Bio

Ronald John Michael Straight was born in 1943. As he grew up, Ronald became involved in a number of criminal activities. His life took a significant turn when he started to get into legal trouble as a teenager and into his early adult years.

Throughout his youth, Straight had several run-ins with the law. He began accumulating a criminal record that would follow him into adulthood. By the age of 33, he had been convicted of multiple offenses. This led to being incarcerated for some of his crimes, and he spent time in prison for various charges, including robbery and drug-related offenses.

In July 1976, Ronald received parole from the Florida Parole and Probation Commission. Shortly after his release, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he lived with Timothy Palmes and Jane Albert, along with Albert's seven-year-old daughter. During this time, Straight and his companions attempted to capitalize on other peoples' debts, but they faced rejection from local businessman James N. Stone.

Despite some job offers and additional support from Stone, tension arose between Straight, Palmes, and Stone. Straight's relationship with Stone became increasingly hostile after a failed business proposal. He felt dismissed and insulted, which further fed into the mounting conflict.

Murder Story

On October 4, 1976, Ronald John Michael Straight and his accomplice, Timothy Palmes, murdered James N. Stone, who was a furniture store owner in Jacksonville, Florida. The murder stemmed from a plot that involved robbery and violence against a business associate.

Straight and Palmes had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to collect debts owed to Stone, which he had rejected due to their threats of violence. After deciding to kill him, they bought materials to construct a heavy coffin. On the day of the murder, Jane Albert, an associate of Straight, lured Stone to her apartment.

Once inside, Stone was attacked. Straight and Palmes used a hammer to injure him, then bound his hands and feet. They proceeded to torture him for about thirty minutes, during which time he begged for his life. Eventually, they stabbed him eighteen times with a machete and butcher knife, leading to his death.

After the murder, they stole valuables from Stone, including his watch, money, and car. They placed his body in the coffin and disposed of it in the St. Johns River. Straight and his associates fled to California, where they were apprehended by the police after Straight resisted arrest and fired a weapon at officers.

In the legal proceedings that followed, both Straight and Palmes were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Straight’s execution by electrocution took place on May 20, 1986.