Paula Kurland

She always had a smile on her face.

He'd been celebrating her birthday and had fallen asleep at her house.

Our fight was hand-to-hand, face-to-face the whole time.

Ron was stabbed 19 times before the killer turned and ran.

Ron made it outside and collapsed.

A neighbor called the police.

The crime here was brutal and frightening.

There was no motive and no suspect.

The police, though, did have one significant lead.

As he fought for his life, Ron Ross had managed to turn the murderer's own knife against him, cutting him in the arm.

Now, whoever he was, wherever he was, the cops knew the killer would be hurt and looking for help.

Police followed that blood trail, canvassed the neighborhood and found two witnesses who said a friend of theirs had just come by asking for bandages.

I got a call from Ronnie's father.

Dale said, baby, they got the bastard.

And I said, you're kidding.

He said, no.

And he said,

His name is John Wayne Nobles.

Jonathan Wayne Nobles, a 25-year-old ex-con with a history of petty crime and mental illness.

He'd been abusing drugs since he was 10 years old.