I might be a novice at this, but I love to read and listen closely to facts. I don't allow passion or emotion to override truth in awareness. "A fresh pair of eyes and a fresh pair of ears!"
It seems kind of strange to me that Catherine Huttula who was married to Ron Reynolds in the 1990's lived across the street from Mark and Rhonda who were once very good friends would not be a suspect at all. Her name not mentioned as a suspect as it should be. I find this interesting because; "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". Catherine reminds me of a woman who waits and waits until the rival or adversary makes a mistake and she goes in for the kill. It seems especially true when Catherine is returning to her rightful place and position as the door shuts on Rhonda. The last chapter in Ron's book of weaknesses, Catherine senses her triumph and sleeps in his bed as her trophy of her victory. "Hey, something really worth looking into!"
Everyone should be looking at Catherine as a suspect. She had a motive because she feels Rhonda was responsible for her breakup with her husband Ron and five kids. Rhonda in many ways had her problems previous to her breakup with Mark, so it appears. But mothers, bless their hearts have unconditional love even if their child is not perfect in many respects. The story tells of sorted details of Rhonda's character, good, bad or otherwise, she does not deserve to be dead.
It's easy to blame Ron and his son because they were immediate suspects since Rhonda was leaving that night after being asked to leave for several reasons based on her integrity. But when Rhonda left the message on her mirror with her phone number to be reached ... that little piece of information was more revealing than anyone wanted to take notice. She was leaving and she was intensely upset about it because she was being kicked out and the victor Catherine was moving back in. The fact that Catherine was back in the house one day after the "Murder" was more motive than even the detectives ensuing the case took into consideration. The fact she slept and admitted to sleeping in Ron's bed while Rhonda's body was lying in the morgue is a true indicator of Catherine's true demeanor. The fact that Catherine intimated that her "friend" Rhonda had told her countlessly that she wanted to commit suicide but isn't it rather strange she didn't tell anyone or didn't do anything about it? It's uglier than anyone could imagine.
Ron left his wife of many years for Rhonda, who was a beautiful woman on the outside and when he started seeing Rhonda's imperfections ... One being a 20,000.00 credit card bill ... he just could not live with her being out of control with money and bills he could not afford to pay. She was high maintenance woman.
The other thing I found interesting, is that Ron intimated that having one last sexual jaunt with Rhonda the night she supposedly committed suicide .. even in his weakest moment, could not deny himself from one last act of sex with Rhonda on her persistence of trying to stay on- she didn't want to leave. Ron took advantage of Rhonda's lowest point. It tells you a lot about his character.
I do think it was all staged to look like a suicide. I think Ron and his son's know very well that Catherine was involved. I even think she pulled the trigger which was part of the staging. Since she was not a suspect, she was never checked for gun residue and so none was ever really found on Rhonda and or people who were living in the house. But no one checked the would be suspects that were not living at the home. And yes all the people in that house that night heard the gun go off, but no one wanted to admit it ... like they are all in denial of truth.
So when Ron and his son say they didn't do it ... they were right- they didn't do it but they were part of it. they are part of the betrayal. They are accomplices to a murder.
A lot of ranting to go along with however you ended up feeling about this which I did not read. Usually when long winded they are unsure about what they are saying, hoping that all their words proves they are right.
Several pieces of physical evidence not mentioned in this TV story are documented in Ann Rule's book and are, for me, proof that Ronda did not commit suicide. Most damming was the lividity in her body. At death, gravity pulls the blood to the lowest areas of the body. When officials moved Ronda's body around 10am, the pooled blood had coagulated to the point where it remained fixed in place. This takes at least six hours, often eight, putting the time of Ronda's death no later than 4am, probably earlier. This evidence absolutely contradicts Mr. Reynolds's contention that he was speaking to Ronda until about 5:30am. Or at least - she hadn't been talking back for several hours by that point.
I do believe that Mr. Reynolds did not hear the gunshot. After having sex with Ronda, I think he went to his ex-wife's house for a little more sex and to persuade her to move back with him after Ronda left for the airport in the morning. Plans went awry when Peeping John - or one of his friends - shot Rhonda after she asked them to quiet down so she could sleep. Daddy had to rush back and spend some hours staging a suicide, cleaning up (explaining the humidity in the bathroom), and masking the odour from his son's drugs (explaining the strong smell of incense).
Then pesky contradictions like the closet door being open, Ronda being right handed, the physics of gun recoil, Ronda's fingerprints being absent from the gun, and the time of lividity all started paving a path for their nemesis, Barb Thompson. Instead of suing Ms Thompson, they should be grateful the police contaminated or destroyed the evidence. Otherwise, they'd be in jail now.
There is so much pain for everyone involved, but that doesn't change the fact that the best evidence was overlooked, not saved, and many parts of the justice system did not work as designed. The only truth here is that there will never be a definite answer to this case. I am not sure how the Coroner's inquest could reach enough of a conclusion to legitimately call the case a homicide based on the sketchy hearsay that remained. In the end, it should have been listed as inconclusive.
How many people have been sent to prison with the same kind of circumstantial evidence and determination to "BLAME" someone? I certainly wouldn't want to be Ron or Jon, but I couldn't see where they should suffer the penalty of maybe guilty because everyone else did not do their job properly. The mother should be diligent, but she has to put the majority of the blame where it is deserved (the police investigation and lack of follow-up) and not on the witch hunt that is never going to result in anything good.
That son is the worst liar i've ever seen. It's so unbelievably obvious that he killed her.I'm really good at reading people, even when they're great liars, but this one seems so blatantly obvious that it's almost funny. And I don't give two hoots about whether or not he used drugs or not either. That doesn't lessen how guilty you are.....by a long shot. Leave it to this country's ignorant, inept, wimpy, hypocritical, sexist, and severely lacking in common sense justice system too to get rid of evidence before a coroner's inquest determining the fact of whether it's a suicide or homicide.
I agree i cant believe the ex wife came walking out in her robe with the woman lay dead in the other room...where is the justice systems brain when us common folk can figure it out?
I think what likely happened was he had told her the marriage was over. All night long they fought about it...she was distraught and desperate. I know how desperate and irrational you get when you think it's over and are bombarded with all those emotions and fears at once. She probably went back and forth between rational and distraught based on his reactions to whatever she was saying during the night. I think it reached a point he fell asleep finally, unable to stay awake anymore and deal with it...and she knew it was over, she was out of options that were working and she committed suicide. Typically when a woman is fighting with her spouse and not getting the reaction she needs...she'll say she's sleeping in another room...hoping to get an emotional reaction from her husband and for him to come get her and bring her back to the room they share. Ronda did this and he didn't come to get her and she committed suicide.
REALLY??? She had plans to visit her mother the next day, makes phone calls to other people who detected nothing. Then the ex (who he was having an affair with) comes over and stays in the same bed as him? I mean come on. If it walks like a duck talks like a duck ITS A DUCK!
Do you think that Jon had not tried to spy on his step-mother, (I don't know if you noticed but she had a great figure). The way she reacted humiliated pervy Jon, and that lit the fuse. Then when things came to a head hopped up Jon snapped. I certainly wouldn't want him as the pricipal of my kids school I can assure you of that. That man was white and dry lipped throughout the interview. He looked like he was about to fall off the chair. Thought he was smart by not 'protesting too much.' he didn't protest enough and 13 yrs. has't made the lies any better.
There is no doubt that the step-son pulled the trigger and the father is involved as well. There are certain indications when someone is lying and they definitely "fit the bill". I admire Ronda's mother for her efforts. Now Ronda's death has been ruled a "Homicide", a Cold Case is still open for investigation. There is no statue of limitation for Murder. Justice will prevail. Working in law enforcement for 34 yrs, I have seen this many times. I say to Ronda's mother, keep pushing to have the case investigated.
I believe Ron Reynolds...he just doesn't come off as if he is lying. Does he come off as the most honorable person? Absolutely not, but that doesn't equate to being a murderer. His son however comes off as very shady and I do believe without a doubt that he was watching Rhonda in the shower and got caught. I have a brother who is on meth and it turns you into a violent, narcissistic liar. He will lie to our face and it's like he completely believes his lies. His sense of right and wrong is gone as are his emotions. My husband could sleep through a gunshot. He has slept through a violent thunder storm that I had no idea how he did it. So I don't hold that against Ron Reynolds either. Also...I have been in the place that they say Rhonda was in emotionally. So distraught that I wanted to die. I didn't keep guns in the house because of that. Not because I didn't trust my husband but because I didn't trust myself with them. If I had taken my life, everyone would be saying the same thing...she would NEVER do that. Because you carry that pain inside and your friends and family have no idea. They think they do but they don't at all. I'd go from being rational one moment to being completely distraught to the point of hitting myself to end that feeling the next. Only my husband saw this, no one else would even begin to imagine it going on. I think Ron probably got immune to her pain, was insensitive to it or turned his back on it at the wrong time but I don't think he murdered her. It sounded like she had issues with honesty, depression and financial fraud herself and maybe he had dealt with that long enough that he just got immune to her pain. I am truly sorry for the Mom's pain, but I think she has gotten caught up in the attention she receives over this, for being associated with Ann Rule and the validation she feels as a Mom and a person for pursuing it with such intensity and longevity. When I watched her interviews that is the feeling I got.
Yeah, the son is clearly a drug addict, and the father is a cheating, unethical slimeball. But that does not make someone a murderer. I am not saying there is no way they did it, but there doesn't really seem to be any evidence that they did. There certainly isn't a motive. She was LEAVING the marriage the very next day, so he didn't need to kill her to get rid of her. Suicides don't get life insurance, so there was no financial motive. It doesn't really make any sense whatsoever. Everyone seems to overlook the fact that she was shady herself, having to resign because of stealing money by collecting dual paychecks. She ran up debt immediately in her marriage. She had issues. My point being that this isn't a clear cut case, both sides being untrustworthy.
"90210" comments are obviously someone from that evil family. Please, your hatred for Miss Rule obviously comes from a personal place. Emaciated body & rotten teeth equals meh addict. It is a miracle if all of his boys aren't addicts when they were spawned by those two. What "man of God" leaves his wife that he has 4 kids with, moves in with another woman 5 weeks later then, sleeps with his ex in the same house with the boys present? That is a despicable, poor excuse for a father. Not to mention marriage counselor or principal! And him telling people that she seduced him! Wow! That is one delusional, narcissistic, disgusting (physical & emotional) loser! Also, they mentioned that the meth addict lives with his girl friend & her son. How desperate must one be for a warm body in their bed that you would allow that around your child? Shame on her! Lastly, what comes around goes around. If they are never punished by the law, they will get what they have coming to them, some how, some way. God bless you Barb. May you find some peace & joy in your life.
TGAUSTIN I thought the same thing about the son as soon as he opened his mouth. Meth mouth was a dead giveaway. Amen to your other observations of the character of the "good" man. I hope Barb takes them to civil court.
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It seems kind of strange to me that Catherine Huttula who was married to Ron Reynolds in the 1990's lived across the street from Mark and Rhonda who were once very good friends would not be a suspect at all. Her name not mentioned as a suspect as it should be. I find this interesting because; "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". Catherine reminds me of a woman who waits and waits until the rival or adversary makes a mistake and she goes in for the kill. It seems especially true when Catherine is returning to her rightful place and position as the door shuts on Rhonda. The last chapter in Ron's book of weaknesses, Catherine senses her triumph and sleeps in his bed as her trophy of her victory. "Hey, something really worth looking into!"
Everyone should be looking at Catherine as a suspect. She had a motive because she feels Rhonda was responsible for her breakup with her husband Ron and five kids. Rhonda in many ways had her problems previous to her breakup with Mark, so it appears. But mothers, bless their hearts have unconditional love even if their child is not perfect in many respects. The story tells of sorted details of Rhonda's character, good, bad or otherwise, she does not deserve to be dead.
It's easy to blame Ron and his son because they were immediate suspects since Rhonda was leaving that night after being asked to leave for several reasons based on her integrity. But when Rhonda left the message on her mirror with her phone number to be reached ... that little piece of information was more revealing than anyone wanted to take notice. She was leaving and she was intensely upset about it because she was being kicked out and the victor Catherine was moving back in. The fact that Catherine was back in the house one day after the "Murder" was more motive than even the detectives ensuing the case took into consideration. The fact she slept and admitted to sleeping in Ron's bed while Rhonda's body was lying in the morgue is a true indicator of Catherine's true demeanor. The fact that Catherine intimated that her "friend" Rhonda had told her countlessly that she wanted to commit suicide but isn't it rather strange she didn't tell anyone or didn't do anything about it? It's uglier than anyone could imagine.
Ron left his wife of many years for Rhonda, who was a beautiful woman on the outside and when he started seeing Rhonda's imperfections ... One being a 20,000.00 credit card bill ... he just could not live with her being out of control with money and bills he could not afford to pay. She was high maintenance woman.
The other thing I found interesting, is that Ron intimated that having one last sexual jaunt with Rhonda the night she supposedly committed suicide .. even in his weakest moment, could not deny himself from one last act of sex with Rhonda on her persistence of trying to stay on- she didn't want to leave. Ron took advantage of Rhonda's lowest point. It tells you a lot about his character.
I do think it was all staged to look like a suicide. I think Ron and his son's know very well that Catherine was involved. I even think she pulled the trigger which was part of the staging. Since she was not a suspect, she was never checked for gun residue and so none was ever really found on Rhonda and or people who were living in the house. But no one checked the would be suspects that were not living at the home. And yes all the people in that house that night heard the gun go off, but no one wanted to admit it ... like they are all in denial of truth.
So when Ron and his son say they didn't do it ... they were right- they didn't do it but they were part of it. they are part of the betrayal. They are accomplices to a murder.
I do believe that Mr. Reynolds did not hear the gunshot. After having sex with Ronda, I think he went to his ex-wife's house for a little more sex and to persuade her to move back with him after Ronda left for the airport in the morning. Plans went awry when Peeping John - or one of his friends - shot Rhonda after she asked them to quiet down so she could sleep. Daddy had to rush back and spend some hours staging a suicide, cleaning up (explaining the humidity in the bathroom), and masking the odour from his son's drugs (explaining the strong smell of incense).
Then pesky contradictions like the closet door being open, Ronda being right handed, the physics of gun recoil, Ronda's fingerprints being absent from the gun, and the time of lividity all started paving a path for their nemesis, Barb Thompson. Instead of suing Ms Thompson, they should be grateful the police contaminated or destroyed the evidence. Otherwise, they'd be in jail now.
How many people have been sent to prison with the same kind of circumstantial evidence and determination to "BLAME" someone? I certainly wouldn't want to be Ron or Jon, but I couldn't see where they should suffer the penalty of maybe guilty because everyone else did not do their job properly. The mother should be diligent, but she has to put the majority of the blame where it is deserved (the police investigation and lack of follow-up) and not on the witch hunt that is never going to result in anything good.
My husband could sleep through a gunshot. He has slept through a violent thunder storm that I had no idea how he did it. So I don't hold that against Ron Reynolds either.
Also...I have been in the place that they say Rhonda was in emotionally. So distraught that I wanted to die. I didn't keep guns in the house because of that. Not because I didn't trust my husband but because I didn't trust myself with them. If I had taken my life, everyone would be saying the same thing...she would NEVER do that. Because you carry that pain inside and your friends and family have no idea. They think they do but they don't at all. I'd go from being rational one moment to being completely distraught to the point of hitting myself to end that feeling the next. Only my husband saw this, no one else would even begin to imagine it going on. I think Ron probably got immune to her pain, was insensitive to it or turned his back on it at the wrong time but I don't think he murdered her. It sounded like she had issues with honesty, depression and financial fraud herself and maybe he had dealt with that long enough that he just got immune to her pain.
I am truly sorry for the Mom's pain, but I think she has gotten caught up in the attention she receives over this, for being associated with Ann Rule and the validation she feels as a Mom and a person for pursuing it with such intensity and longevity. When I watched her interviews that is the feeling I got.