Ronald James Ward

Overview

Ronald James Ward Jr. (1966 – April 11, 2014) was an American serial killer whose gruesome crimes spanned multiple states, claiming the lives of at least three women and one man in a chilling spree throughout 2000. Initially convicted for the murder of Craig Petrich in Montana, Ward's fate took a darker turn when DNA evidence linked him to three additional murders in Arkansas and California. His life ended in the confines of Montana State Prison, where he died under mysterious circumstances in 2014.

Quick Facts

• Born: 1966, Hood River, Oregon, U.S.
• Died: April 11, 2014, (aged 47–48), Montana State Prison, Deer Lodge, Montana, U.S.
• Conviction: Murder
• Criminal Penalty: Life imprisonment
• Victims: 4+
• Span of Crimes: August – December 2000
• Country: United States
• States: Arkansas, Montana, California
• Date Apprehended: January 2001

Early Life

Ronald James Ward was born in Hood River, Oregon, but grew up in the tumultuous environment of Eugene and Springfield. His father, Ronald Sr., was an abusive womanizer who divorced his wife after infecting her with syphilis. This chaotic family background led to a childhood rife with instability; Ward claimed he had eight stepmothers and dropped out of school in the sixth grade. At 19, he married Donna, a woman with six children of her own.

While he showed kindness to his stepchildren, taking them on family outings—activities he had longed for as a child—Ward struggled with his own demons. His marriage faltered under the weight of his escalating drug use, leading to Donna's departure to Arkansas, severing ties with his stepchildren. Following a head injury from a fight in Oregon, Ward's drug addiction worsened, and he resorted to odd jobs as a truck driver, homebuilder, and commercial fisherman, the latter of which he enjoyed during fishing seasons in Alaska.

In 1999, while at the Poverello Center in Missoula, Montana, Ward met Hattie Ann Baker, a divorced woman with three children. Their relationship led them to West Virginia, where Ward took a job driving a garbage truck.

Murders

Kristin Laurite

The first victim, Kristin Laurite, a 25-year-old from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, was heading to Eureka, California, for a daycare job. On August 25, 2000, she stopped at a secluded rest area along Interstate 40 near Morrilton, Arkansas, to let her dogs play in a nearby pond. Tragically, Laurite vanished that day. The following morning, truckers found one of her dogs wandering and contacted Laurite's mother, Lynn DiBenedetto.

Authorities soon discovered Laurite's body behind the rest stop, revealing a horrific scene. She had been sexually assaulted and suffered at least ten stab wounds to her neck. Interestingly, just before this murder, Ward had found his girlfriend with another man, which ignited a violent spree fueled by a mix of moonshine, cocaine, and heroin. Stumbling upon Laurite, he unleashed his fury, beating, strangling, raping, and finally stabbing her to death.

Craig Petrich

After moving to Montana, Ward and Baker settled in an RV park in Hamilton. There, they crossed paths with 43-year-old Craig Sheldon Petrich, who was selling his motor home. In October, Petrich vanished without a trace. Two weeks later, his bullet-riddled body was discovered in the Soft Rock recreational area of the Sapphire Mountains.

Ward claimed that after a night of heavy drinking, Petrich had assaulted Baker. In a fit of rage, Ward purportedly shot Petrich with a gun acquired from a friend. However, investigators pieced together a different narrative, suggesting that the two men had left the RV park together, got into a fight, and Ward had ultimately beaten Petrich with a rock before shooting him three times in the chest and hiding his body.

Jackie Travis

Jackie Travis, a 49-year-old from Jonesboro, Arkansas, had just moved to Merced, California, after a spell of homelessness. It's suspected that she and Ward had some acquaintance from a local shelter. On December 7, 2000, Travis was found in her apartment, brutally beaten, raped, strangled, and mutilated in a manner reminiscent of Laurite's murder. The brutality of the crime showcased a disturbing pattern, raising alarms among investigators.

Shela Polly

Shela Polly, a 32-year-old homeless divorcee, had aspirations to become a nursing assistant and planned to return to Modesto, California, for shared custody with her ex-husband. Tragically, her life was cut short in December 2000. Details about her murder remain scant, but she, too, was beaten, stabbed, and sexually assaulted, with her body ultimately discarded and covered with leaves in Dry Creek, Modesto. Eyewitnesses reported seeing Polly with Ward shortly before her murder, further implicating him.

Investigation, Trial, and Death

After fleeing Montana, Ward was arrested three months later in Merced in connection with Polly's murder. Extradited back to Montana, he confessed to killing Petrich. However, it wasn't until 2007 that DNA evidence definitively linked him to Laurite's murder. Her family had tirelessly sought answers, even erecting a billboard pleading for information about Laurite's killer.

In a surprising turn, Ward chose to plead nolo contendere to Laurite's murder, acknowledging the DNA evidence but claiming no memory of the crime. This plea led to another life sentence. Subsequently, the same DNA linked him to the murders of Polly and Travis, aligning with his known modus operandi. Renowned FBI profiler John E. Douglas dismissed Ward's claims of being a nonviolent person, highlighting the common tendency among serial killers to deflect responsibility.

On April 11, 2014, Ronald James Ward was discovered unresponsive in his high-security cell. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death was not disclosed, but authorities confirmed that no foul play was suspected.

See Also

• List of serial killers in the United States

Sources

• Chandra Johnson (July 29, 2007). "California builds murder case against Montana killer Ronald James Ward." Missoulian.
• "Man convicted of killing Scotch Plains woman dies in Montana prison." Courier News. April 11, 2014.
• Jon Gambrell (June 12, 2007). "Man pleads no contest in 2000 rest-stop slaying." Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
• "Ronald James Ward." Billings Gazette. March 18, 2016.

Wikipedia article