Ronald Ray Howard
Encyclopedia
Ronald Ray Howard was a convicted murder
er executed by lethal injection
by the U.S. state
of Texas
. He was convicted of the shooting death of Texas Department of Public Safety
Trooper
Bill Davidson after Howard was stopped driving a stolen car on April 11, 1992.
Davidson had stopped Howard, originally from the South Park area of Houston, Texas
, on U.S. Highway 59 about 5 miles (8 km) south of Edna, Texas
in a 1986 GMC Jimmy, as his vehicle had a broken headlight. When Davidson approached the driver-side window of the car, he was shot in the neck. Howard drove off but was apprehended later in the night, with a 9 mm pistol
. The car was later found to be stolen. Three days later, Davidson died of his injuries. Drug tests showed that Howard had cocaine
and cannabis
in his system at the time of the murder.
Howard also said that the rap music that he listened to had conditioned him to hate police officers. He had been listening to Tupac Shakur
's "Soulja's Story" when pulled over. The song talks about the harsh life of a thug and a young black male being pulled over by a police officer and then shooting him.
On June 8, 1993 he was convicted of capital murder and just over a month later sentenced to death. On December 18, 1996, however, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
overturned the sentence (but not the conviction) because a prospective juror
had been erroneously dismissed. The appeals court ordered a new punishment trial, which took place on January 26, 1999; the new trial again sentenced Howard to death. This new sentence was confirmed by the Court of Criminal Appeals on December 19, 2001. On March 30, 2005 after appealing to the Supreme Court of the United States
, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
and the District Court for the Southern District of Texas his execution date was set as October 6.
He was married with three daughters and one son. Born in Houston, Texas
, he dropped out of school in the 8th grade. He started, but never finished training in electrician, building maintenance, computer data entry, and heavy diesel mechanics. His prior criminal convictions were burglary of a motor vehicle (6-year probated sentence) and 45-day jail sentence for theft. When Davidson was shot Howard was on probation
.
According to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
, Howard continued to regret his actions and worked to stop at-risk youth following his lead. During his time on death row he also become a more educated Christian man.
When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, he looked at the family of Davidson and said:
He also told his family that he loved them all.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
er executed by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
by the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was convicted of the shooting death of Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation. The Public Safety Commission oversees the DPS. Its five members are appointed by the Governor of Texas and confirmed by the...
Trooper
State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
Bill Davidson after Howard was stopped driving a stolen car on April 11, 1992.
Davidson had stopped Howard, originally from the South Park area of Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, on U.S. Highway 59 about 5 miles (8 km) south of Edna, Texas
Edna, Texas
Edna is a city in Jackson County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,899 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County.Edna is the gateway to Lake Texana, which covers the site of Texana, Texas...
in a 1986 GMC Jimmy, as his vehicle had a broken headlight. When Davidson approached the driver-side window of the car, he was shot in the neck. Howard drove off but was apprehended later in the night, with a 9 mm pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
. The car was later found to be stolen. Three days later, Davidson died of his injuries. Drug tests showed that Howard had cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
in his system at the time of the murder.
Howard also said that the rap music that he listened to had conditioned him to hate police officers. He had been listening to Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
's "Soulja's Story" when pulled over. The song talks about the harsh life of a thug and a young black male being pulled over by a police officer and then shooting him.
On June 8, 1993 he was convicted of capital murder and just over a month later sentenced to death. On December 18, 1996, however, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges....
overturned the sentence (but not the conviction) because a prospective juror
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
had been erroneously dismissed. The appeals court ordered a new punishment trial, which took place on January 26, 1999; the new trial again sentenced Howard to death. This new sentence was confirmed by the Court of Criminal Appeals on December 19, 2001. On March 30, 2005 after appealing to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
and the District Court for the Southern District of Texas his execution date was set as October 6.
He was married with three daughters and one son. Born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, he dropped out of school in the 8th grade. He started, but never finished training in electrician, building maintenance, computer data entry, and heavy diesel mechanics. His prior criminal convictions were burglary of a motor vehicle (6-year probated sentence) and 45-day jail sentence for theft. When Davidson was shot Howard was on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
.
According to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is a large organization dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty in the United States...
, Howard continued to regret his actions and worked to stop at-risk youth following his lead. During his time on death row he also become a more educated Christian man.
When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, he looked at the family of Davidson and said:
- "I hope this helps a little. I don't know how, but I hope it helps."
He also told his family that he loved them all.
See also
- List of individuals executed in Texas
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...