Ronald Lee Haskell
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Ronald Lee Haskell (born 26 August 1980) is an American convict responsible for the 2014 Harris County shooting, during which six members of his ex-wife's family were killed.
Biography edit
Haskell was born in San Marcos, California, on 26 August 1980. He worked as a FedEx delivery driver until January 2014, when he quit his job a few months before the shooting.
On 15 March 2002, Haskell married Melannie Lyon. In 2008 she filed charges against him for domestic assault after he beat her and dragged her around by the hair. Haskell was arrested, but was released on a plea deal. Lyon eventually divorced Haskell on 14 February 2014 and filed a restraining order against him, gaining custody of his four stepchildren.
A week before the shooting, Haskell's mother attempted to file a restraining order against him after he tied her to a chair and threatened to kill her for remaining in contact with the Lyons family. San Marcos police attempted to arrest Haskell but were unable to find him as he had gone to Harris County, Texas. They would later learn he was in jail in Texas after the shooting.
Harris County shooting edit
On 9 July 2014, Haskell arrived at 711 Leaflet Lane, the residence of his ex-sister-in-law Katie Stay, dressed in his old FedEx uniform. The door was answered by one of Haskell's former nieces, who didn't recognise him and told him her parents weren't home. When Haskell told her who he was, she tried to close the door but Haskell forced his way in and tied her up. Haskell did the same to the other four children and, when they returned, the parents. When they all refused to tell him where Melannie Lyon was, he shot all seven of them execution-style, although one, Cassidy Stay, survived and played dead.
After Haskell left, Cassidy Stay called the police, telling them that she believed Haskell would go to look for his ex-wife at her grandparent's house next. Police reached the house and confronted Haskell, leading to a twenty-minute chase until Haskell was cornered in a cul-de-sac. Upon being cornered, Haskell put a gun to his head but was talked down and surrendered after three hours.
Trial edit
Haskell was charged with six counts of capital murder. In court, he fainted after the charges against him were read out and had to be removed from the courtroom in a wheelchair. Due to his apparent poor health, his trial was repeatedly delayed. He was eventually convicted on all counts on 26 September 2019 and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He is currently awaiting execution at Allan B. Polunsky prison.