The Murder of William ‘Bill’ Ross

For this case, I watched an episode of Does Murder Sleep? It’s season 1 episode 6, titled ‘To Kiss or Kill.’

A loving family man is killed in the middle of the night.

Background

William ‘Bill’ Ross, or Bill, was described as an all-around nice person and devout Christian. He loved to do things to help his community. He was a volunteer firefighter and helped troubled youth from his church. He and his wife, Kimberly would let kids or teenagers stay with them in their home until they got back on their feet.

The 911 Call

On February 14, 2007, Kimberly called 911 around 1:45 a.m. On the phone, Kimberly sounded frantic. She said that her husband had been shot. She said she didn’t know the people who had done it, but that there was a lot of blood.

Kimberly was asked by the dispatcher if anyone was applying pressure to her husband’s wounds. She said she couldn’t get to him because she was tied up.

When deputies from the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office arrived, they found a 19-year-old named Justin Young in the hallway of the home. Justin was a troubled kid who had been living in the house for about 2 months. Justin’s wrists and ankles were bound with twine.

Kimberly and Bill were found in their bedroom. Kimberly had still been on the phone with the dispatcher at the time. She could be heard calling out for help. Kimberly’s wrists were bound with some kind of cable.

Bill was found still alive and moving. However, he couldn’t answer basic questions. There was blood found on the bed and coming from Bill’s head. He was rushed to the hospital but eventually succumbed to his injuries.

The Investigation

Kimberly and Justin were both removed from the house for treatment and to be interviewed by the police. As Kimberly was being led out of the house, she told the police that her car, a gray 2007 Nissan Versa, was missing from the driveway.

Kimberly said that she and Bill were in bed when two young men came into the house. She said they were wearing black hoodies and black masks. Justin’s story was very similar.

Justin claimed that he had been asleep. He said one of the men told him he wouldn’t be hurt if he stayed quiet. He was able to tell the police that one of the men wore purple surgical gloves.

The murder weapon was taken from a gun cabinet in the house, which was still open when the police arrived. A box of ammunition was also taken from the gun cabinet and left out in the living room.

A cell phone and .380 shell casings were found. A ladder had been left outside the home under Justin’s window. One of the deputies said he almost tripped over it. No fingerprints were found on any of these items or on Justin’s windowsill.

A Sketchy Story

The police believed that there was more to the story as something was just not adding up.

Kimberly was interviewed again. This time, she said that the two men came into the house and asked for Bill’s friend, Jimmy Whitmire. Kimberly said that the two men were asking for the money that Jimmy owed them.

Justin was asked how he was able to get down the hallway with his ankles tied together. The police said that the question seemed to really stump him. He eventually said he took baby steps to get down the hallway.

The police came up with a ruse. They told Justin that Bill was doing well and was able to speak to them soon.

While he waited in jail, Justin told his girlfriend on the phone that he had witnessed Bill being shot but wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger.

Justin’s Story

On February 15, Justin was interviewed again.

Justin told the police that he had been living in the house for 2 months but wanted to leave. He said that there was another person involved. He gave the police a name: Megan Jones. She had lived in the home for a while before Justin did. Megan was on probation at the time and had a restraining order against her from a woman named Ashley Cook. Megan had worked as a medic for a while and had access to purple surgical gloves.

Megan was interviewed. She said she had known Kimberly for years. She told the police that Bill was abusive to Kimberly. Megan said she came home one day and found Kimberly in the corner and crying. Megan said she knew that Kimberly had once had two broken arms and had ended up in the hospital.

Megan had met and became romantically involved with Ashley Cook. They moved in together at one point and lived in a trailer that Kimberly and Bill were paying for. Megan introduced Ashley to Kimberly and they bonded. Megan and Ashley got into a fight about a week before the murder and Megan moved out.

Megan had an alibi for the night of the murder and was eliminated as a suspect. She did admit to being around Justin and Ashley while they discussed their plans to get rid of Bill.

The Murder Plot

The police wanted to speak to Ashley, and they drove to her trailer. Kimberly’s car was found in a church parking lot, not far from the trailer where Ashley lived. A search warrant was obtained for the car and for the trailer.

Ashley admitted to knowing that there were issues in Bill and Kimberly’s marriage. She said was contacted by Justin in the middle of the night on the night of the murder. Ashley said she never went inside the house, but Justin had given her the keys to Kimberly’s car. The keys were found inside her trailer.

The police knew Ashley was not telling the truth. On February 17, 2007, Bill’s family returned to his house to collect some of his clothing. They heard a phone vibrating repeatedly. It was found in Kimberly’s dresser. They answered it, and it was a man trying to get a hold of her. The man said he was her fiance.

The man lived in Oklahoma and had sent her thousands of dollars. The man believed that Bill was Kimberly’s brother. The man was interviewed by the police. He was embarrassed by how badly she had conned him. The police knew that this man was not involved in the murder.

Kimberly’s ex-husband, William Galloway was also contacted. William was interviewed in this episode. He said that Kimberly was a pathological liar, but very smart. Kimberly had sent William to jail several times and accused him of abusing her. William said Kimberly had tried to kill him while he slept.

The Arrests

The police wanted to speak to Ashley again. While she waited in the interrogation room, she sent several texts to Kimberly. She didn’t know that the police were in possession of Kimberly’s phone. In the messages, Ashley threatened to tell the police everything if Kimberly didn’t help her.

Ashley was confronted, and she finally told the truth. Kimberly had been telling anyone who would listen that Bill was abusing her. On the night of the murder, Ashley had gotten a taxi to the Golden Gallon, about a mile or so from the Ross home. Justin had placed a ladder outside his window for her and she climbed in through the window.

Justin loaded the pistol for Ashley and told her how to shoot it. Ashley shot Bill while he was asleep in his bed. She helped tie Justin up before she left. She left in the car and took the gun with her. The pistol was found in the trailer underneath her mattress. The police also recovered purple surgical gloves.

Kimberly, Justin, and Ashley were all arrested. Kimberly continued to lie and said that Bill had been raping and abusing her. There was never any evidence that Bill had abused her.

The Convictions

While awaiting trial, Kimberly told her mom on the phone that she was next in line for Bill’s $150,000 life insurance policy.

Kimberly lied for so long but eventually admitted to being involved. She said she wanted to get out of her marriage. She manipulated Justin and Ashley by saying that Bill was abusive.

Justin agreed to testify against Kimberly and Ashley. Justin was sentenced to 35 years. Kimberly was sentenced to life in prison.

Ashley went to trial. Ashley’s defense was that she was under the influence and duress of Kimberly. She was sentenced to life in prison.

Bill’s friend, Jimmy was never involved in the murder.

*Ashley Cook, Justin Young and Kimberly Ross*

FINAL THOUGHTS

Kimberly’s ex, William said it best, Kimberly is a pathological liar. She manipulated so many people and ruined so many lives. I hope she rots in prison. It’s pretty safe to say that people will be a lot safer with her in prison.

Sources

https://thecinemaholic.com/bill-ross-murder/

https://www.nationalenquirer.com/crime-investigation/valentines-day-present-3-shots-head/

https://casetext.com/case/cook-v-state-756

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCCA/2010/rossk_060910.pdf