Brave Souls: Kenyatta Barron & Ron'Niveya ONeal

Just before midnight on March 18th, 2018, deputies from the Hillsborough County sheriff's officer responded to a series of 911 calls from Pike Lake Drive, in Riverview, Florida.

Moments after a woman had called pleading for help as she had been shot, another call had come from the house, the male caller told the dispatcher;

“Hey, I just been attacked by some white demon…inside… Was inside. Keke, Keke, her name is Keke and she tried to kill me and I just killed her stupid ass.”

This is... Brave Souls.

We are back after an extended break, thank you for your patience!

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Yeah, Yeah, welcome to Crumnaps. I'm Idine and now I'm Adam.

(00:45):
Just before midnight on March eighteen,nineteen, deputies from Hillsboro County Sheriff's Office
responded to a series of nine moremonth calls from Pike Like Drive in Riverview,
Florida. The first to arrive atthe scene were Deputies Burrious bas Alone
and Danilo. They saw an unresponsiveblack female on the ground outside the house.

(01:07):
She was face down on the pavementand it was clear that she had
been shot at least once in thearm. Laying next to her body were
broken pieces of a shotgun, includinga barrel which was bent. As they
attempted to assess her condition, theynoticed an orange hue em anything from a
house next door. The light grewand smoke began to billow out from the

(01:29):
house. The deputies ran towards thefront door to gain entry. As they
did, the garage door began toopen and a little boy staggered towards the
lawn. Sergeant Frank taggile Arney noticedthe young boy, who was covered in
blood, as his clothes were smolderingand he looked like he was holding something
in his hands. As the sergeantlaid the boy down on the lawn.

(01:53):
He could see that he had beendissembebled. There were severe wounds to his
abdominal stomach that caused his internal organsto become exposed. As the little boy
was being assessed, a man walkedout of the garage. Deputies instructed him
to lie down on the ground.He refused to comply and started to walk
towards the officers. The man goto the officers and told them to shoot

(02:16):
him instead. They fired their taser, subduing the suspect and causing him to
fall back onto the ground. Immediately, they surrounded him and rolled him over
before placing handcuffs on his wrists andputting him into the back of a deputy
police car. His clothes were bloodstained and smelled like gasoline. In the

(02:37):
backseat, the man began to rambleon, saying Ala Akbar and Kiki is
the devil. The kids are theDevil's kids. The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue
arrived at the scene. Medical personnelhad moved away from the area to make
way for the fire rescue vehicles,and the first firefighters went into the house

(02:58):
with a hose out on the lawnofficers tried to flag down paramedics. Street
was dark despite flashing blue lights,and the sergeant used his flashlight to get
the attention of Captain Christopher Saunders andLieutenant Ronica Vitte from this fire rescue team.
The little boy had blood and frothcoming from his mouth, signs of

(03:20):
severe internal injury and smoke inhalation.Lieutenant Vite picked up the boy and ran
to an ambulance. His body waslimp in her arms as she ran in
the ambulance, she decided to intubatethe boy to help him clear his lungs
and breed. He was given sedativesto allow the paramedics to place a breeding

(03:40):
tube into his throat. Before helost consciousness, he said that his dad
had killed his mum. The ambulancerushed to a nearby football field where a
helicopter was waiting to med back theboy to Tampa General. Back at the
scene, firefighter Donald Foster had enteredthe burning house. The air was thick

(04:01):
with smoke and it was almost impossibleto see where they were going. The
firefighters had been told that there wasanother person inside, so they wasted no
time in going inside. They usedshort bursts of water to put out any
flames that they could see. Fostercrawled along the ground, using the wall
to guide himself through the house,and began to lose his grip. Something

(04:24):
on the ground was causing him toslip, but it was too dark to
see what it was. There wereknives strewn all over the floor, and
they could see a gasoline can inone of the bedrooms. As the firefighter
leaned down to see what was causinghim to slip, he saw that the
floor was covered in blood. Theback bedroom was still on fire. Flames

(04:45):
had climbed close walls and the ceilingdespite the intense heat inside the bedroom.
Foster began to feel around the roomwith his hands until he had made contact
with what he knew was a person. He couldn't see anything through the smoke,
so he picked the patient up andcrawled back through the house to the
front door. As he got outside, could see that the patient must beyond

(05:06):
saving. He carried the still burningbody of a little girl outside in an
attempt to get help for her.Worst injuries had not been caused by the
fire. The firefighter was overcome withemotion when he realized she was dead.

(05:28):
The woman on the pavement had alsobeen pronounced dead. Apart from the obvious
gunshot wound, she had also sustaineda number of blows to her head and
face. The man arrested at thescene was identified by a wallet in his
pocket as Ronnie Uneiled the third.He was taken to the station to be
interviewed and his clothes were taken hisevidence. According to the police reports,

(05:49):
his clothing was covered with blood.There was also blood found on his left
shoe. He had sustained burns tohis left forearm and right hand. There
were also lacerations his smallest right fingerand on his left thumb. Injuries were
seen on his knuckles, and hesmells strongly of an accelerant. Despite his
bizarre behavior at the scene and inthe Betrol car, he appeared to be

(06:12):
calm and lucid. At the station, he refused to provide a statement and
asked for an attorney. The victimswho had been pronounced dead at the scene
by doctor Mary Mainland from the HillsburyCounty Medical Examiner's Office were taken for an
autopsy. The woman was identified asKnyada Baron, a thirty three year old
woman who lived at the house thathad been set on fire with her two

(06:33):
children and their father, Ronnie O'Neil. The third Doctor Mainland found that Kenyada
had sustained a gunshot wound to theback of her right shoulder, and there
was also another larger gunshot wound onher right elbow. The medical examiner had
removed shotgun pellets from this wound.Kenyada's arm had been broken in two places

(06:53):
by the shop, but doctor Mainlandconcluded that these injuries were unlikely to be
fatal. On their own. Shesee at least fifteen lacerations to her head.
Numerous abrasions and contusions were found,primarily on the left side of her
head and face. Her skull hadbeen fractured in six or seven places,
and she also sustained fractures to herjob, on the facial bones, around

(07:14):
her mouth and at the base ofher skull. Several of her teeth had
been knocked out from the force ofthe blows inflicted on her. Doctor Mainland
concluded that Kenyada had died from abrain hemorrhage as a result of blunt force
trauma. The little girl recovered fromthe burning bedroom at the house was provisionally
identified as nine year old Rnivia O'Neill. A comparison of medical records would later

(07:36):
confirm her identity. Rnivia's body hadbeen burned beyond recognition, but she was
believed he had died before the fireconsumed the home. She had sustained what
was believed to have been a gunshotwound to the neck at first, but
it was later determined to be apenetrating chop and blade wounds to her head,
neck, torso, and foot.A sharp instrument had been used in

(07:58):
the attack, which had fractured hercervical vertebrae and mandible, essentially decapitating her.
The weapon had transsected her spinal cord, perforating her larynx. The little
girl was found to have hemorrhages innumerous locations on her head, full thickness
burns covered her entire body. Hercause of death was listed as homicidal violence,

(08:20):
including chop, blade, and penetratingwounds. Rnivia had extensive medical history,
beginning with her birth at just twentyeight weeks gestation. Being born twelve
weeks early brought complex care needs.She had a Grade three intra verticular hemorrhage,
which is where bleeding occurs into theventricles within the brain. Rnivia also

(08:41):
had cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological conditionwhere the cerebellum is smaller than it should
be. This can result in developmentaldelays and mobility issues. Rnivia was reported
to have cerebral palsy and autism.She was nonverbal and required a wheelchair to
get around the majority of the time. The surviving child, who had walked

(09:03):
from the burning building clutching his stomach, had been rushed to Tampa General Hospital
and underwent emergency surgery to repair alarge midline incision in his abdomen that had
caused his intestines to protrude from hisbody. Eight year old Ronnie had sustained
multiple stab wounds to his abdomen,neck, left arm, and the right
side of his face. The stabwounds had led to one of his lungs

(09:24):
collapsing, and he required tubes inhis chest and neck to aid his breathing.
Almost twenty percent of his body hadbeen severely burned, the worst of
which were on his right arm andhand. After four days, detectives went
to the hospital to speak with him. Ronnie told investigators what had happened on
the night his mother and sister werekilled. Ronnie's statement, combined with the

(09:46):
word of neighbors and the evidence found, allowed the investigators to piece together the
events of the night. Ronnie hadbeen in his bedroom when he heard his
parents arguing loudly. His dad washolding a shotgun that was normally kept under
his parents' bed, and he sawhis mother run into his sister's bedroom.
Kenyada tried to hide in her daughter'scloset, and O'Neil instructed his son to

(10:07):
repeat Allah Akbar and God is myfather as he walked around the living room.
While Ronnie was following his father's orders, one had followed Kenyada into their
daughter's bedroom and aimed the shotgun atthe clothes closet, firing a blast through
the wooden shutters and hitting Kenyada inthe arm. Kenyada called nine one one
eleven forty three pm. She couldbe heard apologizing to Ronnie and pleading for

(11:16):
help as her arm had been shutup. O'Neill had sent his young son
to the garage to find a knife, but Ronnie couldn't find one. O'Neill
can be heard instructing Ronnie to sayAllah Akbar, which the boy judy fully
repeats. O'Neill can also be heardsaying, now get in here and kill
this bitch. Ronnie said that hisfather made him hold the gun and he

(11:39):
helped to aim it, but hecouldn't remember if the gun went off.
Three spent cartridges were found on thebedroom floor. Ronnie told the detectives she
ran before he could make another shot. I ran, but I forgot to
get my sister. The nimo moncall picked up the sound of Kenyata running
from the house into the street insearch of help. O'Neill followed her with

(12:01):
the gun and began to beat herwith the butt of the weapon. Loud
thudding sounds can be heard between Kenyae'splease before she goes silent at eleven forty
seven p m. At this point, another man's voice can be heard telling
someone to stay inside and call nineone one. It was the next door
neighbor, James Gray. Mister Grayhad heard the screaming and told his fiance

(12:22):
and her child to hide and callfor help. At the end of his
foyer, he saw the silhouette ofa man he recognized as O'Neill. Kenyada
was motionless on the ground, O'Neillwas holding her left arm and shouting,
you don't understand she killed me.O'Neill went back into the house and mister
Gray went out to Kenyada. Whilehe waited for the first responders to arrive.

(12:43):
Inside the house, ronni Side's fathergo to the garage and get an
axe. O'Neill then went to hisdaughter's bedroom, where Nivia had been sitting
on the bed, unable to moveor speak. He took her by the
arm and dragged her into the mainbedroom. She was sitting on the ground
inside the room when her father repeatedlybrought an axe down on her. O'Neill

(13:05):
began to pour gasolene around the house. Especially trained dog had alerted to the
presence of an excelerant in a numberof areas, around the closet where Kenyada
had tried to hide, in thearea where Ronivia was killed and on her
body. O'Neill called nine one ateleven forty nine pm and he told the
dispatcher, Hey, I'd just beenattacked by some white demon inside was inside

(13:28):
Kiki Kiki, her name is Kiki. She tried to kill me and I
just killed her stupid ass. Thecall ended in the garage. Onneill put
his son on the ground and heldhim down with his foot as he put
a lid match to a tissue anddropped it. Ronnie managed to get up
and run to the kitchen. Hisfather followed him and emptied a knife drawer

(13:52):
for using one on him. O'Neillsplashed the gasolene throughout the house and on
his son's clothes and said the houseon fire. Ronnie was still recovering in
the hospital, and before he fellasleep he told the detectives he had a
knife and he stabbed me. I'lltell you more when I wake up.

(14:13):
Thirty three year old Kenyada Baron wasborn on November thirteenth, nineteen eighty four.
She grew up in Hillsboro County andattended school there before having her first
child, Rernivia, on July twentynine, two thousand and eight. She
was in a long term relationship withher children's father, Ronnie O'Neil, for
over a decade when she was killed. She was remembered as being a loving

(14:35):
mother who had faith in God andwanted the best for her children. She
had continued her studies at Hillsborough CommunityCollege while raising Renivia and Ronnie. Nivia
had complex medical needs, but Kenyadamade sure her daughter had the best chance
in life. She decorated her roomwith Disney Frozen stickers and made sure she
was dressed and the prettiest clothes alittle girl could want. Ronivia attended Core

(14:58):
Elementary School. Her younger brother,Ronnie, later spoke about Renevy's experience in
school. He said, there's thisthing called terrific kid, and she got
that a law. Kenyada's boyfriend andthe father of her children, Money O'Neil
the third appeared to be a greatboyfriend and father to most people. In
thousand and twelve, he was orderedto pay Chall's support for his son,

(15:20):
Ronnie after a paternity suit found thathe was the boy's biological father, but
by twenty seventeen he was still overfifteen hundred dollars behind in Chall's support payments.
He had converted to Islam as anadult and was part of a community
group that advocated against violence. Therehad been some domestic disturbances reported at the
couple's home. In twenty fifteen,Deputies were called out when O'Neil threw a

(15:45):
carjack through a windshield of Kenyada's car. He claimed that he had paid for
it and if he couldn't drive it, no one would. The deputy found
that there was no domestic violence andcalled it a misdemeanor criminal mischief. Prior
to his children's birth, had beenarrested a number of times for crimes such
as the possession of marijuana, drivingwithout a license, and obtaining food or

(16:06):
lodging withou intend to commit fraud,but he didn't have an obvious violent background.
In fact, O'Neill had been avictim of gun violence himself in October
twenty seventeen when he was injured ina drive by shooting at Roba's Park.
He was not associated with the crimeand believed to be an innocent bystander who
got caught in crossfar. O'Neill hadnot been living with Kenyada and his children

(16:29):
at that time. He'd had arelationship with another woman and fathered a child
with her, but when he washurt it was Kenyada who sat by his
bedside. The family and friends hadadvised Kenyada not to let him stay at
her home because of his infidelity andunpredictable nature, but they had a history
together and she could not leave himwithout somewhere to recover. O'Neill was an

(16:52):
aspiring rapper and hip hop artist.Next to the area where he had taken
the axe they used to kill hiseldest child, he had set up a
recording student. A neighbor, WalterBallard, told the Tampa Bay Times that
O'Neill had always told him he haddemons, but Ballard never thought that it
was like that. Mister Ballard said, I don't know what would make him

(17:12):
do anything to his kids. OnApril fifth, the grand jury returned a
seven count indictment against O'Neill for twocounts of first degree murder, first degree
murder with a weapon, attempted murder, aggravated child abuse versus degree arson,
and resisting arrest. O'Neill began tofollow several motions on his own behalf,

(17:32):
including one for a change of venue, because he believed the media were portraying
him to be a menace to society. In early May, he followed an
order of protection for his son.He said the state, he's using my
own child as a material witness.Therefore, I am protecting my child from
any interrogations from law enforcement. O'Neillclaimed to have repeated conflicts with his public

(17:53):
defender, Julian Holt. At ahearing on May third, he told the
court, this has been the mostinflammab tory, prejudicial pre trial publicity and
the most malconducted, malicious administration I'veever seen. That same month, prosecutors
announced that they would be seeking thedeath penalty in the case. But in
October that year, on'neil was declaredincompetent to stand trial. Three doctors had

(18:17):
assessed his mental condition and two foundhim legally incompetent to understand and assist to
his own defense. He was sentto a state hospital to receive treatment and
mental evaluations until he was found tohave his competency restored. By December twenty
eighteen, O'Neill's parental rights were terminatedas a result of a protection inquiry,
and Ronnie was placed into foster care. While he had been at the hospital

(18:38):
for almost two months, he hadbeen visited by a Hillsborough County Sheriff's homicide
detective, Michael Blair. Detective Blairwas not directly involved with the investigation,
but he had been called to thescene briefly that night. Detective Blair had
heard that Ronnie was a football fan, and he arranged for gifts to be
donated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Before Detective Lair left the hospital room that

(19:00):
evening, Ronnie asked him if hewould stay and watch a movie with him.
The little boy was still taking alot of medication to aid his recovery,
and he was alone. Detective Blaircalled his wife and told her about
Ronnie, and she immediately agreed tocome and watch a movie with him instead
of going out for a rare datenight. The couple already had five children,

(19:21):
so they didn't get time to goout often. Danielle Blair told The
Washington Post he had skin grafting overthirty percent of his body. He had
a breathing tube, he had afeeding tube. He had extensive damage.
Nobody had expected him to live throughwhat he did. The case worker appointed
by the stay over Runnie's care phonedthe Blairs a few months later and asked

(19:44):
if they knew anyone who could fosterRunnie. They had already made up their
minds that they wanted to. Atthe end of the summer of twenty eighteen,
Ronnie moved in with the family andbegan to recover not only physically but
emotionally. After six months in astate hospital, the Department of Children and
Family Services reported that the treatment stafferof the opinion that this resident is competent

(20:07):
to proceed and no longer meets criteriafor continued involuntary commitment. O'Neill was sent
back to jail in May twenty nineteen, and the following month he was found
to have had his competency restored,so the legal proceedings began. O'Neill continued
to claim that he had conflicts withhis attorneys, and in December twenty twenty,
he felt a motion to have thecharge for Kenyada's murder dismissed. O'Neill

(20:30):
claimed that he was acting in selfdefense to prevent imminent death or great bodily
harm to himself and his children whenhe killed Kenyadabara and asked to use the
standard ground defense. The Florida Standiardground law allows people that are being threatened
to defend themselves, removing the dutyto retreat before using force. Florida's gun
laws had come under international scrutiny intwenty twelve when George Zimmerman fatally shot seventeen

(20:55):
year old Treyvon Martin. Trayvon wasan unarmed black teenager who walking back to
his father's home in a gated communityin Florida, when he was followed by
Zimmerman, a member of the neighborhoodwatch. An altercation occurred and Trayvon was
shot just over seventy yards from hisfather's house. Zimmerman claimed he shot Trayvon
in self defense, and he wasnot convicted of murder. The law was

(21:18):
amended in twenty seventeen the grant defendantsimmunity from prosecution if the defense is raised
in pre trial hearing successfully. Theburden of proof had been placed on the
defendants to show that they had beenin fear of their life when they acted,
but the change met that this burdenwas now in the prosecution to show
the accused was not in fear.O'Neill alleged that Kenyada had attacked him in

(21:38):
the home on March eighteen, twentyeighteen, and he had shuddered to protect
himself and his children. At ahearing in December third, twenty twenty,
the state had to establish by clearand convincing evidence that O'Neill was not entitled
to immunity. They called three witnessesto testify in support of their case.
The next door neighbor, James Gray, testified that he had her loud screaming

(22:00):
and banging on his door before midnighton the night in question. He said
when he opened the door, thefoyer was covered in blood and he could
see Kanyada lying on the gray motionlessas O'Neill stood over her. Mister Gray
said that Kenyada was not moving whenhe first saw her. This was corroborated
by the nymon Monk call when hewas heard telling his fiance to call for
help. This showed that Kanyada wasdead before O'Neill made a Nymon Monk call

(22:23):
claiming that she had tried to killhim. Detective Dirks testified that when he
arrived on scene, Kenyada's body wascovered by a sheet. She was clothing
a tank top, underwear and socks, and she had an obvious gunshot will
him to her arm and significant traumato her face and upper body. Broken
pieces of the shotgun lay around herbody, including the stock and the barrel,

(22:44):
which he assumed had broken apart whenit was used to beat the victim
to death. The medical examiner,doctor Mary Mainland, also testified about her
findings from the scene and Kenyatta's autopsy. The court found that the state had
met its burden by proving with clearand convincing EVA, so that O'Neill was
not entitled to immunity under the standardground law. The trial was due to

(23:06):
begin in January twenty twenty one,but as with most jury trials throughout the
coronavirus pandemic, it was delayed anumber of times. In May of that
year, O'Neill requested to remove hispublic defenders as he wanted to represent himself.
Judge Michelle Cisco was presiding over thecase and advised him to retain his
attorneys and warned him that he couldface the death penalty. O'Neill replied,

(23:29):
I understand. I love it.Ready to die like big. O'Neill asked
the judge if she knew who BiggieSmalls was, and Judge Cisco replied,
yes, I know who Biggie Smallsis. He was actually murdered, but
O'Neill interrupted and said, just likeI'm going to be right, I was
murdered a couple of times already beforeswan Coolba being murdered again and coming back

(23:51):
like big. The Assistant State Attorney, Ronald Gale, told the court that
they did not believe O'Neill suffered fromany severe mental illness that impede his ability
to assist in his own defense.As a result of O'Neill's request to represent
himself at trial, Judge Cisco conducteda farreda hearing. This is to determine
if a defendant is competent to representthemselves to a level that would not deprive

(24:14):
their right to a fair trial.O'Neill had waived his right to counsel.
The purpose of the farreda hearing isfor the judge to rule on whether the
defendant has knowingly and intelligently waived theirright and were aware of the dangers of
self representation. O'Neill, dressed inhis prison issued red scrubs and shackles,
was granted the right to represent himselfand told that he would not receive any
special treatment. He was warned thathe would be removed from the courtroom if

(24:37):
he behaved inappropriately. This meant thatO'Neill had the right to cross examine witnesses
at the trial and to present hisown defense to the jury, a jury
he would have a hand in selecting. Jury selection began on June seven,
twenty twenty one. During jury selection, the state and the defense have the
opportunity to ask juror's questions to determinewhich side they would likely favor. This

(25:00):
process is called voardier. The attorneyschoose their questions carefully in order to only
exclude jurors who would not be beneficialor else they risk them being replaced with
someone less favorable. There are numerousmotivations behind excusing a juror. For example,
the prosecution may want to excuse somebodywho identifies what law enforcement, or
somebody with authoritarian personality, or somebodywho doesn't have a strong tide to the

(25:25):
community, while the defense may wantto excuse someone who is liberal and opposed
to gun ownership. O'Neill had ateam of public defenders in the courtroom to
give him legal advice if he askedfor it, but he sat alone at
the defense table in a heavily guardedcourtroom. During vardier. O'Neill introduced himself
saying, my name is Ronnie O'Neill, the third and as you can see

(25:47):
on representing myself in this case.He asked potential jurors if they believed that
a mother could be capable of killingtheir child, and if they believe that
law enforcement officers and the government couldcommit crimes. Also asked if they understood
the use of justifiable force and theright to bear arms. As the State
attorney's office had said they would beseeking the death penalty. The jurors were

(26:08):
asked for their opinions on capital punishment. O'Neill took the opportunity to express his
own views on a death sentence anddeviated into a rambling speech about his religious
beliefs. He said, when itcomes to the death penalty, I just
want you all to know that mepersonally on for it. If somebody has
committed these crimes, they are worthyof death because me personally, I know

(26:29):
a lot of you are religious.I was personally raised Baptist, but I'm
now a Muslim, which is prettyirrelevant right now, but I just wanted
to mention that so you know,you can feel comfortable in making the right
decisions and making the decisions that Ipersonally believe and the way that I was
brought up. Judge Cisco reminded himto focus on the jurors and not his
own beliefs. Many potential jurors whohad strong views against or in support of

(26:52):
the death penalty were dismissed. Aselection of the prospective jurors expressed that they
felt it was unfair for O'Neill torepresent himself when the prosecutors clearly had more
experience than he did. The judgetold the pool of O'Neill's peers that he
had elected to represent himself and hehad attorneys on standby if he needed them.
The trial opened on June fourteen,twenty one. Assistant State Attorney Scott

(27:17):
Harman opened the prosecution's case by playingthe n I one month call made on
the night of the murder. Herwords echoed through the courtroom as she could
be heard saying, I'm so sorry, Ronnie, help me. Attorney Harmon
said that O'Neill had shot his girlfor him with a shotgun, and when

(27:37):
he ran out of Ammo, hechased her to the street and beat her
to death with the butt of thegun. The attorney described how O'Neill then
went back into the house and killedhis daughter Ronevilla with an axe. He
said she, unlike her mother,couldn't flee, and she couldn't make assertion
of love for her father. Shecouldn't beg for that life. Ronevia was

(28:02):
unable to say stop, please,Daddy, please stop. The evidence will
show that she was totally helpless.The prosecutor told the jury what had happened
to Ronnie and how he survived,and told paramedics that his father had killed
his mother. As his own legalcounsel, O'Neill began his address with his

(28:22):
head bowed and his palms together.He appeared composed until he began to loudly
show that the evidence had been tamperedwith and his son had been coached to
testify against him. Evidences gold shotwe are some of them are why God

(29:11):
made you ever seen. He toldthe jury that he looked alone, but
he was backed by a mighty God. He said, I am a certain
justifiable homicide because I acted in selfdefense and moved to protect myself and my
children. He claimed that she hadtryed to kill him with a knife a

(29:33):
few weeks before the incident, andthat she was angry about the relationship between
him and the mother of his otherchild. As he ended his thirty minute
opening statement, he proclaimed, thiswhole entire case has been tampered with and
fabricated. My son did not witnessme viciously beat his mom to death.
The evidence is going to show thatyour reps in Ellie. He wanted to

(29:55):
make it seem like I'm some sortof menace to society. I guarantee you
I wouldn't waste your time. Iwould have already taken a plead deal of
some kind if I knew I didsomething like this. Media reports said that
someone in the gallery had stood upand show it out. Oneil, They're
going to burn your fucking ass.James Gray testified about Kanyada banging on his

(30:18):
front door and walking through the bloodstained foyer and seeing her lying on the
pavement outside. He said there wasblood everywhere. The shotgun was shown to
the court by crime scene investigator MatthewEvans, and the prosecutors pointed out parts
of the weapon that had bent allegedlywhen it was used to kill Kenyada.
Oneil requested to hold the shotgun,but the prosecution said that they didn't think

(30:38):
it was appropriate. O'Neil told thejudge, I'm not some convict. I'm
innocent until proven guilty, but you'lltreat me like you don't know that.
Judge Cisco allowed the attorneys on standbyto represent Oneil hold the weapon instead.
Testimony then came from the first responderswho attended the scene on the night of
Kenyada and Ronivia's murder. Sergeant FrankTagliarini spoke about seeing Ronnie for the first

(31:02):
time. He said, a youngchild appeared to be about nine years old,
looked to be about the same sizeas my son. Came walking struggling
to where I was in the frontyard. Sergeant Tagliarini said that Ronnie's clothes
were still smoldering. He told thecourt he appeared to have blood coming from
his mouth. He was severely injuredin his abdomen area. As I remember,

(31:23):
he had been disemboweled. It waspretty severe. Lieutenant Howard Wooden also
testified about seeing Ronnie walk out.He said he was covered from head to
toe in blood and he was graspinghis abdomen and holding his organs. Lieutenant
Wouldn't also spoke about O'Neil's actions whenhe walked out of the house. He
said, when I reached out tograb his left wrist to put the handcuffs

(31:45):
on, he immediately jumped to hisfeet. He told the jury that after
he refused to comply, he wassubdued with the use of a teaser.
Lieutenant Ronicavitty testified about taking Ronnie fromthe scene to an ambulance before he was
transported by helicopter to a general hospital. She told the court that the little
boy spoke before he lost consciousness.I believe he said, my dad killed

(32:07):
my mom. Oh, my dadshut my mommy. Donald Foster, the
firefighter who had carried Renevia's body fromthe burning house, testified about what he
saw inside. He told the courtwe also had at that point, I
don't remember if it was a deputyor a bystander came by and said there
was a child inside the house.I kind of felt around to see if

(32:28):
I could locate a patient there,but there was nothing. There were knives
strewn all over the floor. Itlooked like someone took a knife drawer and
poured it out on the floor.He spoke about how he realized the floor
was covered in blood, and enteringthe back bedroom, which was engulfed in
flames, I found that I wasslipping, which I couldn't figure out why
because I hadn't applied a lot ofwater. So I ducked down to the

(32:51):
ground to try to see exactly whatI was slipping on, and I realized
that the floor was covered in blood. When his hand met ronivious body,
he said that he thought he hadfound a patient, but he realized she
was dead when he brought her outside. The prosecutor asked him what he did
at that point. Choking back emotion, Foster replied, helped my other firefighter

(33:14):
and cry to be honest with you. On the third day of the trial,
Ronnie, who was now eleven yearsold, testified via video link.
Sitting in a room in another locationnext to an emotional support dog called Tibet.
He answered the assistant state attorney's questionsabout general aspects of his life.
Ronnie said that he had just finishedfifth grade. He told the prosecutor what

(33:36):
he liked to do in his sparetime, and that he had a new
family with five siblings and he hada new name. Attorney ron Gale asked
Ronnie what he remembered from the night, and Ronnie said that he remembered hearing
his parents arguing and seeing his fatherwith a shotgun. He described being told
to repeat the words ala akbar beforehearing a gunshot and being told to get
back inside and kill this b word. He said that it's father made him

(34:00):
hold the gun, but he didn'tremember if they fired a shot. He
was told to get a hunting knifefrom the garage and remembered seeing his mother
run out of the house while hewas standing by the house phone in the
hallway. After a short time,his dad came back inside and got an
axe from the garage. He describedseeing the attack on his sister. Did
he do something to your sister?Yes? He hit their wooden axe in

(34:25):
the head, and then and thebag and then the head, and then
then I saw her eyes roll andthen there was blood of the door.
Was she on the floor when hedid that? Yes? Yes, he
wouldn't make any any noises, wasmaking any noise after hitting the Ma went

(34:51):
cried, She cried, and shecried, okay head And had he hit
her in the head? Yes?Did he stop crying when he hit her
in the head. Yes. Hedescribed being pinned down in the garage and
then he went in the garage afterall of him, and then he um

(35:15):
he brought me on the ground.He brought like he brought me on the
ground, and then he had hisfloot on top. I was lying with
my something. He had slot ontop of me, and he was holding
me down, and he was likeriding a match. He was riding the
match with the did tissue and thenhe threw it down. He drew it

(35:40):
down. He said that he wasable to run from the garage and go
to the kitchen. Do you everremember your father letting you were standing um
so when he tried to put meon the front or whatever. He tried
to light the market, but themirering up and go invacation and then and

(36:07):
then our back up. He won'topen the drawer and then and I remember
my mind was say, I wasn'tunderstand, and then I walked out the
front door. Onneil was allowed tocross examine the little boy he had allegedly
tried to kill. He was instructedto use Ronnie's new legal name, A

(36:28):
was O'Neil stood in front of themonitor where Ronnie could see and hear him.
They exchanged words, you know good. Do you remember doing an interview
when you take the dirt? Yes? Did you guys go basketball and football?

(36:51):
Games things like that together. I'msorry to saying that again. Did
you guys go to Bucks games together? Yes? Did you guys talk about
anything that happened that night? Yeah? So at any time? Did he

(37:19):
talk to you about those things andtell you what to say him today?
Nah? What about your new dad? No? All right? Did you
see me beat your mom? Yeah? Did you see me shoot your mom?

(37:46):
Yeah? Are you sure? Yes? Only asked Ronnie what he remembered
from that night and if he hadseen him shoot or beat his mother.
Ronnie said that he had heard thegunshot from the living room. O'Neill was
expected to be inappropriate and cruel duringhis questioning of the young witness, but

(38:07):
he was careful in alluding to inconsistenciesin the boy's statements to the police and
O'Neill's legal team. The most heartbreakingexchange came when O'Neill questioned his biological son
about what happened to him on thatnight. Did I hurt you that night

(38:28):
of this incident? Yes? Idea, how did I hurt you? Is
stabbing me? On redirect? Theprosecution clarified that Ronnie's initial statements were taken

(38:49):
while he was medicated In hospital.On the next day of testimony, O'Neill's
stepfather, Billy Smith, testified andtold the jury that he had received a
phone call from O'Neil on the nightof the murders. The call had gone
true at eleven forty eight pm.Ah he told me, Kiki is trying
to kill me. Kiki is tryingto kill me. They're trying to kill
me. And then and there wasso much snows behind the background of the

(39:12):
phone, and next thing know,the phone just went dead. Mister Smith
said he became concerned when O'Neil didn'tonto the phone as he tried to call
him back, so they rushed tothe house and found that it was surrounded
by emergency vehicles. A forensic analystwas called to testify about the items he
had examined that were confirmed to havetraces of an accelerant on them. The

(39:34):
only item he tested that did nottest positive for gasoline was the control swab.
Fire investigators testified next. Jeffrey bats, a canine handler and fire investigator,
was called to the scene to determinethe cause of the fire. His
dog Booker alerted to the center gasolinein a number of locations throughout the house
and on a number of items,including the children's clothes and bedrooms. It

(40:00):
was determined that the fire had threeplaces of origin, Renivilla's bedroom where Kenyada
had hidden in the closet, themaster bedroom where Rnivia was killed, and
in the living room. Hillsborough FireRescue investigator James Bacon told the court that
there was a lawnmar found on itsside inside the house. The lid for
the gas tank was missing and thefuel had spilled out onto the floor.

(40:22):
There were pieces of white cloth ortissue found inside, like the tissue Ronnie
had testified that he saw his fatherholding when he struck a match. O'Neill's
burn injuries were believed to have beenflashback burns, the type of injuries seen
on Neil's hand as usually sustained whensomeone is holding something that is set alight.
Pediatric doctor Carol Lily testified that Ronniewas in critical condition un a ventilator.

(40:45):
After arriving at the hospital, O'Neillhung his head as he listened to
the doctor described the boy's injuries,which included burns to twenty five percent of
his body, stab wounds to theneck, face, thigh, and abdomen.
Doctor Lily said she wasn't sure ifRonnie would survive. She told the
court that the life threatening wounds weresome of the most severe they had ever

(41:06):
seen. Detective Michael Blair testified abouthis minimal role on the case and how
he had adopted Ronnie in late twentynineteen. The detective denied speaking of Ronnie
about the case, an obvious pointof contention for the defense, who claimed
Ronnie had been prejudiced against the defendantby his father, who worked with the
investigating detectives. Blair said, Itold him early on that we would never

(41:29):
have any of those conversations or anyconversations about the case at all. Detective
Blair's voice broke as he spoke aboutRonnie's recovery and how he became a part
of their family. When O'Neill wasgiven the opportunity to cross examine the officer
who had since adopted Ronnie, spectatorscollectively held their breath, unsure of what
he would say. O'Neill stood infront of Detective Blair and said the state's

(42:02):
final witness was Detective Thomas Dirks.He testified he had noticed a clothing the
defendant had been wearing at the timeof his arrest were stained with blood,
and he noticed a strong smell ofgasolene. Detective Dirks had been the lead
investigator on the case. When hewas cross examined by O'Neill, they shared
this exchange, drawls, oh,well, I could nearly any murmur in

(42:35):
the escase. Yes, that's whyI arrested you. O'Neill began presenting his
witnesses in the defense. He calledhis former girlfriend, who he shared a
young child with. The woman testifiedthat she had been fighting with Kenyada throughout
the day of the murder on thephone. She had no testimony about the
actual incident, but it was likelyO'Neill's attempt to illustrate that Kenyada was angry

(42:57):
at him. To bolster his claimthat she had been the aggressor. He
called a young neighbor next The neighbortestified that he had heard noises that night
and looked out his window. Hesaid he had heard a loud pop,
followed by screams, and he sawNeil run after Kenyada into the street.
The neighbor said that he saw Neilstrike Kenyada three times with the gun and

(43:17):
that he had shudder. O'Neill's finalwitness was Deputy Christopher Haveron, who had
pulled onneill's phone records. O'Neill triedto imply that the records had been tampered
with as there was no log ofhis nine one Monk call, despite their
being a recording of his call.He did not testify in his own defense
and seemed confused with the judge ashim if he had any more witnesses to

(43:37):
call, when he replied not.At this time, the judge informed him
that it was the end of thetrial. It was then time for the
closing arguments. As he was calledto speak, O'Neill put his hands together
and whispered to himself. The judgeasked him to speak up, and he
said that he was speaking with hisfather. O'Neill started his closing address with

(43:59):
claims of the evidence against him wasfraudulent. He alleged that law enforcement and
the prosecution had tampered with the nineone one audio and autopsy photographs to make
their case. I told you,Earl, you will all true, all

(44:29):
right, mister Neil, Please stopusing swearing language. It's not appropriate in
a closing argument. He said sothey tampered with the face of Kenyada Baron
and put all these extra lacerations onher face, and whoever did it is
definitely going to pay. O'Neil allegedthat his son was not a credible witness

(44:49):
and he had been coerced to givethe testimony against him. He cited inconsistencies
in the statements Ronnie had given whenhe was eight years old, and his
testimony isn't eleven year old. O'Neill'ssaid, he told you that he did
not see me shoot his mom orbeat his mom. He would have to
have been outside to see that.He said that Kenyada had been the one
to kill Rinivilla, stating, youdon't know what happened to my daughter,

(45:12):
but you better believe I know whathappened to my daughter, and that is
why Kenyada Baron is dead. ButI want you. O'Neil had spent around
thirty minutes on his opening statement presentingthe devents's case, and just over an

(45:35):
hour on his closing statement. Duringhis closing statement, the judge had to
warn him to watch his language anddirect his address to the jury as he
repeatedly faced the state attorneys and accusedthem of fabrigating the case. At the
end of his closing statement, heshowed his daughter's autopsy photo and said he
had to see her like that inreal time, alleging that it was Kenyada

(45:55):
that had hurt the children and setfire to the house. Look at my
dog, and none of you knowwhat it's like to see something like that.
That's my baby girl, soud inthe net, sad in the fact,

(46:20):
burn to that. Look how thefire fire brought up of the house.
That's the after effect. You don'tsee. Wild was going down in

(46:42):
real time, my live daughter burnpleading out of our net. I just
had one short, one short segment, and that's it. But I told
you you would find out why yourfavorite was killed. And you all seen
the pictures on my door, andyou've seen the other days, the picture

(47:04):
that they showed you, or myson's stomach cup. You've seen all of
the first scream ferns, third tobe burns on my son covering the twenty
five percent of his body. Andthat's why y'all Barns did because just like
any father with a dumb the samedamn thing and moved in the same similar

(47:29):
way that I hid out of pureinstant and passion. Therefore, if I
were to be convicted, it wouldnot be by clear and convincing evidence.
I showed you several reasonable reasons notto believe what they're telling. You check

(47:52):
it out for yourself. They ifthey convict me, it would not be
by claricalvidit evidence and be all thereading look out, but by delicious persecution.
In direct opposition of the fifty tofourthee themendmis of it, you guys,
says Constitution with guarantee the person shouldnot be the pride of life,

(48:15):
liberty, or property without due processand suf amenity. That's it. Thank
you for this, and they were. The state called O'Neil's allegations conspiracy theories
that have failed. First of all, the defend that admitted to us.
Yeah, I didn't kill any outof them, but Iland gave her his

(48:37):
last three boards. So you know, here's where these conspiracy theories failed,
because how much sense does it make. He's already killed her, so what
else needs to be done? Hecalled a witness who said he saw him
kill her, So what else needsto be done? By the state or

(48:57):
by the sheriff's office. Year she'salready dead at his hand with a shot,
so you need to enter some work. The jury were sent out to
deliberate and returned with a verdict justunder five hours later. O'Neill showed no
emotion as he was found guilty onall accounts. Afterwards, the state Attorney

(49:22):
Andrew Warren said in a statement,these murders are among the most cruel and
vicious our community have ever seen.Sitting in the courtman with the victims family,
hearing a mother's screams, seeing thehorrific pictures of her daughter, It's
hard to fathom how someone can dosomething so barbaric. The jury were then
tasked with deciding the sentence to beimposed during the penalty phase of the trial.

(49:45):
A jury here testimony from the prosecutionand the defense on aggravating and mitigating
factors that should be taken into account. Will they decide the punishment the defendant
would face. O'Neill opted not torepresent himself at this phase of the trial.
Judge Cisco had addressed him and said, I have to tell you,
in another lifetime you would have beenan excellent lawyer. As we move into

(50:07):
penalty phase, I'm really going tostrongly encourage you to consider counsel to step
in and now represent you. Thejury heard testimony from a psychologist, doctor
Scott maclus. Doctor maclus had interviewedO'Neill over a dozen times. He told
the court that O'Neill's father had beendiagnosed with schizophrenia and persecutory delusions and this

(50:28):
can be genetic. He spoke aboutO'Neill's delusions of persecution, saying he talked
about these energy balls and energy wayshe would see going across the room.
That's a visual hallucination. He hadparanoid delusions that people in jail were trying
to kill him. Doctor macklus testifiedthat traumatic incidents could bring out mental illness.

(50:49):
Testimony from O'Neill's mother and brother hadrevealed that he had been sexually abused
as a child. There was alsotestimony about the PTSD he was diagnosed with
after being injured in a drive byshooting five months before the murders. The
state highlighted the aggravating factors. Theysaid the murders were especially heinous and the
victims had suffered an enormous amount priorto death. Speaking about Rohnivia, Asa

(51:10):
Harmon said she is disabled, sheis vulnerable because of it. She can't
help herself at all. She can'teven talk, and this is her dad
that's murdering her. The aggravating factorsthat have been proven to you as it
applied to missus Barron and her nineyear old daughter's murder, are an avalanche
of significance and power that overrides andblots out, and he suggested mitigation.

(51:35):
Dana Hurst Fullguera addressed the jurors onO'Neil's behalf. She said, probably the
most important decision you will ever make, as it should be when there's a
human life at stay. The trialus deal with the crimes for which mister
and the found guilty of. However, this portion of the seeings will now

(52:00):
bill his farm, mister Arnel,his life, his character, and why
his life is worth say. Afterthree hours, the jury returned and recommended
O'Neil will be sentenced to life inprison as opposed to capital punishment. They
had to reach an unanimous verdict inorder to sentence him to death, so
all it took was just one jurorto save his life. At a sentencing

(52:24):
hearing, members of Kenyada's family spoketo the court. Her eleven year old
niece said that a part of herheart was missing after losing her beautiful aunt
and cousin. Ken Yada's mother,Carrie Lloyd, told the judge she wished
the sentence could be overruled and hecould sentence death instead. Miss Lloyd said,
I wish you would have gotten thedeath penalty. Every action has a

(52:45):
reaction, and the reaction to youractions. It's going to be sitting in
your prison cell for the rest ofyour life with your thoughts. He don't
what a coward would do. I'mnot pleased with the verdict and I wish
you could overturn it and give himwhat he's rightfully due. I still got
justice, whether family know it ornot. I got justice because at the
end of the day, it's true, I go to the grave and I'll

(53:06):
visit my two children at the grave. But at the end of the day,
they're resting at the bosom of God. But him, he's going to
be so miserable behind those bars thathe's going to wish he was dead.
Outside of the court, Miss Lloydspoke about missing her grandson, who had
been adopted by another family. Althoughhe had survived he too had been taken
from her. Kenyada's sister Jessada,said, I don't feel sorry for you.

(53:30):
You were sent to kill, steal, and destroy like the devil himself,
and that's what you are. Sowhen you sit in that cell for
the rest of your life, rememberyou don't leave out until you're in a
box. He took a disable littlechild and her mother in the most inhumane
way possible, slaughtered them. Ifyou can't tell what's worth of life,
then I kind of lost a littlebit of faith in the justice system because

(53:52):
if anything that's worth of life.Kenyada's world revolved around her children. There
was not a place in her homeyou didn't see their foe those. Although
Navey could not verbally speak, shewould express herself through her attire and her
bows. She literally had a bow. A day, O'Neill stood to speak,
having earlier said he wouldn't, andhe said, at first, I

(54:15):
want to say I'm not sorry forthe things I didn't do, and I'm
not sorry for the things I diddo, but I will say I'm sorry
for your loss. Everybody wants topoint fingers and play the blame game without
knowing actual facts. Everybody wants totalk justice without giving it. O'Neill was
worn to face the judge as hekept addressing the victim's family directly. He

(54:37):
insisted that he had taken care ofhis family and refused to accept responsibility,
and said, there is not oneperson in this world who love Kenyata Barron
more than me, and there isnot one person in this world who love
my children more than me. DoI look like I'm insane to you?
And if I don't look insane,and if I'm able to represent myself in
trial, you have to ask yourselfwhy would a man kill his own children

(55:00):
who he loved. An emotional voicefrom the spectator's gallery cried out, because
you're evil. The judge addressed O'Neiland spoke about how the case had been
the worst she had seen in hercareer. She recalled trying not to cry
when Donald Foster testified about finding niviousbody inside the house. Nineteen years I've

(55:21):
been in this job. I've seena human beings build at the hands of
others in every way imagine you nameit. I've seen duty, yeah,
brown cars, and the US horrible. This is the worst case I have

(55:42):
ever seen. As far as whenthe person from prior department, and when
he said that he retreated the bodyof Nidio O'Neil from the home and all
you to with sok to get everybodyounce. I had not. She starts

(56:04):
sobbing too, because there is noway any person who any feeling could have
witnessed or seeing the photos of whatoccurred that kind and not be haunted for
the rest of your life. Iknow why will be for the rest of
my life. I'll be haunted bywhat I saw as far as the evidence

(56:25):
and just the abject rules. Heof all the abject rules, and I
was aware there were some evidence ofthese that when you needed to recover from
your gunshop, because I know,I knew that this Baron is not with
you romantically at the time, andI knew that she just out of the
goodness of her heart, who letsyou will come stay with her. And

(56:51):
it is beyond tragic that that criticaldecision ended in so much horror for her
and for her children. It isunspeeably cool what happened as a result of
that one decision. The way thatmiss Baron died was pro rific, and

(57:15):
that nine one one call which capturedtruly, all of it. You've heard
and everyone was heard that nine oneone call heard a death screen. If
anybody ever wants to know what itsounds like for human being dies knowing that
their death is imminent, that's exactlywhat it is. That was a death

(57:37):
screen. What happened to little RunIndia? And it's little Run. But
I'm gonna focus on Rhanidia because shewas special and you did tell Miss Baron
had done everything she could to createa beautiful home of her family. I
noticed that the Brandia's bedroom before heset it on fire. You can tell

(58:00):
she tried so hard to make herfeel like a princess. She Didna did
everything she could. And I noticedtoo in the kitchen on the refrigerator she
put at magnets that said faith,love, family, hope. And then
you know what else happened at therefrigerator during that night. You've got flatter

(58:22):
the blood all over it due towhat happened. What were an idiot?
She couldn't scream, she couldn't runaway, and she witnessed what you did
to her mother for a shooting hermother in the arm of the gunshot she
did, and the horror that thatchild suffered, and she already had a

(58:45):
life where she was born with challengesregarding her physical and her mental disabilities.
But the pain and suffering that shesuffered that night at your hands undispeakable,
absolutely unspeakable. And at the momentthat first time you struck her with that

(59:07):
hatching, and little Ranie testified thatall he could see his tears coming out
of his sister's face. At thatmoment, that child knew, she knew
she was being betrayed in the rulest, most tragic, and sorrowful way that
a child could ever be betrayed.She was being betrayed by her parents,

(59:30):
the one person that should be thereto protect your children and love them and
keep them from harm. And thatthe last thing that child felt before she
passed on from this earth, yourunder the rule betrayal to her. And
I read somewhere, and I don'tknow if it's true or not, I

(59:52):
have no idea, but I readsomewhere that souls picked their lives and that
they know exactly how difficult their livesare going to be before they injure into
this world. And I don't knowthat's true enough, but it is Rolivian
O'Neill is one of the bravest soulsI've ever come across in my fifty four

(01:00:12):
years on this planet, one ofthe bravest ever ever because she suffered so
fragmatically. Ronnie O'Neill was sentenced onJuly twenty two, twenty one. He
received three life sentences plus consecutive sentencestotally sixty years for his crimes. He

(01:00:38):
will never be released from prison.Ronnie lives with his adoptive family and is
said to be recovering better than anyonecould have imagined. Danielle Blair told The
Washington Post. I can't believe wherehe is and what he has managed to
work through and process, and reallyhow much healing has happened in such a
short period of time. He isjust an incredib about loving little boy,

(01:01:00):
and that might happen to him,but really it doesn't define him.