Bio

Joseph Ray Ries was born on September 18, 1979, in Douglas, Oregon. He grew up in a difficult environment, as his mother struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism. Because of this, her parental rights were revoked twice when he was young. These issues led to him spending a significant portion of his childhood in foster care, moving between about twelve different homes. This instability often had a negative impact on his development and behavior.

As a teenager, Ries faced serious challenges, including physical and sexual abuse. His history includes troubled relationships with both peers and family members. Reports indicated he had difficulty controlling his impulses and occasionally displayed aggressive behavior. He was also known to have stolen several cars during his youth. This pattern of behavior foreshadowed the serious crimes he would later commit.

In the fall of 1998, Ries met Robert Ratliff, a 64-year-old man from Cumby, Texas. They developed a friendship, and shortly thereafter, Ries moved into Ratliff's home. However, their relationship soured after a dispute involving missing property, and Ratliff eventually evicted Ries from his house.

This marks a critical turning point in Ries's life. Feeling displaced and resentful, he turned to crime. In February 1999, just days after being evicted, Ries and a friend stole Ratliff's pickup truck. They drove it to San Antonio, Texas. When they realized that the truck had poor gas mileage, they decided to return to Cumby to steal Ratliff’s Lincoln Continental instead.

Murder Story

On February 22, 1999, Joseph Ray Ries and an accomplice named Christopher White broke into the home of Robert Ratliff in Cumby, Texas. At that time, Ratliff was 64 years old and was asleep in his bedroom. Before entering the house, Ries and White had stolen Ratliff's pickup truck a few days earlier. They were unhappy with the truck's fuel efficiency and planned to steal Ratliff's Lincoln Continental instead.

Ries and White arrived at Ratliff's house when he was not home. They broke in and took some items, including two rifles. Later, they drove the stolen truck into a pond to dispose of it and waited for Ratliff to return. When Ratliff came home and went to bed, Ries and White entered his house again. Ries snuck into Ratliff’s bedroom and stole his wallet and car keys.

As Ratliff slept, Ries first shot him in the back, which woke him up. He then shot Ratliff in the back of the neck before firing one last shot behind his ear, killing him. After the murder, Ries and White took the Lincoln Continental and drove away.

Four days later, they were arrested in Lawton, Oklahoma while driving the victim's car. During a videotaped confession, Ries admitted to the robbery and murder. As a result, he was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. His accomplice, White, was convicted separately and sentenced to life in prison.

Ries was executed by lethal injection on October 21, 2008, after several appeals were denied.