Man's life sentence changed to death row - KFOR

[JustaRandomGirl]

The Truth wrote:

Nobody will actually know what happened, unless you were there. Were You? Billy was not the angel you think he was. If he would have listened to the convicts mom he would still be around today. Billy was not the perfect angel thateveryone paints the picture to be, Ive never seen him in church! If people can't handle the truth about what he really was then everyone needs to drop it and move on with there lives. It affected many people including both family's and will be hard to recover.. I just wish ppl would listen when others try to help!!!

You are not trying to help at all. Looks to me like you are trying to fuel the fire. This is nonsense and irrelevant to what happened. This drama is ridiculous and not necessary.

[henderson]

Cathy, you and my sister are truley amazing Christian mothers. God bless you and your family. I hope and pray there is some good that will come from this, so another family will not have to go through what both families are dealing with. Hopefully we can get rules and laws changed to stop it from happening again.

[debbie]

for all who knew billy. knows they will never meet another like him we will miss him everyday. and have only the best memories.my heart goes out to his family.and hope i have done as good a job with my two kids as his mother has done with her sons. billy was a great guy,and im glad i got the chance to meet him.

[Betty Cole]

I just praise the Lord that this is over.I have been in court for the past 2 weeks, It has been so hard on the Harrington family.

[Momma]

henderson wrote:

Cathy, you and my sister are truley amazing Christian mothers. God bless you and your family. I hope and pray there is some good that will come from this, so another family will not have to go through what both families are dealing with. Hopefully we can get rules and laws changed to stop it from happening again.

God bless you and yours. May strength be gained from our belief in the eternal. There has been so much hurt and angry words said, I guess it is a portion of the healing process. Just want you and your families to know I pray for my and your family as well. May we strive to become knowledgeable about our laws/ may they be changed for the benefit of families. amy we fight for programs which can be accesssed quickly when our children are in need. God bless both our families and thank you.

[Just a cousin]

Amanda wrote:

He needs to serve his sentence in the psych ward at a state prison!!!

The doctors reports proove that Ronson has mental problems. He needs to be put somewhere so he can't hurt anyone else. It's so sad that he never got the mental help he needed. Now he never will.

[Betty Cole]

I said in another post that i was glad this is over. Well i was meaning the trial.This is just a new beginning for all involved. I just pray that Kathy & her whole family will finally be able to live a little more normal. This past 10 months has totally turned there world upside down.I can't even begin to feel their pain.I have been reading some of these post,,,well everybody need to just get on with there lives & except the decison that has been made.This has got to be devistating to Tina.My heart goes out to her to. May God truly Bless everyone involed in this.God won't put upon us more than we can bare.For everyone involed in this horrable tragedy God has a purpose for each & everyone of us. God Bless

[FYI]

Just a cousin wrote:

<quoted text>
The doctors reports proove that Ronson has mental problems. He needs to be put somewhere so he can't hurt anyone else. It's so sad that he never got the mental help he needed. Now he never will.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:

The next witness to testify was Gail Poyner, Ph. D., a licensed psychologist who deals primarily in forensic psychology.

Poyner performed a psychological evaluation of Bush and researched the effects of the medications Bush was taking.

Poyner said members of Bush’s family described him as “flipped out,”“crazy” and “paranoid,” and that Bush experiences anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, severe drug and alcohol problems and says his brain feels “itchy.”

“Likely he was misdiagnosed or not diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder,” Poyner said.“He is severely mentally ill and his involvement with crime is highly correlated with his mental illness.”

Poyner criticized the lack of treatment Bush received after he was admitted to Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman.

“I very strongly believe at a professional level had Griffin offered a modicum of treatment, this (the murder) could have been possibly avoided,” Poyner said.“They simply did not give him any treatment, no group therapy, no individual therapy. It was documented he was suicidal, yet they did not treat him for that.”

Bush had previously been placed on antidepressant drugs known as SSRs, a medication Poyner’s research indicates is a “virtual prescription for violence.” The drugs cause serotonin build-up in the brain, causing “terrible things” to occur, and , when combined with alcohol, can lead to violence.

While incarcerated in the Grady County Jail, physician reports indicate Bush was given additional SSRIs, which he refused, saying,“I killed my friend when I took these, I’m not going to take them.”

Dr. David Musick, a full professor of sociology at the University of Northern Colorado, also testified.

Describing Bush’s family as “good folks,” Musick discussed alcoholism as a disease and how the “horrific” drug methamphetamine creates powerful addictions in humans.

“The defendant (Bush) has a serious alcohol problem that is overflowing into violence,” Musick said.“As a child, he was a pawn being pulled back and forth by his family who had different parenting styles which creates unbearable pain so he covers up the pain with alcohol and illicit drugs.”

[Southern Girl]

I don't believe that Ronson should be put to death because two wrongs don't make a right. I feel for both families in this horrible situation but killing him won't bring Billy back. I know Ronson personally and I know that he would never have killed his best friend in cold blood. If people would stop and actually look at the facts and research the whole situation, I believe that everyone would come to a different conclusion. I've done my research and I feel that it wasn't truly intentional as people have made it out to be. Ronson is not a cold blooded killer. He is actually a very good guy and a loving one at that. Don't get me wrong yes something horrible took place that night and Ronson should have to pay for what was done. But putting him to death doesn't help or change what has already happened.

[JustaRandomGirl]

Southern Girl wrote:

I don't believe that Ronson should be put to death because two wrongs don't make a right. I feel for both families in this horrible situation but killing him won't bring Billy back. I know Ronson personally and I know that he would never have killed his best friend in cold blood. If people would stop and actually look at the facts and research the whole situation, I believe that everyone would come to a different conclusion. I've done my research and I feel that it wasn't truly intentional as people have made it out to be. Ronson is not a cold blooded killer. He is actually a very good guy and a loving one at that. Don't get me wrong yes something horrible took place that night and Ronson should have to pay for what was done. But putting him to death doesn't help or change what has already happened.

Regardless of what the whole situation is, Ronson's actions were violent and shocking and nothing justifies what he did.

It's a very sad situation that the "bad" in him outweighed the good and ultimately took over his life. He has had many, many chances to better himself and he failed to do so. It's hard to walk the straight and narrow once you get in trouble and/or become addicted to drugs, but it can be done. The rehabs, the prison stays could have helped him to change, but he chose to ignore that. It's very unfortunate for him that he didn't get to see how wonderful recovery can be, but what is more unfortunate is all the people that he hurt during the course of his addiction and actions. At some point, he was bound to be held accountable in one way or another. He sealed his own fate. He can still change and make his peace with God, I hope he does that. It might give his family some peace of mind as well.

[SouthernGirl]

Southern Girl wrote:

I don't believe that Ronson should be put to death because two wrongs don't make a right. I feel for both families in this horrible situation but killing him won't bring Billy back. I know Ronson personally and I know that he would never have killed his best friend in cold blood. If people would stop and actually look at the facts and research the whole situation, I believe that everyone would come to a different conclusion. I've done my research and I feel that it wasn't truly intentional as people have made it out to be. Ronson is not a cold blooded killer. He is actually a very good guy and a loving one at that. Don't get me wrong yes something horrible took place that night and Ronson should have to pay for what was done. But putting him to death doesn't help or change what has already happened.

For clarification, this "Southern Girl, Tushahoma, OK" is NOT the same "SouthernGirl" who previously posted a comment regarding the children.

[happy]

Southern Girl wrote:

I don't believe that Ronson should be put to death because two wrongs don't make a right. I feel for both families in this horrible situation but killing him won't bring Billy back. I know Ronson personally and I know that he would never have killed his best friend in cold blood. If people would stop and actually look at the facts and research the whole situation, I believe that everyone would come to a different conclusion. I've done my research and I feel that it wasn't truly intentional as people have made it out to be. Ronson is not a cold blooded killer. He is actually a very good guy and a loving one at that. Don't get me wrong yes something horrible took place that night and Ronson should have to pay for what was done. But putting him to death doesn't help or change what has already happened.

Im sorry but i disagree, if it was one shot maybe it wasent intentional but he shot Billy six time, that was intentional.....he knew what he was doing... I miss Billy terrible he was a good and fun man...

[Betty Cole]

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked,' Tell me what you see.'
'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked,'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter.'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this:
Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just
make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
I sent this message to those who mean something to me to those who have touched my life in one way or another; to those who make me smile when I really need it to those who make me see the brighter side of things when I'm really down; to those whose friendship I appreciate and to those who are so meaningful in my life.
May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!
"Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead tell the storm how big your God is!"

[A sympathetic heart]

I think it is a true travesty to both of these families that some individuals have felt the need to say things that didn't need to be said and throw mud where it didn't need to be thrown. Both families throughout the whole process have acted in manners that all of us could take a lesson from. In reality, those of us who were friends of either family or Billy or Ronson do not know the true loss of either the Bush or Harrington family, no matter how close we were to either individual. Along the way the justice system and interventions failed Ronson and Billy met the fate of being a friend to the end (in the true sense of the word). I personally know both families and although I wasn't close growing up with Ronson, I did know his brother and younger sister well. Billy was always a part of my life as well as we grew up together, had family vacations together and later neighbors as adults. To think that we (as posters) have lessened the value of the life or memory to correcting people's grammar and spelling and to speak of things we do not know the truth of is shameful. Both mothers have lost a son, both brothers have lost a sibling and both sisters have lost a big brother. Please let these families get on with their lives and cherish the memories they have without continuing to tear at their hearts with posts of personal opinion. One of the most appalling statements to me is the statement about church. Who are you to judge and do you receive the attendance rosters for every church in Grady County? Just because a person doesn't grace the doors of a church, makes them no less of a Christian. As I throw this stone, let me remind you that you must obviously attend every Sunday (to make this statement) and are forgetting the fact we are not to judge the actions of others as God will do that for us. It says in the Bible that we will be judged ten-fold. I suggest you think about that before you say anything else that stupid. I think we can all agree that the murder of Billy Harrington was a true tragedy for both families and the children the Daddy's have left behind. The justice system has closed this case for now and I think we would all be best served to do the same. If you have children or a sibling, I would like each of you to think about how this would have felt if you read these statements that were made about your loved one. Let these families rest. We can each have our opinion on this event, but let's have some respect for these families and keep it to ourselves (or at least off the internet where it can be read for years to come by a simple internet search). If you are truly a friend to either the victim or the accused let it rest. Their families have had enough burden, they don't need us to add to it. God bless and keep both families.

[Southern Girl]

I can tell you that when the rehab programs have you on the wrong meds tragic things can happen. So just because you think that he didn't want to get better that makes you right. I hate to say this but no one has the right to judge anyone except GOD and only GOD. It's people that are narrow minded that make me mad. People make mistake and yes killing his best friend was wrong but when you are taking the wrong meds bad things happen. I have learned to check all the facts before I jump to conclusions and I don't judge people.

[Toby Welch]

Bobby wrote:

My little brother Billy is and will be greatly missed forever. Billy was a kind, loving Christ like man who helped anyone who needed it. He saw the good in everyone. He was a loyal friend, brother, son, uncle, nephew and a loving daddy to his little girl. Ronson Bush is a monster who took all that away from us. A needle in the arm is to easy. He should face the same death he gave Billy.

Bobby you are right he should endure the same pain and torture that billy went through, all billy did was try and help this guy and this loss of a wonderful life was lost for no reason, i pray for you and youre faimly that you get the justice that billy deserves. i went to school with u and billy and becky, please keep me informed

[Joanie]

To Kathy, Carlous,Bobby(and your family), Becky & Mel. My thoughts have been with you today during this Holiday. I know today was hard without Billy. Just wanted to let you know I love you all and have you in my thoughts and prayers..

[Sooner Girl]

I'm horrified and disgusted that I actually know someone who is going to be put to death with that being said ....Kyle was a criminal in Jr. High. My heart goes out to both families.