Post by CCADP on Apr 9, 2006 8:12:13 GMT -5
Murder convict won't cooperate in Arlington cases
An Arkansas inmate thought to be involved in the unsolved murder of 2
Arlington-area women two decades ago has refused to meet with Tarrant
County authorities, lessening the chances the cases will ever be solved.
Tarrant County investigators traveled to Arkansas in February to talk with
convict Michael Ronning about the murders of Annette Melia, 20, of
Arlington, and Melissa Jackson, 16, of Grand Prairie in the 1980s. But
Ronning, in prison for the capital murder of a 19-year-old Jonesboro,
Ark., woman, refused to cooperate, said Tarrant County prosecutor Alan
Levy.
"We wanted to see if he would talk to us, and he wouldn't sit down for an
interview," Levy said. "It's pretty obvious he's not going to cooperate."
Authorities decided to try to talk to Ronning after an NBC Dateline
producer wrote to Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush last November
saying he could get confessions from Ronning on several unsolved killings
in their states if both governors agreed to waive the death penalty in
those cases.
Producer Shane Bishop believes that Ronning killed Melia and Jackson,
according to an Austin American-Statesman story last year. Ronning was the
subject of a Dateline broadcast in 2002 during which he refused to answer
questions about the two Texas killings.
Levy said that he has contacted NBC officials to request an interview with
Bishop.
"Since there are no other witnesses or forensic evidence linking him to
the crimes, were looking at what we can get from the reporter," Levy said.
"He's serving life and there are no statute of limitations for murder, so
we have plenty of time."
Relatives of both women have said they believe Ronning is the killer.
Leslie "Bubba" Jackson, brother of Melissa Jackson, said Wednesday that he
didn't expect Ronning to cooperate.
"That's just the type of guy he is," Jackson said. "Why would someone, who
has done the things he's done, want to do right? But that's OK. He'll get
his in the end."
Ronning was convicted in August 1986 of capital murder for killing a
19-year-old Jonesboro, Ark., woman who was abducted, stabbed and found
under trash in a ditch, the Austin American-Statesman reported. By 2001,
investigators in Florida and Michigan had connected Ronning's DNA with
unsolved killings in their states, the Statesman reported.
(source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
An Arkansas inmate thought to be involved in the unsolved murder of 2
Arlington-area women two decades ago has refused to meet with Tarrant
County authorities, lessening the chances the cases will ever be solved.
Tarrant County investigators traveled to Arkansas in February to talk with
convict Michael Ronning about the murders of Annette Melia, 20, of
Arlington, and Melissa Jackson, 16, of Grand Prairie in the 1980s. But
Ronning, in prison for the capital murder of a 19-year-old Jonesboro,
Ark., woman, refused to cooperate, said Tarrant County prosecutor Alan
Levy.
"We wanted to see if he would talk to us, and he wouldn't sit down for an
interview," Levy said. "It's pretty obvious he's not going to cooperate."
Authorities decided to try to talk to Ronning after an NBC Dateline
producer wrote to Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush last November
saying he could get confessions from Ronning on several unsolved killings
in their states if both governors agreed to waive the death penalty in
those cases.
Producer Shane Bishop believes that Ronning killed Melia and Jackson,
according to an Austin American-Statesman story last year. Ronning was the
subject of a Dateline broadcast in 2002 during which he refused to answer
questions about the two Texas killings.
Levy said that he has contacted NBC officials to request an interview with
Bishop.
"Since there are no other witnesses or forensic evidence linking him to
the crimes, were looking at what we can get from the reporter," Levy said.
"He's serving life and there are no statute of limitations for murder, so
we have plenty of time."
Relatives of both women have said they believe Ronning is the killer.
Leslie "Bubba" Jackson, brother of Melissa Jackson, said Wednesday that he
didn't expect Ronning to cooperate.
"That's just the type of guy he is," Jackson said. "Why would someone, who
has done the things he's done, want to do right? But that's OK. He'll get
his in the end."
Ronning was convicted in August 1986 of capital murder for killing a
19-year-old Jonesboro, Ark., woman who was abducted, stabbed and found
under trash in a ditch, the Austin American-Statesman reported. By 2001,
investigators in Florida and Michigan had connected Ronning's DNA with
unsolved killings in their states, the Statesman reported.
(source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram)