Ron Williamson
- March 10, 2024
- Baseball Player
Quick Facts
| Date Of Birth | Feb 3, 1953(1953-02-03) |
| Age | 71 |
| Date Of Death | December 4, 2004, Broken Arrow, OK |
| Country | United States |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
Ron Williamson Biography
| Birthday | Feb 3 |
| Birth Year | 1953 |
| Place Of Birth | Michigan |
Ron Williamson is one of the most popular and richest Baseball Player who was born on February 3, 1953 in Ada, Oklahoma, United States. As of June 1, 2023, Ron Williamson has a net worth approximately $5 Million. After their sentencing, a confession by a man named Ricky Jo Simmons came to light. Having learned of this while on death row, Williamson became increasingly convinced that Simmons had committed the murder and repeatedly demanded his arrest. Simmons was never charged. At one time on September 22, 1994, Williamson was only five days away from being executed when the execution was stayed by the court following a habeas corpus petition. At the time, Williamson screamed “I’m innocent! I’m innocent! I’m innocent!” from his cell to protest his impending execution.
Ronald Keith Williamson (February 3, 1953 – December 4, 2004) was a former minor league baseball catcher/pitcher who was one of two men wrongly convicted in 1988 in Oklahoma for the rape and murder of Debra Sue “Debbie” Carter. His friend Dennis Fritz was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Williamson was sentenced to death. Both were released 11 years later when DNA evidence proved their innocence. Their story became the subject of bestselling author John Grisham’s first nonfiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, and the adapted Netflix docu-series of the same name.
Born and raised in Ada, Oklahoma, Williamson was the youngest of three children and the only son. He was a standout athlete even when very young and excelled in several sports, although his primary interest was baseball. He played baseball at Asher High School, as his parents moved there so that he could play under the school’s legendary coach, Murl Bowen. After hitting .500 in the state championships his senior year, he was the 41st pick in baseball’s 1971 amateur draft, a second-round selection by the Oakland Athletics. Forgoing a scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma, Williamson signed and spent the 1972 season primarily with the Coos Bay-North Bend A’s, hitting .265 in 52 games. In 1973, he hit .137 for the Key West Conchs with 13 runs produced in 59 games. A shoulder injury derailed his career for the next few years. Williamson’s father, through a childhood friendship with former major league pitcher Harry Brecheen, got him a look with the New York Yankees, where he was converted to a pitcher in their minor league system for parts of 1976 and 1977, but recurring shoulder problems limited his appearances and effectiveness. In his last season, he pitched in 14 games, working 33 innings. At the age of 24 his once-promising baseball career was over.
On December 8, 1982, Debbie “Debbie Sue” Carter, after visiting the Coachlight, an Ada bar Williamson frequently visited, was found raped and murdered. Williamson and friend Dennis Fritz were arrested five years later on flimsy testimony. In separate trials, both Fritz and then Williamson were found guilty in 1988. Williamson received a death sentence, while Fritz was sentenced to life without parole.
Ron Williamson Net Worth
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Source Of Income | Baseball Player |
| House | Living in own house. |
Ron Williamson is one of the richest Baseball Player from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Ron Williamson 's net worth $5 Million.
Height, Weight & Body Measurements
Ron Williamson height Not available right now. weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.
Ron Williamson Wife
According to our records, Ron Williamson married to Patty O’Brien. As of January 12, 2023, Ron Williamson’s is not dating anyone.
Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Ron Williamson. You may help us to build the dating records for Ron Williamson!
Facts & Trivia
Ranked on the list of most popular Baseball Player. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Ron Williamson celebrates birthday on February 3 of every year.
Did Ron Williamson get compensated?
In 2003, they sued the City of Ada and won a settlement of $500,000 ; the State of Oklahoma also settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Many of the residents of Ada continued to believe that Williamson and Fritz were guilty long after they were exonerated.
What happened to Ron Williamson?
Life after Exoneration Sadly, on December 4, 2004, Williamson died in an Oklahoma nursing home , surrounded by his family. He had recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. He was 51 years old.
Where is Dennis Fritz today?
Dennis Fritz, along with co-defendant Ron Williamson, was convicted in 1988, in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, of the murder of Debra Sue Carter. Her body had been found six years earlier. Fritz was sentenced to life in prison.
Did Ron Williamson have schizophrenia?
Williamson had once been a local hero as a baseball player in the US minor leagues, but a shoulder injury had ended his career and seen him return to his hometown at the age of 25. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe depression and schizophrenia , and self-medicated with drugs and alcohol.
How much did Dennis Fritz get?
Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson were exonerated and released in April 1999. Williamson had, at one point, come within five days of execution. The two had been wrongfully incarcerated, respectively, for eleven years. Fritz and Williams later filed a lawsuit and each received $500,000 from the City of Ada.