On a tragic January morning in 1993, the life of 40-year-old Coy M. White was violently cut short in his Chatham, Virginia, home. The ordeal began around 6:00 a.m. on January 29th, when an acquaintance named Ronald Lee Fitzgerald broke into the White residence. Fitzgerald, armed with a gun, first confronted White's 13-year-old daughter, Claudia.
When Coy White returned home, he was met by a horrific scene. A confrontation ensued, and Fitzgerald shot White in the neck, which severed his spinal cord and resulted in his immediate death. Following the murder, Fitzgerald forced Claudia to get her father's wallet and car keys. He then abducted the young girl, drove her to a remote area, and after assaulting her, locked her in the trunk of the car. Miraculously, she was later able to escape.
Fitzgerald's violent spree did not end with the murder of Coy White. On the same day, he also murdered a taxi driver named Hugh E. Morrison and committed other acts of abduction and rape. His reign of terror was brought to an end when he was apprehended by law enforcement.
Ronald Lee Fitzgerald was indicted on a multitude of charges, including the capital murder of Coy M. White during the commission of a robbery, robbery itself, breaking and entering, and abduction. After a trial, he was found guilty of these charges. The jury, considering the heinous nature of his crimes and the future danger he posed to the community, recommended the death penalty. After his appeals were exhausted, Ronald Lee Fitzgerald was executed for his crimes, bringing a final, somber chapter to the brutal and senseless death of Coy White.
