Bio

Earl Ringo Jr. was born on November 29, 1973. He grew up in Columbia, Missouri. Not much is known about his early childhood, but it was reported that he had a difficult upbringing. His family life was troubled, and he faced various challenges during his formative years.

Ringo later attended school in Columbia. It is unclear how well he did in his studies, but he eventually dropped out. After leaving school, he worked various jobs, including at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. This restaurant would later play a significant role in his life for reasons that would change everything.

In 1998, Earl rented a U-Haul truck with a friend named Quentin Jones. The two were preparing to move Ringo's belongings from Columbia to Jeffersonville, Indiana. While they were packing, Ringo developed a plan to rob the Ruby Tuesday restaurant where he had once worked. He believed that they could easily gain entry by pretending to be employees.

On the night before the planned robbery, Ringo did not sleep. Instead, he stayed awake, preparing a firearm and thinking through the details of his plan. This planning would eventually lead to a violent crime that changed his life and the lives of others forever.

After their arrival in Columbia, Ringo and Jones went back to the restaurant to execute their plan. They waited for an employee to arrive and then took actions that would lead to significant legal consequences for them both. Ultimately, Ringo's life took a drastic turn, leading to events that would end in his conviction and death sentence years later.

Murder Story

On July 3, 1998, Earl Ringo Jr. and his accomplice, Quentin Jones, traveled to Columbia, Missouri, in a rented U-Haul truck. Ringo had a plan to rob the Ruby Tuesday restaurant where he had previously worked. He figured they could wear Ruby Tuesday T-shirts to trick the manager into letting them inside early in the morning when it would be less busy. They believed they could access cash from a safe.

On July 4, just before dawn, Ringo and Jones hid behind a grease pit at the back of the restaurant. At 5:55 a.m., delivery driver Dennis Poyser arrived. Ringo and Jones put on ski masks and waited for Poyser and manager trainee Joanna Baysinger to enter the restaurant. Upon entering, Ringo followed them inside and shot Poyser at close range, killing him instantly. He then ordered Baysinger to open the safe.

After some difficulty, Baysinger managed to pull out $1,400 in cash and handed it over to Ringo. Ringo then gave the gun to Jones and instructed him to keep Baysinger under control. Jones, who was conflicted and hesitant, held the gun on Baysinger for a minute and a half before ultimately shooting her in the head.

Authorities began investigating the scene, using information from restaurant workers and other witnesses. They found evidence, including a blue ski mask and a gun receipt, at the home of Ringo's mother. Ringo was arrested nine days after the robbery in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Jones turned himself in the same day. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and testified against Ringo in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

During the trial, Ringo initially denied being involved in the robbery but later admitted to the robbery itself, claiming that the shootings were in self-defense. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. On July 26, 1999, he was sentenced to death.

Following the legal proceedings, Ringo’s execution occurred on September 10, 2014. He was executed by lethal injection in Missouri after many years of appeals, which did not succeed in overturning his death sentences. Ringo declined a final meal and instead ate the standard meal provided to inmates. His last words included a quote from the Quran, expressing his hopes for righteousness in the afterlife.