A jury found a former Miami-Dade correctional officer not guilty of murder-related charges but convicted him of a misdemeanor charge in the death of an inmate in 2022.
For the past week, Miami-Dade prosecutors have tried to convince jurors that Ronald Connor participated in the brutal fatal beating of an inmate suffering from a mental health illness.
Connor was one of four officers arrested in 2022 after 60-year-old Ronald Ingram was found dead. Prosecutors say the inmate was left with over 20 broken ribs after getting kicked, punched, and slammed inside Dade Correctional Institution.
Last month, correctional officers Christopher Rolon, Kirk Walton, and Jeremy Godbolt pleaded guilty and accepted a 20-year prison deal in Ingram's death. As part of the plea, the three men testified in the trial of Connor.
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Ingram was being transferred to get better medical treatment, however, prosecutors say he became upset and threw urine at the officers.
The urine became a motivation for officers to start beating the man, according to state attorneys.
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“They got their punch. They got their kick," said Assistant State Attorney Carolina Sanchez.
Connor, the last officer with an open case, was not offered a plea deal and faced up to life in prison if convicted. The 26-year-old faced murder, conspiracy to commit murder and battery charges.
A jury on Tuesday found him not guilty of all murder-related charges, but found him guilty of culpable negligence, a misdemeanor.
“Ronald Ingram was killed and beaten. They were mad about the urine" said Tim Vandergiesen, an Assistant State Attorney.
On the other hand, Connor claimed he was innocent. He denounced his former colleagues who told jurors they saw him slamming the inmate.
Defense attorneys claimed their client is not a man who would’ve been involved in such a beating. They even brought childhood friends to testify in front of jurors.
“He doesn’t have a reputation of violence or aggression,” said James, Connor's family friend.
“A person's character is not something that happens overnight. When you have four people coming in you have the same reputation…that is who you are," said Damaris Del Valle, an attorney representing Connor.
Connor was sentenced to 60 days, but has credit for time served. He's expected to be released from jail Wednesday.
