Ronnie Long’s Too Long Freedom Fight
By CELESTE M. HART
“Is Ronnie home yet?” were Elizabeth Long’s last words, said Ronnie Long as he spoke solemnly from Allendale prison, an institution where he has been held captive, since the age of 20, for 44 years, convicted by an all-white jury, in 1976, for the rape of a 54 year old white woman, Sarah Bost, deceased, in Concord, NC, also known as a racist town. Ronnie’s mother, Elizabeth, died July 11, 2020, at age 89. On August 25, the Fourth Circuit Court, that hears appeals from the Carolinas, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland, granted Ronnie’s freedom.
“She tried to hold on. I think about what my mother and father who died 10 years ago, suffered through, they were locked up right along with me,” said Ronnie.
Ronnie, now 64, said when he was arrested, that first call was to his mother. She asked did he need a lawyer. A detective said her son would be there about 15 to 20 minutes. Ronnie was sentenced to 80 years.
“Momma said call me when they’re done. I never made that second call,” said Ronnie.
Ronnie talked about the last call to his mother, the day before she died.
“I thought you told me you were going to be there when I get out. What are you doing? In my heart and in my mind, I know she was sick. I told my sister, Lynda, go on, let her go. I believe she died of a broken heart. How do you prepare for something like that? You only got one momma,” said Ronnie.
Ronnie refused to attend his mother’s funeral.
“I didn’t want have that visualization of her in a casket. I will remember my mother sitting in her chair. My mother was very stern, we had to attend church, every Sunday, all day,” said Ronnie.
Ronnie talked about his losses, the death of his grandmother and two sisters.
‘People take a lot of things for granted like cutting the grass, washing the car, smelling the flowers,” said Ronnie. “It won’t be right away but one day I’m gonna walk down that driveway.”
Ronnie said the Fourth Circuit confirmed his constant cry of actual innocence and that a violation of his constitutional rights occurred. Judges Stephanie Thatcher, a white Obama nominee, and James Wynn, a Black native of Concord, wrote strong statements that favored Ronnie’s innocence and abhorred the injustice. They stated constant and extreme police misconduct contributed to Ronnie’s wrongful conviction and he was ‘not linked to the crime scene in any way.”
“When a state tests evidence in an effort to build a case, it is the state’s responsibility to turn over the results to the defendant…rather than hide the fact that the tests ever occurred. In this case, the state did lie and withheld evidence,” wrote Thacker.
“Given our country’s historical treatment of Black men accused of raping white women, takes on a particularly sinister meaning because Ronnie could have been killed, at that time,” wrote Wynn.
Attorney Jamie Lau, Duke University Law professor, worked tirelessly for years to exonerate Ronnie, said the case bears racial injustice and NC should look at its racist past before moving forward in confronting systemic racial injustice.
Lynda Smith, Ronnie’s sister, of seven siblings, said she is extremely excited about his release from prison, on August 27th, “free at last, free at last, God almighty, he is free at last.”
“My only regret is that momma did not live to see this day. I know she is looking down and now resting peacefully. I can tell her, yes momma, Ronnie is home,” said Lynda.
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