RAMSEY, ROY
General Information
DOB: June 6, 1953
Race: African-American
Gender: Male
Crime and Trial
County of conviction: Jackson
Number of counts: Two
Race of victim: White/white
Gender of victim: Male/female
Date of crime: November 21, 1988
Date of sentencing: March 21, 1991
Date of execution: April 14, 1999
Legal status:
Trial Counsel:
Daniel C. Miller
Last counsel of record:
Charlie Rogers
James R. Hobbs
Marilyn B. Keller
Cheryl A. Pilate
Wyrsch & Hobbs
1101 Walnut St.
1300 Mercantile Tower
Kansas City, MO 64106-2122
816-221-0080
Last judicial decision:
--Petition for writ of habeas corpus (filed under U.S. Supreme Court original jurisdiction) and application for stay of execution denied by In re Ramsey, 526 U.S. 1061 (1999)
Reported Opinions:
--Conviction, sentence, and denial of post-conviction relief affirmed by State v. Ramsey, 864 S.W.2d 320 (Mo. banc 1993), cert. denied, 511 U.S. 1078 (1994).
--Denial of habeas corpus affirmed by Ramsey v. Bowersox, 149 F.3d 749 (8th Cir. 1998), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1166 (1999).
--Petition for writ of habeas corpus (filed under U.S. Supreme Court original jurisdiction) and application for stay of execution denied by In re Ramsey, 526 U.S. 1061 (1999).
Significant legal issues:
--claim of trial court's violation of Mr. Ramsey's right to confront witnesses in light of court's admission of accomplice's videotaped statement implicating Mr. Ramsey (admitted at trial to rebut suggestion that the accomplice fabricated his testimony as a result of a plea bargain)
--prosecutor's direct and indirect comments on Mr. Ramsey's failure to testify at trial, and reference to Mr. Ramsey as "Rambo"
--trial court's refusal to strike to potential jurors who admitted to "leaning towards" the death penalty