Ronald Ray Phillips was born on October 10, 1973, in Bell County, Texas, the fifth of seven children born to William D. Phillips Sr. and Donna M. Phillips. Known by the childhood nickname "Bubby," Ronald’s early life was reportedly marked by extreme dysfunction, poverty, and abuse. By many accounts, Phillips grew up in a deeply troubled household where violence was a regular part of life.

As a child, Phillips allegedly endured repeated physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, primarily at the hands of his father, but also from a male cousin. His upbringing included exposure to mental illness within the family, as well as a lack of proper guidance or parental care. Testimony during later appeals claimed that Ronald was raped at age five, and that he witnessed frequent domestic violence between his parents. His schooling was erratic, and he dropped out before completing high school.

Medical and psychological evaluations presented during the appeals process described Phillips as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and developmental trauma. Despite this, the prosecution and jury in his trial determined that his actions were premeditated and deliberate, and that the abuse he experienced did not excuse the extreme cruelty of the crime he committed.

Before the crime, Phillips had no prior murder convictions but was involved in minor criminal activities. He was in a relationship with Fae Amanda Evans, a woman with a troubled background of her own. She was a mother to a young daughter named Sheila Marie Evans.

On January 18, 1993, Ronald Ray Phillips committed one of the most disturbing crimes in Ohio’s modern criminal history. The victim was three-year-old Sheila Marie Evans, the daughter of Phillips' then-girlfriend, Fae Amanda Evans. The murder took place at their Akron apartment, and what unfolded was a tragic case of child abuse that escalated into fatal violence.

According to court records, on the day of the murder, Fae Evans had been admitted to the hospital for surgery. Phillips was left alone to care for Sheila. While under his supervision, the child suffered brutal and repeated abuse. Phillips initially claimed that Sheila had fallen, but the autopsy revealed the horrifying extent of her injuries. Sheila had been punched, kicked, and slammed into walls and furniture. Her body was covered in bruises, and she had severe internal injuries, including liver damage and retinal hemorrhaging. She later died from a brain injury caused by blunt force trauma.

Beyond the physical abuse, Phillips eventually confessed during police interrogation that he had raped the child both vaginally and anally. However, during subsequent legal appeals, this detail became a point of contention. While Phillips' defense later claimed he admitted to rape only under duress, the prosecution maintained that the sexual assault was a core component of the case and central to the pursuit of capital punishment.

Ronald Ray Phillips was arrested shortly after the child’s death. He confessed to causing the fatal injuries during questioning and was charged with multiple counts, including aggravated murder, rape, and felonious assault. On November 1, 1993, Phillips was convicted of aggravated murder and other charges by a Summit County jury. He was sentenced to death shortly thereafter. The jury found several aggravating factors, including that the murder was committed during the course of a rape and that the victim was under the age of 13, which made him eligible for capital punishment under Ohio law.

Over the next two decades, Phillips remained on death row. His execution was postponed multiple times due to ongoing appeals and legal reviews. His legal team argued that his traumatic childhood and mental health issues should exempt him from the death penalty. In 2013, then-Governor John Kasich granted a temporary reprieve to allow Phillips to explore the possibility of donating his organs to ailing family members, a request that garnered national media attention but was ultimately denied.

Despite multiple legal challenges and a nationwide debate over Ohio’s use of lethal injection, Phillips’ execution was rescheduled. He was executed by lethal injection on July 26, 2017, at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. He was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m. at the age of 43. His final statement included an apology to the victim’s family and an acknowledgment of his crimes.