Ron Presba Murder Case: Who Killed Him and Why?

Ron Presba murder

Ron Presba Murder: How Did Ron Presba Die? Who Killed Ron Presba? – On June 25, 2008, a fire inspector from El Dorado County, California, saw a vehicle through the smoke after responding to a fire in a deep ravine along a winding backcountry road. Oldag suspected the fire was linked to a missing person’s report filed a day earlier by Ron Presba’s wife, Patricia, for her husband, a 54-year-old well-liked business leader. After going out for propane, he’d never returned to his Garden Valley house.

To confirm that the driver was Ron, the charred remains were sent to the coroner’s office. The burned-out SUV belongs to the Presbas, according to investigators. Investigators told filmmakers that his wife, Patty, who worked for the California Conservation Corps, was horrified when she got the news.

It’s essentially a tragic love story that plays out like a film noir where desire, obsession, and manipulation are both anticipated and shocking in the NBC Dateline, ‘The Seductionpodcast series.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about Ron Presba murder, including the specifics of who he was as a person, as well as his heinous murder and unmasked assailants, we’ve got you covered.

Must Read: Where is Ron Presba’s Wife Patty Presba Now?
Ron Presba
Ron Presba

Who was Ron Presba and How Did He Die?

Ronald “Ron” Roy Presba, who died at the age of 54, had not only built a wonderful life for himself and his family in Garden Valley, California, but he was also a well-liked, hard-working local. There was no one in the community who didn’t hold him in great esteem, and some even felt he was so generous that he “would give a person the clothes off his back.”

Ron, according to his two daughters, always attempted to see the good in people, regardless of whether he knew them or not, which is why his untimely death devastated El Dorado County to its core.

Authorities went to a fire at the Chili Bar Canyon area of Highway 193 on June 25, 2008, only to discover Ron’s charred remains inside his entirely burned-out truck. The coroner’s office soon confirmed his name, and while it appeared that his death was the result of a strange accident at first, the blood around the site suggested a different narrative.

Patty, his wife, who had reported him missing earlier, said he didn’t have any enemies. The fact that Ron’s skull was fractured, however, led the police to believe that his collision into the deep ravine was premeditated.

Jamie Ramos and Patty Presba
Ron Presba’s wife Patricia “Patty” Convinces Young Lover, Jaime Ramos, To Kill Her Husband And Make It Look Like A Fiery Accident

Who Killed Ron Presba and Why?

Ron’s murder was committed by his wife Patricia “Patty” and her lover, Jaime Ramos, who was only 21 years old at the time of the crime and younger than any of Patty’s children. Unfortunately, this information didn’t come to light until a month later since Patty not only had an alibi, but she’d also skilfully tried to pin the blame solely on Jaime.

Although officials spotted blood stains in the couple’s home during Patty’s initial interrogation, her claim of Jaime residing with them for a few days before abruptly fleeing to Texas caused them to focus on him first.

Patty’s affair with Jaime (her trainee) was revealed when a coworker from the California Conservation Corps came forward, but she managed not to incriminate herself too much here as well. She initially denied knowing him but then said she ended their relationship days before her husband died because of Jaime’s actions and Ron’s awareness of the affair. Patty’s deception was discovered when investigators discovered them missing after recent CCTV images of them holding hands without restraint at a vehicle dealership.

An APB was issued after there was indications of a disturbance at the Presba family home, especially since Patty had informed the cops she was terrified of what Jaime would do as a result of her rejection. The next day (late July 2008), the duo was found in Salt Lake City, Utah, but Jaime was the one with three bullet wounds, all from Patty’s.44 Magnum. When Jaime discovered his partner was blaming him for everything, even accusing him of kidnapping her as she shot him in self-defense, he decided to tell the entire truth in detail.

Patty was the mastermind behind Ron’s homicide, according to Jaime, because she was the beneficiary of his $150,000 life insurance policy, which would quadruple if he died in an accident. He insisted on going along with it because she’d told him her husband was physically and sexually violent, prompting him to take a hammer to his head and dispose of the body as Patty had requested.

I kept telling myself, this is for her, this is to make her happy,” Jaime admitted in the NBC ‘Dateline’ episode. Patty repaid him by firing at him when they were performing the “kidnapping,” but he continued to go with her in terror and love.

Ramos pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on June 29, 2009, and promised to testify against his former sweetheart. Instead, he was given a sentence that ranged from 25 years to life in jailPatty Presba pleaded guilty just days before her trial was set to begin in February 2010. For the death of her husband and the attempted murder of Ramos, she received a 42-year sentence.

Listen to the podcast on NBC Dateline, ‘The Seduction,‘ to learn more about the case.