Chapter 7
Death Row: Living in Hell's Waiting Room
On April 29, 1988, Ron Williamson arrived at McAlester prison's F Cellhouse, known as "The Row." His cell measured sixteen feet long, seven feet wide, and eight feet high, with black and white linoleum tiles and smooth white walls. It contained metal bunk beds, a desk bolted to concrete, a stainless-steel toilet/sink combo, a mirror, metal bookcases, and one light bulb. Unlike the Ada jail, it had a window that provided light but no view.
Fear permeated everything-fear of the future, fear of never seeing freedom again, fear of being attacked by nearby killers. Ron appreciated the privacy of being single-celled, staying away from his door to escape the constant noise of chatter, television, and radios. He slept, read books, and smoked, surrounded by the thick tobacco fog that hung over the run. The monotony was crushing with no daily schedule and little to anticipate except meals.
Meals were the highlight of death row existence-breakfast at seven (scrambled eggs, grits, bacon, toast, and weak coffee), lunch of sandwiches and beans, and dinner with mystery meat and half-cooked vegetables. The portions were small and always cold, having been pushed slowly from another building. For exercise, inmates got one hour daily in "the yard"-a fenced area where small groups played basketball, cards or dominoes.
After a week on death row, Ron began talking with Greg Wilhoit in cell 9. They discovered connections-both were 34, loved baseball, had supportive sisters, and claimed innocence. Greg invited Ron to attend chapel services with Chaplain Charles Story, forming a deep friendship that helped both survive. This friendship stabilized Ron-someone finally believed him. His mood swings lessened as he read, slept, chain-smoked and talked with Greg.
But Ron's mental state deteriorated rapidly on Death Row. He paced his cell, screaming "I am innocent!" for hours until hoarse. He memorized and recited Ricky Joe Simmons' entire confession and his own trial transcript at full volume, disturbing other inmates. Ron was diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and personality disorder, and prescribed Mellaril. Other inmates initially believed he was "playing the nut role" until a disturbing incident where Ron flooded his cell, stripped naked, and did belly flops from his bunk while yelling incoherently.
On Independence Day 1988, Ron awoke in a foul mood, enraged at being locked up while others celebrated freedom. He began screaming his innocence, then throwing everything in his cell-books, magazines, toiletries. Finally, he smashed his television against the wall and destroyed his cherished guitar against the cell bars.
By spring 1989, the pressure of being imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit overwhelmed him. He began cutting his wrists, attempting suicide multiple times, and once set fire to his mattress to burn himself. He wrote desperate letters to his sister Renee describing his suffering-banging his head against concrete, punching himself, and enduring constant hunger. During one prolonged depression, he stopped communicating entirely until guards found him curled in a fetal position, unresponsive.
In 1991, construction of H Unit, a new underground death row facility, was completed. Made almost entirely of concrete with no natural light or ventilation, it was designed to maximize security and control. Ron's mental and physical health deteriorated rapidly in H Unit. Dr. Ken Foster found him disheveled, disoriented, out of touch with reality, and in poor physical condition. Ron's psychotic symptoms centered around three themes: his innocence, Ricky Joe Simmons' confession, and fears of imminent death. Despite his obvious severe mental illness, Ron received no treatment for a long time.
Guards cruelly tormented Ron through the intercom system, pretending to be God, Debbie Carter, or her father, causing him to scream for hours. Ron lost weight dramatically, his hair turned gray, and he became increasingly delusional and disconnected from reality.
After his direct appeal was denied, Ron's case entered "post-conviction relief" with attorney Leslie Delk taking over. She and investigator Kim Marks fought unsuccessfully for years to get Ron proper treatment, documenting his rapid deterioration and mental incompetence. Despite multiple attempts by Dr. Pat Fleming to evaluate Ron, the non-contact policy at H Unit made proper assessment impossible.
On August 26, 1994, after six years and four months on death row, Ron's execution was set for September 27, 1994. Two days later, Annette received an official letter about the execution. She and Renee decided on a private service in McAlester, not wanting Ron's body displayed in Ada.
