Ronald Ward

Serial Killer

Ronald James Ward: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life

Ronald James Ward Jr. was born in 1966 in Hood River, Oregon, and was raised in the areas of Eugene and Springfield. His upbringing was tumultuous; his father, Ronald Sr., was described as an abusive womanizer who divorced Ward's mother after infecting her with syphilis. Ward claimed to have had eight stepmothers during his childhood and dropped out of school in the sixth grade. At 19, he married a woman named Donna, who had six children. He took on various jobs, including truck driving, homebuilding, and commercial fishing. However, his marriage deteriorated, and Donna eventually moved to Arkansas, taking her children with her, leading Ward to lose contact with his stepchildren. His drug habits further destabilized his life, making it difficult for him to maintain steady employment.

Confirmed Victims

• Kristin Laurite
  • Age: 25
  • Date of Murder: August 25, 2000
  • Location: Near a rest stop along Interstate 40, outside Morrilton, Arkansas
  • Details: Laurite, from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, was en route to Eureka, California, for a daycare job. She stopped at a secluded rest area to refresh herself and let her two dogs play. The next day, truckers found one of her dogs loose and contacted Laurite's mother. The dogs led authorities to Laurite's body, which had been sexually assaulted and stabbed at least ten times in the neck. Ward, intoxicated with moonshine, cocaine, and heroin, encountered Laurite at the rest stop and committed the crime.
• Craig Petrich
  • Age: 43
  • Date of Murder: October 2000
  • Location: Sapphire Mountains, Montana
  • Details: Petrich was selling his motor home when he met Ward at an RV park in Hamilton, Montana. Shortly after, Petrich disappeared. Two weeks later, his bullet-riddled body was found in the Soft Rock recreational area. Ward claimed that after a night of drinking, Petrich assaulted Ward's girlfriend, Hattie Ann Baker, prompting Ward to shoot him. Authorities believed Ward and Petrich had gone to the mountains together, where Ward beat Petrich with a rock before shooting him three times in the chest and hiding the body in a rock crevice.
• Jackie Travis
  • Age: 49
  • Date of Murder: December 7, 2000
  • Location: Merced, California
  • Details: Travis, originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, had a prosthetic leg due to a car accident and had recently moved to Merced after a period of homelessness. She and Ward likely met at a local homeless shelter. Less than a month later, Travis was found in her apartment, having been beaten, raped, strangled, burned, stabbed, and sexually assaulted. The crime bore similarities to other murders linked to Ward.
• Shela Polly
  • Age: 32
  • Date of Murder: December 2000
  • Location: Modesto, California
  • Details: Polly, a homeless divorcee with three children, was in Las Vegas taking exams to become a nursing assistant. She planned to return to Modesto to share custody with her ex-husband. Her body was found beaten, stabbed, and sexually assaulted, covered with leaves in Modesto's Dry Creek. Witnesses reported seeing Polly with Ward shortly before her murder.

Investigation, Trial, and Death

After fleeing Montana, Ward was arrested three months later in Merced, California, in connection with Polly's murder. He was extradited back to Montana and confessed to Petrich's murder. In 2007, DNA evidence linked Ward to Laurite's killing. He pleaded nolo contendere in Arkansas for Laurite's murder, citing the DNA evidence as conclusive proof. Subsequently, DNA evidence connected him to the murders of Polly and Travis in California. Authorities believe these were not Ward's only murders, given his extensive travel across the country. On April 11, 2014, Ward was found unresponsive in his high-security cell at Montana State Prison and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The exact cause of death was not disclosed, but no foul play was suspected. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Kristin Laurite Age: (25), Date of Death: 2000-08-25

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Ronald James Ward - Wikipedia

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