329 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 1: evidence left behind, it was clear to police that Ron 330 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: must have been waiting for someone to come over, because 331 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: there was there was no struggle in the home. It 332 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: didn't appear to be whoever was in the house actually 333 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: was able to spoke some cigarettes and sure were some 334 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: good old Southern iced tea. And so I'm convinced that 335 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas new his killer, you know, and he was 336 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: probably shot where the guy had pulled out that pistol 337 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: and shot him. There were enough pieces of evidence to 338 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: submit for DNA testing, but the chances of getting a 339 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: direct hit on a suspect were slim. This was with 340 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: forensic science in its early stages of development. It'd be 341 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: years before science would advance to study touch DNA and 342 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: those incredible breakthroughs that are happening today. On top of that, 343 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: based on the condition of the body, the corner believed 344 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: Ron had been dead since the previous afternoon. He was 345 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: shot with either at the time they thought like forty 346 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:49,959 Speaker 1: or forty one caliber weapon. That's a rare gun. Yeah, exactly, 347 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: and it may definitely back then too. So they got 348 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: one bullet from the crime scene and one bullet from 349 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,880 Speaker 1: the victim. They out a bullet from one of the 350 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: closed doors, so they had they had the bullets to 351 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: do bullisting, said they ever had a weapon. No gun 352 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: was ever found at the crime scene. Robbery could not 353 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 1: have been a motive since Ron was found still wearing 354 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: his watch and jewelry and nothing had been taken from 355 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,239 Speaker 1: the house. So you're looking into this and and you 356 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: see that Ron is now connected to He kind of 357 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 1: ran from Ohio after a quadruple murder, right. Well, I 358 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: contacted the people in Brookville try to get statements, and 359 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,959 Speaker 1: I tell you those people were so tight lips you 360 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:45,679 Speaker 1: could get a crowbarner by their mouth open. Those people, 361 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you they were in fear to talk 362 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: to me. I had one woman that was told me 363 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: that she was willing to give me a written, science 364 00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: foreign statement on what she knew. It was viable information. 365 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: And after I hung up, I was real excited. And 366 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 1: the next day I get a phone call from her 367 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: children and they said that her their mother, had changed 368 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: her mind and that she would not be cooperative with 369 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: us with the investigation, would not give us a statement, 370 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: and fear of her life. And who was she in 371 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: fear of? That's what nobody would say. The FBI always 372 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: give me the impression that Ron Thomas and Richard Weston 373 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: all connected to the Boffia. There's that mafia theme again. 374 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,399 Speaker 1: It was briefly floated during the early days of the 375 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: Stevenson murder investigation. The mob was even mentioned as an 376 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: alleged firework supplier when I spoke to Billy, Stevenson's business rival. 377 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: But throughout my investigation, I have never found a shred 378 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,880 Speaker 1: of tangible evidence linking organized crime to any of the cases. 379 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 1: So who out there? I would want Ron Thomas dead? 380 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: In the final episode of Paper Ghosts. You know, this 381 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: whole time, my mom's watching over her back, scared to death, 382 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: her whole life, and angry. And I remember I dropped everything. 383 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 1: I called my mom, got her out of bed. I'm like, 384 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: you have got to go downstairs. I have to get 385 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,439 Speaker 1: this to you. You know, I wanted a mandat as 386 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: spar as. Aybody called me, you know this is a 387 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: cold case, and he kind of he kind of chuckled 388 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: and he said, you know, you know, Caroline done. I 389 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: understand that. And he said, so let me ask you 390 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: a questions. Did you murder Ron Pomas? You really believe 391 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: that she was the one who had a hand in 392 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: Ron Thomas's murder? Oh, no doubt. There's no doubt in 393 00:25:55,720 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 1: my mind. Paper Ghosts is written in executive produced by 394 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 1: me Am William Phelps and I Heart executive producer Christina Everett, 395 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:10,360 Speaker 1: with script consultant Matthew Riddle, Audio editing and mixing by 396 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: a Booze Afar thanks to Will Pearson at I Heart Radio. 397 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: Series Theme number four four two is written and performed 398 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:22,360 Speaker 1: by Thomas Phelps and Tom Mooney. For more podcasts from 399 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 400 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.