WEBVTT - Ron Returns

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<v Speaker 1>Previously on Paper Ghosts. I wanted to torture Ron. I did.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not gonna lie. I wanted to torture the man.

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<v Speaker 1>There was enough talk beforehand during her phone calls for

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<v Speaker 1>Irene to figure out that this was not a spontaneous attack.

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<v Speaker 1>This was a planned thing. It was something that Ron

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<v Speaker 1>had thought of for weeks at least before he carried

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<v Speaker 1>it out. It was not in the heat at the moment,

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<v Speaker 1>so he was put in a facility that cared for

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<v Speaker 1>people that were like vegetables. How Chief and naggled the

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<v Speaker 1>system to be able to remarry at him in his

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<v Speaker 1>condition is beyond my imagine. Nation. My name is m

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<v Speaker 1>William Phelps. I'm an investigative journalist and author of forty

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<v Speaker 1>four true crime books. This is season two of Paper

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<v Speaker 1>Ghosts Burned. When you have spent as many decades as

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<v Speaker 1>I have investigating cases of the missing and murdered, there

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<v Speaker 1>can sometimes be an overwhelming numbness to the information you discover.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm no longer shocked by the ways in which people

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<v Speaker 1>commit murder, nor am I disillusioned when justice is never

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<v Speaker 1>fully realized. It's a sad reality in my line of work,

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<v Speaker 1>yet one that is unfortunately common in cases that have

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<v Speaker 1>gone cold. By September, two months after the Stevenson murders,

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<v Speaker 1>Dick Weston and Drusilla Merita were indicted by a federal

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<v Speaker 1>grand jury, but not for murder. The FEDS nailed Dick

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<v Speaker 1>for crossing state lines carrying a six thousand dollar diamond

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<v Speaker 1>ring believed to have belonged to Lynda Stevenson, Drusilla for

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<v Speaker 1>her help, and hiding the ring. As for Ron Thomas, well,

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<v Speaker 1>the guy was an anomaly. He had escaped legal recourse

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<v Speaker 1>and was no longer the feds priority. Carol Thompson, Billy

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<v Speaker 1>and Lynda Stevenson's daughter, wasn't sensed by this. It felt

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<v Speaker 1>as if Ron had not only been given a free pass,

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<v Speaker 1>but that law enforcement had just written him off and

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<v Speaker 1>forgot about him. Yet, as Carol tells me, when you

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<v Speaker 1>know in your gut someone responsible for taking your family

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<v Speaker 1>away from you is walking around a free man, the anger, anxiety,

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<v Speaker 1>and pain accompanying that reality impairs your ability to function.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm constantly in her face about Ron. You know, what's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna happen, What's gonna happen, What's gonna happen? You know,

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<v Speaker 1>And we're gonna Getti. We're gonna get Hi, We're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>get him, were gonna We're gonna move forward with Weston.

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<v Speaker 1>We've got plenty of evidence on him. We're moving forward,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're gonna get wrong too. I mean, that's what

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<v Speaker 1>I was told the whole for a good time. They

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<v Speaker 1>never did. Nearly three months later, the trial for Dick

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<v Speaker 1>Weston Andrew sillimare Rid his sentencing began in an Indiana

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<v Speaker 1>federal court. That wasn't enough for Carol. Dick's demise was

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<v Speaker 1>a victory, yes, but there was still that overwhelming feeling

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<v Speaker 1>of being ahead at halftime and knowing you're going to

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<v Speaker 1>ultimately lose the game. The cops weren't moving fast enough.

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<v Speaker 1>They were let him get away. In my mind, and

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm pissed. More than a dozen witnesses were summoned

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<v Speaker 1>to testify during the trial, including Ron Thomas. I'm ready

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<v Speaker 1>for the court case, but the night before, I'm pissed.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm pissed this man murdered my family and Ron is

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<v Speaker 1>out there. So I decide that I am going to

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<v Speaker 1>take a gun to court the next day and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going to kill Ron on the courthouse steps. The amount

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<v Speaker 1>of grief. Carol was a experiencing it can change who

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<v Speaker 1>you are, turn you into a person willing to do

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<v Speaker 1>just about anything to take that pain away. Add some anger,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're like a powder kick ready to explode from

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<v Speaker 1>the smallest spark. Carol's father in law noticed her frantic

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<v Speaker 1>behavior and suspected she had something planned. He reached out

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<v Speaker 1>to Clarence Pennington, the chief of detectives for the Claremont

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<v Speaker 1>County Sheriff's Department at the time. So next thing I know,

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<v Speaker 1>Penny is knocking on the door. Penny comes in and

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<v Speaker 1>he's talking to me, sitting down and at the table

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<v Speaker 1>he's talking on I don't know why he's there, but

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<v Speaker 1>me and Penny had gotten really close over the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm thinking, well, maybe he just wants to talk

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<v Speaker 1>to me about tomorrow, you know, because I do have

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<v Speaker 1>to testify and I'm scared now I'm never testified anyway.

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<v Speaker 1>He point blank says to me, You're not taking a

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<v Speaker 1>gun tomorrow. You're gonna behave You're not gonna do this.

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<v Speaker 1>I know what you're thinking. I'm not stupid. I'm I'm

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<v Speaker 1>a policeman. Know exactly where your head is. And yet

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<v Speaker 1>you're not doing it. And I just said, Pennington, I

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<v Speaker 1>need to do this, and he's like, no, Carol, this

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<v Speaker 1>is not the time. I'll get him for you give

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<v Speaker 1>me a little more time. I promise you I'll get him.

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<v Speaker 1>He goes and and Carol, I'll tell you what. He

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<v Speaker 1>didn't even be there tomorrow, So you are just it's

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<v Speaker 1>not gonna happen. He's not evenna be there, absolutely one,

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<v Speaker 1>He's not gonna be there. Pennington wasn't lying. Carol was

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<v Speaker 1>scheduled to be the first witness on the stand to testify,

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<v Speaker 1>and Ron Thomas wasn't due to appear until later in

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<v Speaker 1>the week. Well, they put me in this little room

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<v Speaker 1>and they said stay in the little room. You're sequestered,

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<v Speaker 1>right and yeah, okay, So I'm off running around the courthouse.

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<v Speaker 1>So they tell me again, stay in the little room. Okay.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know why they're so insistent that I stay

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<v Speaker 1>in the little room, but they want me in the

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<v Speaker 1>little room. So I get up to leave the little

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<v Speaker 1>room again and my father all jumps up and he's like,

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<v Speaker 1>what are you doing? Come on, what are you doing.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm I'm thirsty. I'm gonna go find a pop machine.

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<v Speaker 1>So he's like, okay, fine, if you're going though, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going with you. And as I'm about I'm about halfway down,

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<v Speaker 1>and in front of me, coming up the staircase is

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<v Speaker 1>Ronald Thomas. I got nowhere to go. I can't go up,

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<v Speaker 1>I can't go down, And all immediately I feel my

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<v Speaker 1>father in law arm. You know, he's got he's got

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<v Speaker 1>his hand on my arm and he's holding me pretty

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<v Speaker 1>tight because I'm sure he was terrified. He probably didn't

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<v Speaker 1>know what I was gonna do. Well, you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't have the gun though, So there goes that dream

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<v Speaker 1>out the window. So Dad tugs at me and we

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<v Speaker 1>head down and Ron keeps coming up. He gets right

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<v Speaker 1>to me, and you know how when you run into

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<v Speaker 1>an old dear friend, they stopped and that means you're

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<v Speaker 1>supposed to stop. He did that. He literally stops like

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<v Speaker 1>he's gonna talk to me. Yeah, and I mean, my

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<v Speaker 1>mine is blown. And Ron says, hey, Carol, how's it

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<v Speaker 1>going up there. I'm not saying anything. I'm just I'm

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<v Speaker 1>just looking at him, you know, And I say the

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<v Speaker 1>first thing that comes to mind, you know, Ron, I

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<v Speaker 1>don't now, why don't you go up there? And ask

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<v Speaker 1>those cops who asked them. And then Dad tugs me

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<v Speaker 1>back down the steps. So I get to the bottom

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<v Speaker 1>of steps, and you can imagine I'm doing, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>a hundred miles an hour to my father in law.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh my god, Oh my god. I can't believe he's here.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh my god, he's here. He's here. Pennington lied to me.

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<v Speaker 1>He's here. And I have no way to do anything.

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<v Speaker 1>I can't do anything. And I'm just going on and on.

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<v Speaker 1>I knew I could get him, now, I knew I could.

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<v Speaker 1>And as we're talking, I'm walking because I am blown

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<v Speaker 1>away that this man is here and this is the

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<v Speaker 1>first time I've seen him since the murder. And I

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<v Speaker 1>know he did it. I know he did it in

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<v Speaker 1>my heart. No, he did it, you know. And so

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just losing it to my father in law. And

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<v Speaker 1>we come to a kind of like a dead end,

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<v Speaker 1>and we spent around and guess who was behind me,

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<v Speaker 1>Ron Thomas. He had followed me. He had literally turned

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<v Speaker 1>around and followed me down the steps. Well, this, I

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<v Speaker 1>think scared my father and all. So he immediately pulls

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<v Speaker 1>me around Ron. And as he pulls me around Ron,

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<v Speaker 1>he pulls me into a group of police that are

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<v Speaker 1>walking just coming in and an anything happens to be

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<v Speaker 1>in there. He brings me into them and I immediately say,

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<v Speaker 1>pen antent, he's here, he's here, and but he's like

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<v Speaker 1>what what what? And I'm like, Ron is here, And

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<v Speaker 1>they're all looking around like they don't see him, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>But they immediately put me in the circle. They've got

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<v Speaker 1>me in case, and they're leading me up back to

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<v Speaker 1>that little room that I was supposed to day in

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<v Speaker 1>four decades have passed and you can still hear a

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<v Speaker 1>level of fear and stress that is as real as

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<v Speaker 1>it was on the day it all happened. Add to

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<v Speaker 1>the mix of sociopath like Ron Thomas, who went out

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<v Speaker 1>of his way to intimidate Carol at all costs, and

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<v Speaker 1>what you have is a situation that can literally bring

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<v Speaker 1>you to your breaking point. When I got to the

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<v Speaker 1>top of those steps, I look back over my shoulder

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<v Speaker 1>because I want to know where he went, because he vanished,

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<v Speaker 1>and there's these columns. He had tucked himself into the columns.

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<v Speaker 1>But as I look over my shoulder, he is looking

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<v Speaker 1>up at me over his shoulder. Despite the uncomfortable running

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<v Speaker 1>with Ron Thomas, Carol Thompson remained the prosecution's strongest witness.

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<v Speaker 1>Dick's legal team attempted to poke holes in her story

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<v Speaker 1>during cross examination, but Carol pointed to Dick in the

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<v Speaker 1>courtroom and positively identified him as the mystery man who

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<v Speaker 1>came to her family's house on the night of the murders.

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<v Speaker 1>She also ideed her mother's purse that was found in

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<v Speaker 1>the river near Brookville, as well as the diamond ring

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<v Speaker 1>Drusilla Meritta had been hiding. Beyond that, Carol denied Dick's

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<v Speaker 1>lawyers failed attempts at insinuating it was a romantic relationship

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<v Speaker 1>between ron Thomas and her mother, Lynda Stevenson, which was,

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<v Speaker 1>in the scope of this case, a bottom feeder move

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<v Speaker 1>if I've ever heard one. As the trial moved into

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<v Speaker 1>day three, another major witness for the prosecution arrived at

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<v Speaker 1>the courthouse, Nathan Barger. She was much stronger, now, scared,

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<v Speaker 1>but certainly unafraid to speak her truth. Didn't put me

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<v Speaker 1>in a room to white for me to go in.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't set me out and out. Oh why there comes

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<v Speaker 1>round Thomas, sits damn next to you, stride cross from

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<v Speaker 1>and what does he do? Well? How he said howdy,

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<v Speaker 1>how are you? I said, I'm just fine. Thomas's role

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<v Speaker 1>as an FBI informant wasn't known to anyone at the time. However,

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<v Speaker 1>the statements she gave to the FEDS that were used

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<v Speaker 1>to indict Dick and Drusilla were made public in the

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<v Speaker 1>local paper a few months prior. And now there was

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<v Speaker 1>Ron Thomas sitting across from Thomatha staring at her. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't remember which one the officer's come down through there

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<v Speaker 1>and I said, I need speak you and proud of

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<v Speaker 1>so it took me back in the office. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>you know who that is? After I said you know

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<v Speaker 1>Ron Thomas, he said, journed not to leave this rint.

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<v Speaker 1>That's important to leave me after in first play, for

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<v Speaker 1>that's an ourt from my mottail over here, but my sales,

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<v Speaker 1>not no one who's out here, not no one what's

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<v Speaker 1>going to happen? And I okay, I mean this is

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<v Speaker 1>what I get agreed. Up until this point, the only

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<v Speaker 1>known interaction Tanatha had with Ron Thomas was when Drusilla

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<v Speaker 1>brought her to Ron's house to collect money to pay

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<v Speaker 1>Dick's lawyer. So Ron knew what Tanatha looked like, and

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<v Speaker 1>he was aware of what she saw. Mind you, Ron

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<v Speaker 1>Thomas wasn't scheduled to testify a trial until the fourth day.

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<v Speaker 1>There was no reason for him to show his face

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<v Speaker 1>in the courthouse, and technically, under the law, he wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>even supposed to be anywhere near the building until after

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<v Speaker 1>he testified, unless, that is, he had come to try

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<v Speaker 1>and unnerve another key witness. Do you think he was

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<v Speaker 1>trying to intimidate you when he sat down in front

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<v Speaker 1>of you? Anything was possible, It just weren't easy. Feeling.

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<v Speaker 1>Facing Dick Weston in court was difficult, but also necessary

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<v Speaker 1>for Tanitha. You know you're gonna have to testifying court, right? Oh? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 1>And what are you feeling about that? Well, as long

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<v Speaker 1>as I tell all the truth, I had nothing to

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<v Speaker 1>do with it. I could tip it out because I

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<v Speaker 1>had kids and I weren't letting my kids down for nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>Were you scared? Tell me about that? Well, if you

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<v Speaker 1>you don't know where if you lay down to take

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<v Speaker 1>a nap or lay down go to sleep, where you

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<v Speaker 1>gonna wake up or not. You don't know where your

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<v Speaker 1>kids is going to be, where you left him or

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<v Speaker 1>not not. With everything that was going on, no doubt

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<v Speaker 1>in your mind that he's guilty of this crime. I

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<v Speaker 1>know it was. I know what today. He done it,

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<v Speaker 1>he might undone now being downe his part at it.

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<v Speaker 1>What was it like walking into the courtroom with Dick there,

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<v Speaker 1>let's right at him because he done it and I didn't.

0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.160
<v Speaker 1>I had a clear consciens. What kind of look did

0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:21.240
<v Speaker 1>he give you back? It weren't nice, it was evil.

0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.520
<v Speaker 1>If Liz had killed, he'd kill it. Tnathan was terrified

0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:29.080
<v Speaker 1>of testifying. She claimed to have already lost her home

0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:33.600
<v Speaker 1>and job because of her involvement in this case. In addition,

0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:36.760
<v Speaker 1>her life became a whirlwind of moving her family from

0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:40.640
<v Speaker 1>state to state, running scared from the fallout. If you

0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:43.600
<v Speaker 1>recall on a previous episode, when I first sat down

0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:48.080
<v Speaker 1>to interview her, she kept two loaded weapons within arm's reach.

0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:53.920
<v Speaker 1>Her trepidation is still very much present even to this day.

0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:56.800
<v Speaker 1>And they were around the news, you'd say, now, let's staff,

0:14:56.880 --> 0:14:59.920
<v Speaker 1>you know it happened. I mean, if you think, well,

0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.280
<v Speaker 1>that one in my head, I just read that. That's

0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:04.720
<v Speaker 1>in a book. No it ain't. It happened to your

0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:08.600
<v Speaker 1>own back accord. When it takes your everything you've ever

0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:12.760
<v Speaker 1>worked for all your life, sure you are what have

0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:21.080
<v Speaker 1>you got nothing? At some point during the investigation, the

0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:25.600
<v Speaker 1>Claremont County Sheriff's Department offered a dollar reward for anyone

0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:28.960
<v Speaker 1>with information leading to an arrest in the Stevenson murders.

0:15:30.000 --> 0:15:34.320
<v Speaker 1>Based on what I've gathered, many people believe Tnathan collected

0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:37.960
<v Speaker 1>the money. Somebody was asking me how much JO was

0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:39.480
<v Speaker 1>getting and how much I got out of it. I

0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:43.040
<v Speaker 1>said I didn't get nothing. Well said, they were just reward.

0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:45.120
<v Speaker 1>Didn't you get it? I said no, I didn't get

0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:47.880
<v Speaker 1>no reward. So people think you got the reward. I

0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:50.360
<v Speaker 1>think I got a reward. I did not get non reward.

0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:54.640
<v Speaker 1>I lay up through Hey over thirty years, and it

0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.360
<v Speaker 1>seems like you live in fear. Still still do. At

0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:02.880
<v Speaker 1>times I go through that. I am nasily something trigger

0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:06.920
<v Speaker 1>around TV. Really, there's always something that reminds you of

0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:12.560
<v Speaker 1>something that happened in Atlanta time. But it's this way.

0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:16.800
<v Speaker 1>I don't have a guilty conscious. I just stopped to think, well,

0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:23.000
<v Speaker 1>where would we have been if this hadn't happened. But

0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.320
<v Speaker 1>right that nothing to do about it. He's over with.

0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:32.120
<v Speaker 1>Over the course of six days, the jury heard from

0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:36.960
<v Speaker 1>the usual suspects, law enforcement and FBI agents involved in

0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:41.480
<v Speaker 1>the investigation, the church youth leader who found Linda Stevenson's

0:16:41.520 --> 0:16:44.520
<v Speaker 1>purse in the river, a woman who previously owned the

0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:48.280
<v Speaker 1>Diamond Ring Linda always War, a man who sold Billy

0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:52.480
<v Speaker 1>Stevenson the forty four caliber weapon he used to defend himself,

0:16:53.160 --> 0:16:56.320
<v Speaker 1>and a number of acquaintances who saw Dick Weston at

0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.800
<v Speaker 1>a bar hours before he arrived at the Stevenson home,

0:17:01.160 --> 0:17:08.480
<v Speaker 1>and then Ron Thomas. While under oath, Ron admitted to

0:17:08.560 --> 0:17:11.160
<v Speaker 1>being at the Stevenson's home on the night in question,

0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:14.080
<v Speaker 1>but he said he went there alone. When asked if

0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:17.760
<v Speaker 1>Dick Weston was with him, Ron said no. He stated

0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:21.320
<v Speaker 1>he had never sold drugs, and admitted to funding thousands

0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:24.800
<v Speaker 1>of dollars for Dick Weston's legal defense, but claimed it

0:17:24.840 --> 0:17:29.920
<v Speaker 1>was merely alone as the two men were not close friends. However,

0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:34.080
<v Speaker 1>after he finished testifying and began walking out of the courtroom,

0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.160
<v Speaker 1>Ron Thomas locked eyes with Dick Weston and the two

0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:41.600
<v Speaker 1>made a hello gesture to each other. Everyone saw it,

0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:48.600
<v Speaker 1>including the judge and jury. After sixty five minutes of deliberation,

0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.919
<v Speaker 1>the jury came back with a verdict. Dick Weston and

0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:56.880
<v Speaker 1>Drusilla Meritta were both found guilty as charged. Drusilla received

0:17:56.920 --> 0:18:00.760
<v Speaker 1>an indeterminate prison term of up to five years. Dick,

0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:04.600
<v Speaker 1>on the other hand, was considered a special offender because

0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:07.600
<v Speaker 1>the evidence presented at trial proved he was implicated in

0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:11.639
<v Speaker 1>both the robbery and murders. The federal government sought a

0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:15.000
<v Speaker 1>sentencing hearing and gave him twenty five years in prison.

0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:20.520
<v Speaker 1>A separate murder trial was held, and on March one,

0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:24.159
<v Speaker 1>Dick Weston was convicted and four counts of murder and

0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:30.320
<v Speaker 1>sentenced to four consecutive life sentences. That psychopath was going

0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:34.440
<v Speaker 1>to die in prison. It was the final chapter and

0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.600
<v Speaker 1>many had been waiting and hoping to hear, and for

0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:41.119
<v Speaker 1>season detectives like Tom Cooper, it was an end to

0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:44.119
<v Speaker 1>a nearly two year search for a family and community

0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:48.080
<v Speaker 1>seeking justice. It was one of the highlights on my career.

0:18:48.160 --> 0:18:52.560
<v Speaker 1>Calls to get the resources to work to so we

0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:55.560
<v Speaker 1>did with the FBI and the state police, always age

0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:58.119
<v Speaker 1>to get him to all work together. It was just

0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:01.320
<v Speaker 1>it was amazing back to it didn't always happen that way.

0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:03.560
<v Speaker 1>You know, there are a lot of egos involved, and

0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:08.960
<v Speaker 1>in this case, uh, there was no egos. I was

0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:12.239
<v Speaker 1>really pleased with that and proud to do that. So

0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.600
<v Speaker 1>what did it mean for the community to solve this case?

0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:20.080
<v Speaker 1>You think? I think the community, especially Bethel area, it

0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:24.159
<v Speaker 1>was a big relief to them that was sold, that

0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.920
<v Speaker 1>was able to bring somebody to justice for it, because

0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:31.760
<v Speaker 1>if we hadn't, I think the community itself would have

0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:47.679
<v Speaker 1>been living and fear. As Dick Weston was serving his

0:19:47.760 --> 0:19:51.199
<v Speaker 1>time in prison, Ron Thomas was living in South Carolina

0:19:51.280 --> 0:19:56.240
<v Speaker 1>with his mistress, Irene Floyd, free from any prosecution. Two

0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:59.639
<v Speaker 1>years after the questionable death of Irene's second husband, and

0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:03.400
<v Speaker 1>just weeks after Ron divorced his wife of several decades.

0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:08.639
<v Speaker 1>Irene Floyd and Ron Thomas were married. Six years and

0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:12.000
<v Speaker 1>one child later, the two were still together and living

0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:16.040
<v Speaker 1>a simple life. Ron was now working as a carpenter

0:20:16.119 --> 0:20:19.239
<v Speaker 1>and partner at a roofing company. He seemed to be

0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:21.879
<v Speaker 1>staying out of trouble, though from what my sources in

0:20:21.920 --> 0:20:26.040
<v Speaker 1>South Carolina tell me, Ron continued to be involved and

0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:30.200
<v Speaker 1>all sorts of illegal business. As Dave Bell, the former

0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:34.720
<v Speaker 1>detective you heard in the previous episode explains, something happened

0:20:34.760 --> 0:20:40.960
<v Speaker 1>to Ron Thomas. He was found uh in the waving around.

0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:42.959
<v Speaker 1>He had been ship but he had multiple John chop

0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:48.479
<v Speaker 1>moves to his right risk chest and right temple and uh.

0:20:48.760 --> 0:20:50.920
<v Speaker 1>There were no signs of forced entreat of the home.

0:20:51.840 --> 0:20:55.159
<v Speaker 1>According to the county's sheriff, it was around seven thirty

0:20:55.240 --> 0:20:58.840
<v Speaker 1>am on a Sunday morning when Irene Floyd returned home

0:20:58.920 --> 0:21:03.159
<v Speaker 1>after visiting her her from a previous marriage. She claimed

0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:07.040
<v Speaker 1>to have found her husband faced down dead on their

0:21:07.080 --> 0:21:16.680
<v Speaker 1>living room floor. Ron Thomas had been murdered. They recovered

0:21:17.680 --> 0:21:22.160
<v Speaker 1>two different packs of cigarettes from the crime scene. Three

0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.040
<v Speaker 1>cigarette butts were found in an ash tray near Ron's

0:21:25.040 --> 0:21:28.000
<v Speaker 1>body in the living room, one of those formal rooms

0:21:28.160 --> 0:21:31.560
<v Speaker 1>nobody in the family used. Looking at the crime scene

0:21:31.600 --> 0:21:35.200
<v Speaker 1>evidence left behind, it was clear to police that Ron

0:21:35.640 --> 0:21:39.159
<v Speaker 1>must have been waiting for someone to come over, because

0:21:39.200 --> 0:21:42.119
<v Speaker 1>there was there was no struggle in the home. It

0:21:42.160 --> 0:21:46.760
<v Speaker 1>didn't appear to be whoever was in the house actually

0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:54.040
<v Speaker 1>was able to spoke some cigarettes and sure were some

0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:58.600
<v Speaker 1>good old Southern iced tea. And so I'm convinced that

0:21:58.720 --> 0:22:03.560
<v Speaker 1>Ron Thomas new his killer, you know, and he was

0:22:03.600 --> 0:22:06.320
<v Speaker 1>probably shot where the guy had pulled out that pistol

0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:11.240
<v Speaker 1>and shot him. There were enough pieces of evidence to

0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:14.480
<v Speaker 1>submit for DNA testing, but the chances of getting a

0:22:14.520 --> 0:22:19.119
<v Speaker 1>direct hit on a suspect were slim. This was with

0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:23.639
<v Speaker 1>forensic science in its early stages of development. It'd be

0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:27.720
<v Speaker 1>years before science would advance to study touch DNA and

0:22:27.920 --> 0:22:33.040
<v Speaker 1>those incredible breakthroughs that are happening today. On top of that,

0:22:33.680 --> 0:22:36.760
<v Speaker 1>based on the condition of the body, the corner believed

0:22:37.000 --> 0:22:41.560
<v Speaker 1>Ron had been dead since the previous afternoon. He was

0:22:41.560 --> 0:22:45.000
<v Speaker 1>shot with either at the time they thought like forty

0:22:45.080 --> 0:22:49.959
<v Speaker 1>or forty one caliber weapon. That's a rare gun. Yeah, exactly,

0:22:50.400 --> 0:22:55.000
<v Speaker 1>and it may definitely back then too. So they got

0:22:55.800 --> 0:22:58.760
<v Speaker 1>one bullet from the crime scene and one bullet from

0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:01.880
<v Speaker 1>the victim. They out a bullet from one of the

0:23:01.920 --> 0:23:05.639
<v Speaker 1>closed doors, so they had they had the bullets to

0:23:06.520 --> 0:23:09.840
<v Speaker 1>do bullisting, said they ever had a weapon. No gun

0:23:09.880 --> 0:23:12.879
<v Speaker 1>was ever found at the crime scene. Robbery could not

0:23:13.000 --> 0:23:15.879
<v Speaker 1>have been a motive since Ron was found still wearing

0:23:15.920 --> 0:23:19.720
<v Speaker 1>his watch and jewelry and nothing had been taken from

0:23:19.760 --> 0:23:23.239
<v Speaker 1>the house. So you're looking into this and and you

0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:26.879
<v Speaker 1>see that Ron is now connected to He kind of

0:23:27.000 --> 0:23:32.720
<v Speaker 1>ran from Ohio after a quadruple murder, right. Well, I

0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:37.920
<v Speaker 1>contacted the people in Brookville try to get statements, and

0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:41.959
<v Speaker 1>I tell you those people were so tight lips you

0:23:41.960 --> 0:23:45.679
<v Speaker 1>could get a crowbarner by their mouth open. Those people,

0:23:45.680 --> 0:23:49.920
<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna tell you they were in fear to talk

0:23:49.920 --> 0:23:53.600
<v Speaker 1>to me. I had one woman that was told me

0:23:53.640 --> 0:23:56.359
<v Speaker 1>that she was willing to give me a written, science

0:23:56.359 --> 0:24:01.240
<v Speaker 1>foreign statement on what she knew. It was viable information.

0:24:02.160 --> 0:24:06.720
<v Speaker 1>And after I hung up, I was real excited. And

0:24:06.800 --> 0:24:10.680
<v Speaker 1>the next day I get a phone call from her

0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:16.600
<v Speaker 1>children and they said that her their mother, had changed

0:24:16.640 --> 0:24:21.320
<v Speaker 1>her mind and that she would not be cooperative with

0:24:21.400 --> 0:24:24.680
<v Speaker 1>us with the investigation, would not give us a statement,

0:24:25.560 --> 0:24:29.600
<v Speaker 1>and fear of her life. And who was she in

0:24:29.720 --> 0:24:36.720
<v Speaker 1>fear of? That's what nobody would say. The FBI always

0:24:36.760 --> 0:24:41.240
<v Speaker 1>give me the impression that Ron Thomas and Richard Weston

0:24:42.440 --> 0:24:47.560
<v Speaker 1>all connected to the Boffia. There's that mafia theme again.

0:24:48.040 --> 0:24:50.399
<v Speaker 1>It was briefly floated during the early days of the

0:24:50.440 --> 0:24:54.959
<v Speaker 1>Stevenson murder investigation. The mob was even mentioned as an

0:24:54.960 --> 0:24:59.080
<v Speaker 1>alleged firework supplier when I spoke to Billy, Stevenson's business rival.

0:25:00.080 --> 0:25:03.520
<v Speaker 1>But throughout my investigation, I have never found a shred

0:25:03.520 --> 0:25:07.880
<v Speaker 1>of tangible evidence linking organized crime to any of the cases.

0:25:09.880 --> 0:25:14.720
<v Speaker 1>So who out there? I would want Ron Thomas dead?

0:25:22.160 --> 0:25:26.000
<v Speaker 1>In the final episode of Paper Ghosts. You know, this

0:25:26.040 --> 0:25:29.040
<v Speaker 1>whole time, my mom's watching over her back, scared to death,

0:25:29.040 --> 0:25:31.720
<v Speaker 1>her whole life, and angry. And I remember I dropped everything.

0:25:31.720 --> 0:25:33.879
<v Speaker 1>I called my mom, got her out of bed. I'm like,

0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:35.680
<v Speaker 1>you have got to go downstairs. I have to get

0:25:35.680 --> 0:25:37.439
<v Speaker 1>this to you. You know, I wanted a mandat as

0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:38.800
<v Speaker 1>spar as. Aybody called me, you know this is a

0:25:38.800 --> 0:25:41.119
<v Speaker 1>cold case, and he kind of he kind of chuckled

0:25:41.119 --> 0:25:43.040
<v Speaker 1>and he said, you know, you know, Caroline done. I

0:25:43.119 --> 0:25:45.320
<v Speaker 1>understand that. And he said, so let me ask you

0:25:45.320 --> 0:25:49.320
<v Speaker 1>a questions. Did you murder Ron Pomas? You really believe

0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:52.000
<v Speaker 1>that she was the one who had a hand in

0:25:52.119 --> 0:25:55.639
<v Speaker 1>Ron Thomas's murder? Oh, no doubt. There's no doubt in

0:25:55.720 --> 0:26:01.120
<v Speaker 1>my mind. Paper Ghosts is written in executive produced by

0:26:01.160 --> 0:26:05.680
<v Speaker 1>me Am William Phelps and I Heart executive producer Christina Everett,

0:26:06.080 --> 0:26:10.360
<v Speaker 1>with script consultant Matthew Riddle, Audio editing and mixing by

0:26:10.400 --> 0:26:14.119
<v Speaker 1>a Booze Afar thanks to Will Pearson at I Heart Radio.

0:26:14.920 --> 0:26:18.600
<v Speaker 1>Series Theme number four four two is written and performed

0:26:18.640 --> 0:26:22.360
<v Speaker 1>by Thomas Phelps and Tom Mooney. For more podcasts from

0:26:22.359 --> 0:26:26.400
<v Speaker 1>My Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts,

0:26:26.680 --> 0:26:28.879
<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.