Bio

Ronnie Joe Neal was born on January 18, 1971, in Wichita, Texas. Neal was involved in several crimes which led him to serve time in prison. At one point, he was in Rusk County jail awaiting trial for forgery and burglary. In June 1998, he was caught with a concealed weapon while in jail. He pleaded guilty to this charge.

Neal was indicted on other charges during his time in jail. By November 2000, he was released after a court of appeals dismissed some of the charges against him. Despite this, he continued to have legal troubles.

Before his most serious crime, Neal worked various jobs. He was a welder, a forklift operator, and a laborer. Throughout his life, he experienced many ups and downs, including multiple prison sentences for robbery, burglary, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Murder Story

On November 22, 2004, in Bexar County, Texas, Ronnie Joe Neal and his daughter, Pearl Ann Cruz, arrived at the home of Diane Allison Tilly. Pearl, an acquaintance of Diane, came to the door claiming she needed help with her car. Diane let her inside, thinking she was just being kind. However, once inside, both Neal and Cruz forced Diane to have sexual intercourse.

After the assault, they took Diane to a vehicle, where they shot her multiple times. They then stole her belongings, including her ATM card, before leaving the scene. Later, Diane's car was found burned near Cibolo Creek.

Diane was reported missing the day after the murder when she did not show up for work. Two days later, both Neal and Cruz were arrested at a motel in San Antonio. They had items belonging to Diane in their possession at the time of their arrest.

Diane's body was discovered under a pile of brush in a rural area of Bexar County shortly after. Pearl Cruz testified against her father in exchange for a plea deal that reduced her potential prison time. She admitted to being present during the abduction, rape, and murder of Diane.

Ronnie Joe Neal was indicted on capital murder charges. He went through several legal proceedings, during which his defense argued for his mental competency. However, a jury found him guilty of capital murder.

On May 4, 2006, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection for his role in the crime. His daughter, Pearl, received a 30-year sentence for her involvement. Neal's attempts to appeal his conviction were unsuccessful, and he remains on death row. Neal died in his death row cell on June 12, 2010, while awaiting execution for the murder of Diane Tilly, after an overdose of prescription antidepressants.