Bio

Kenneth Ray Ransom was born on May 15, 1963, in Texas. He was one of six boys in his family, raised by a single mother. Kenneth's early life was troubled. His family faced many challenges, and he and his siblings were placed in foster care at different times due to issues related to neglect and abuse.

As a child, Kenneth experienced physical and emotional hardships. Reports indicated that he had scars from physical discipline, confirming a difficult childhood. In 1973, he was removed from his mother's care and placed in a foster home. He moved back and forth between his mother and foster care during his early years.

Kenneth did well in school when prompted, showing he had the potential for academic success. However, he also began to have trouble with the law at a young age. By the time he was a teenager, he had been arrested multiple times for shoplifting and other offenses. This pattern of behavior continued to develop as he grew older.

In 1981, he ran away from a foster home. After several issues with the law, Kenneth's life increasingly took a downward turn. By 1983, he was living with his girlfriend and was involved in criminal activities. At 20 years old, he had a history of minor crimes including burglary and auto theft.

Kenneth's life before his arrest in 1983 was marked by instability and difficulty. 

Murder Story

On July 1, 1983, Kenneth Ray Ransom and his accomplices, Richard Wilkerson and James Edward Randle, entered the Malibu Grand Prix arcade in Houston, Texas, during closing hours. Wilkerson, who had been fired from his job at the arcade two weeks earlier, sought to retrieve his final paycheck. The three men, however, had different intentions that night.

They carried knives with them into the arcade. Once inside, they forced four employees into the bathroom: Anil Varughese, Rod Harris, Arnold Pequeno, and his brother Joerene Pequeno. In the bathroom, the attackers executed their plan by pulling each victim out of the stalls and stabbing them repeatedly. The violence was extreme, with victims suffering multiple stab wounds to their bodies. Ransom and his accomplices committed these acts in an attempt to cover their crime, as they did not want the employees to witness what they were doing.

Following the brutal stabbings, Wilkerson made Varughese open a safe, revealing approximately $1,300, which they took with them. After the murders, the victims were found the next morning by a female employee and a delivery man, leading the police to start their investigation.

Wilkerson and Randle were swiftly arrested the same day, as they both confessed to participating in the murders. Ransom, however, initially remained free. Four days later, on July 5, he turned himself in to the police, accompanied by his family. At that time, Ransom wore items belonging to one of the victims, including a class ring and a watch.

Ransom's trial began in 1984, where he offered a defense claiming he was unaware of the plan to rob and kill the employees. He testified that he was playing a video game when the violence erupted. He stated he attempted to intervene and was threatened by his accomplices. Despite his claims, the jury found him guilty of capital murder for his role in the event, particularly the murder of Arnold Pequeno.

Ransom's conviction was upheld through several appeals, but all were denied. He faced execution on October 28, 1997, after spending over a decade on death row. Just before his execution, Ransom maintained his innocence, asserting that he felt sorry for the victims’ families but insisted he did not commit the crimes. He was executed by lethal injection that evening. His final moments were marked by a prayer and an apology to the victims’ families. Ransom was pronounced dead shortly after the lethal drugs were administered.