HOLMAN, Ronald E. ‘Ronnie’

Ronald E. ‘Ronnie’ Holman

Birth: October 21, 1957
Death: July 29, 2003

Obituary

HOLMAN, Mr. Ronnie, 45, a resident of Titus, AL, died Tuesday, July 29, 2003. Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 2, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. from the First Baptist Church, Wetumpka, AL with Rev. Marvin En-nis, Rev. Cliff Cobb, Rev. Jerald G. Wood and Rev. Steve Funderburk officiating. Interment will follow in the Providence United Methodist Church Cemetery in Titus, AL with Ellison Funeral Home Directing.

Mr. Holman is survived by his wife, Kathy Ray Holman, Titus, AL; one son, Brian Scott Holman, Wetumpka, AL; two daughters, Brandy Leigh Holman, Titus, AL and Jessica Bennett, Dothan, AL; parents, Pete and Betty Holman, Titus, AL; grandmother, Mary Lloyd Holman, Elmore, AL; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jack and Louise Ray, Wetumpka, AL; one brother and sister-in-law, Wesley Allen and Melissa Lynn Holman, Titus, AL; one sister and brother-in-law, Donna Holman and Randy Bush, Wetumpka, AL; two grand-children, Justin Blake Pittman and Hunter Charles Chappell and five nieces.

Active Pallbearers will be Furlow Lee, Roger Lashley, Johnny Lawson, Brian Holman, Rex Glenn, Larry Ray, John O’Barr and Ken Leach. Honorary Pallbearers will be his many friends and extended family. Flowers will accepted or donations may be made to the Providence UMC Perpetual Ceme-tery Fund c/o Dee Dee Bailey, 1900 Providence Road, Titus, AL, 36080. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday at the Ellison Funeral Home.

Criminal Details

WSFA.com
Published: Aug. 11, 2003 at 10:55 PM CDT|Updated: Aug. 11, 2003 at 11:11 PM CDT

Two Brothers Arrested For Elmore County Murder

Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin filed murder charges against two brothers Monday in a case he called one of the strangest he’s ever seen. The murder of Ronnie Holman was apparently part of a week-long crime spree that included vandalism, purse snatching and a wild police chase.

Bill Franklin and Prosecutor Randall Houston already had the two brothers in jail. It was information that came in later that made the murder case possible. Both men were known to police and people in Elmore County. In fact, corrections officials had just released 22-year-old Jason Murphy from jail a few days before he apparently led his little brother on a series of crimes. Officers say Jason and Jared Murphy began their spree by vandalizing some Elmore county cars, and from there, it appears things got much worse.

On Tuesday, July 29th, Sheriffs deputies were called to Ronnie Holman’s house. Holman was gunned down in his front yard. They say whoever did it was looking for money. The next day, the Murphy brothers were accused of a purse snatching here that led Montgomery officers on a high speed chase. It ended at the Kowliga Bridge near Lake Martin.

The murder charges were filed early Monday afternoon, after a tip to the sheriff’s department. A quick check of the Murphy brothers police record shows Jason Murphy has a very violent past: arrested for rape, assault, reckless endangerment, domestic violence and drug use. Jared Murphy is also known to police but mostly for traffic offenses. Now, they both face the death penalty. Prosecutors say the brothers will face a judge on the murder charges in the next couple of days and a grand jury later on.

Source: View WSFA.com Article

Criminal Details

WSFA.com
Published: Jan. 25, 2010 at 10:19 PM CST|Updated: Jan. 26, 2010 at 5:49 PM CST

Jason Murphy sentenced to 35 years for murder

Posted by: Mario Hendricks  | Updated by: Cody Holyoke

WETUMPKA, AL (WSFA) – Convicted murderer Jason Murphy has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Murphy was found guilty last October of the 2003 death of Ronnie Holman in Elmore County.

Two previous trials ended with hung juries. Holman’s family requested the judge hand down a 99 year sentence, the maximum allowed by law.

Murphy’s family and attorneys say they’re ready for an appeal.

“There’s not enough evidence he did it. There’s no evidence at all,” said Krista Morse, Murphy’s sister.

“The way the system’s set up, they can keep coming back, time and time again until they get the result that they want. And that’s what happened here,” explained defense attorney Don Jones.

Meanwhile, disappointed members of the Holman family–and prosecutors–prepare for the road ahead.

“What the defense counsel likes to forget is that during those previous juries–they didn’t acquit him,” explained Assistant Attorney General Pamela Casey.

“It’s turmoil all the time because there’s no closure to it. It’s just something going all the time,” said Pete Holman, the victim’s father.

Jason Murphy will be back in court on February 10th to ask for a fourth trial.

His brother, Jared, is still waiting to stand trial in connection with Holman’s murder. He’ll face a judge in August.

Source: View WSFA.com Article

Criminal Details

AL.com
Updated: Jan. 14, 2019, 6:02 p.m. | Published: Aug. 19, 2010, 6:23 p.m.

Wetumpka man sentenced to 28 years in 2003 killing of Elmore County businessman

By 

WETUMPKA — A Wetumpka man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in the killing of a prominent Elmore County businessman who was shot to death when he went outside his home to investigate why his dogs were barking.

Elmore County Circuit Court Judge Sibley Reynolds sentenced Jared Murphy, 24, who had pleaded guilty to felony murder in the 2003 killing of Ronnie Holman. His brother, Jason Murphy, 22 at the time of the killing, was sentenced to 35 years after his conviction in January.

The 28 years matched what prosecutors asked for under the plea agreement with Jared Murphy.

“We wanted life in prison or the electric chair,” said Holman’s father, Pete Holman. “Justice will never be served in this case because my son is dead and they are still alive.”

Investigators say Jared Murphy and his brother Jason, then 22, hid behind trees as Holman emerged from the house when his dogs started barking. According to prosecutors, Jason Murphy shot Holman while Jared Murphy was a few feet away behind another tree, then both went inside and stole money.

“They ambushed him down like a wild animal,” the victim’s wife, Kathy Holman, said at sentencing Wednesday.

“Ronnie was the love of my life,” she told the court as she fought back tears. “Ronnie had a strong hold on the family. He was what kept us together. Our family has had so much torn away.”

She said they would have been married 34 years this year.

Jason Murphy’s trial was moved to Chilton County because of pretrial publicity. Charged with capital murder, he was convicted of the lesser offense of felony murder at his third trial. The first two ended in mistrials when the jury could not reach a verdict.

Source: View AL.com Article