Published: October 30, 2009 08:59 am      

RONSON BUSH RECEIVES DEATH

Admitted murderer Ronson Kyle Bush received a death sentence on Thursday for killing his friend William Harrington.

Despite an unusually large crowd, there was virtual silence in the Grady County courtroom as District Judge Richard Van Dyck told the court that the state had met its burden of proof, sentencing Bush to die by lethal injection on Jan. 5, 2010.

Upon hearing the sentence, the Harrington family quietly rose and left the courtroom, leaving Bush’s family to grieve its loss.

“We had to put this in God’s hands, and He took care of it,” said Harrington’s mother Kathy Harrington after the verdict was read.



Both Families React

Bush’s ex-wife Kristin Renee Pickle sobbed openly as Ronson’s mother Tina Black held her in her arms. Other family members wept and hugged and tried to comfort one another.

While waiting for the judge to pronounce the sentence, Bush, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, shackled and handcuffed, wept silently while looking at his family.

“It’s a sad case for everyone involved,” said Grady County District Attorney Bret Burns. “Billy Harrington’s family lost a loved one and his daughter lost a father. We are glad this case is behind us; it has caused a lot of pain for the victim’s family.”

Burns said it was also a sad day for Ronson Bush’s family.

“But, to me, it was the only punishment that fit this situation,” Burns said. “The more I learned about Ronson Bush, the more I believed he deserved the ultimate punishment. He’s been in and out of our prisons for the last 10 years and has a pattern of manipulating everybody around him. He continues to commit crimes against the people who try to help him. Billy was his last friend. He was trying to help him - and his payment was death.”



Law Enforcement Effort

Burns said he is proud of the effort made by certain law enforcement officials.

“Cliff Walker of the Chickasha Police Department did an excellent job with Bush’s initial arrest and crime scene investigator Beth Green did a really thorough job,” Burns said. “ Assistant DA Leah Edwards really prepared and tried the case well.”

Burns also said he was impressed with Judge Van Dyck’s courage in the sentencing of the case.

“He conducted a firm but fair trial and he delivered the right verdict,” Burns said.

The week-long trial was an emotional roller coaster for both of the families involved and there were several altercations between families in the halls outside the courtroom, including rumors about someone having a gun in the courthouse.

As such, about 20 law enforcement officers lined the walls of the courtroom and surrounded Bush as the verdict was read.

Security was also beefed-up outside the courtroom as officers made sure those entering passed through a metal detector, a practice that had become somewhat lax in the preceding days of the trial.

Bush has the right to appeal the court’s decision.



What Happened

On Dec. 23, 2008, Bush shot Billy Harrington five times with a .357 Colt revolver as he sat in his recliner at his home. Harrington was able to walk outside into the freezing night, dressed only in shorts and a t-shirt, where Bush shot him again in the back. Then, though Harrington was still breathing, Bush tied a large rope to Harrington’s right ankle and dragged him with a pickup more than 200 yards into a pasture where he untied him and left him to die.

Bush then turned out the lights and locked the door of Harrington’s house, leaving the scene in Harrington’s truck.

Bush later spoke with Kathy Harrington several times, telling her Billy was busy and could not come to the phone. When she demanded to speak to her son, Bush made the chilling statement, “Billy can’t talk anymore.”