Ray Krone
Posted on 11/19/2004 2:20:46 PM PST by freepatriot32
PHOENIX (Nov. 19) - For Ray Krone, his crooked smile became a criminal offense.
Krone was wrongfully convicted twice of killing a Phoenix woman based largely on expert testimony that purportedly matched his teeth with bite marks found on the victim.
Now the ABC reality show "Extreme Makeover" plans to transform the since-exonerated Krone, once dubbed the "snaggletooth killer," into a man with a winning smile.
"It's the embarrassment of being called the snaggletooth killer, living with that," Krone said in a phone interview before heading to California for his cosmetic adventure, which began Thursday. "My teeth are what they really used to convict me."
"I'm overwhelmed to think that I'll have straight teeth again," he said. "That isn't something I've had since I was about 19."
Krone, who now lives in Dover, Pa., was a postal worker who had just bought his first house when he was arrested in 1991 in the killing of Kim Ancona, a bartender who worked at a Phoenix lounge where Krone played darts.
Krone was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to death. But his case was overturned in 1994 on procedural grounds. A new trial was ordered and Krone was convicted a second time in 1996.
In sentencing him the second time, the judge in the case said he wasn't sure that Krone was the killer. He spared Krone the death penalty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
In 2002, new DNA testing proved Krone wasn't the killer. Using an FBI database, DNA from the crime scene was linked to a man already in prison for another crime. A trial for the new suspect is pending.
Krone was freed that year. By then, he had spent a decade in prison - two years of that on death row.
He sued city and county officials for his wrongful conviction, but the case drags on and he has yet to see any money.
Days after his release, Krone said he didn't expect to find a wife or have children because he had spent most of his 30s in prison.
He's hoping a makeover will change that and provide another start to his life on the outside.
"It's definitely something that would come back into a real realm of possibility," said Krone, 47. "Whatever my life is supposed to be now that I'm out, I think this is part of the plan."
Krone will spend nearly two months in California recovering from surgery and meeting with a fitness trainer and nutritionist.
He's allowed to talk to his family during the procedures, but he won't be able to see them until everything is done. A "reveal" party is being planned for Krone near his hometown.
Producers for the show say Krone was the perfect candidate.
"We want a candidate whose looks have deeply, negatively affected their lives," said Lou Gorfain, an executive producer for "Extreme Makeover."
"He has incredible charisma," Gorfain added. "He's the ultimate candidate."
Although plans are still tentative, executive producer Julie Laughlin said Krone will undergo extensive dental work, including new porcelain veneers - the latest in tooth replacement.
Two dermatologists will work on him simultaneously to smooth out acne scars. He'll have a hair transplant, an eye lift, nose job and liposuction on his cheeks.
For two months, he'll live in a Hollywood Hills mansion complete with a gym, pool, gourmet kitchen and plasma screen televisions.
"He deserves a real break," said attorney Chris Plourd, who unsuccessfully defended Krone during his second trial and worked on getting new DNA tests.
Plourd and a camera crew flew to Krone's home during the weekend to surprise him with the news that he was chosen for a makeover.
"He said he was sentencing me to six to eight weeks for an extreme makeover," Krone joked.
He was screwed.
Mental note: try to always have a solid alibi.
I love those shows. I don't know why. It's voyeurism and I'm ashamed of myself. But... but... I just love those shows.
Judge Wapner was the first reality TV, if you ask me. And even if you don't. :-)
I used to watch all the judge programs I could on lunch (Judge Brown, etc.). Although they have nothing to do with real courts, it was always heartening to see that, no matter how much I thought my life sucked at the time, at least I wasn't as bad off as the retarded morons that appeared in these programs and tried to bamboozle the judge.
Some of them turn out horrible, imo...look like that woman that tried to look like a tiger or whatever.
But the one I saw last night was pretty good...some cowboy. They did a good job on him. But my favorite part was when they took a woman that had HORRIBLE teeth and redid them. The improvement was so drastic! She was a very pretty person except for her teeth...when they fixed them she was really gorgeous.
I always like it when they re-do someone's teeth...it not only looks better, they're functional! That cowboy lit into a hugh plate of corn on the cob and belched loudly after polishing it off! Ha!
I dunno...some of the people really do benefit from them, I think...especially, like I say, those with dental problems.
Hey, you were watching Bubba last night too, eh? Was he a trip or what? LOL!! God, I got such a kick out of him dancing in front of the mirror, trying on clothes. And did you get that little Lane Frost action he was doing with his hands at the reveal? He was a good guy. He had a lot of personality.
I thought he looked a LOT better, and still pretty natural...
He was a NUT! LOL
Ray Krone
Ray lives 12 miles east of me, in Dover, PA; I'm in York, PA. He was railroaded and lost many years of his life in prison. I hope things work out for him, afterall.
I don't actually consider teeth restoration to be cosmetic surgery. You are just trying to restore them to what they were meant to be, you're not trying to sculpt them into something the person's DNA never had in mind.
And you're right. People getting their teeth fixed and their self-esteem enhanced is a very good thing.
It still won't watch this thing, though. There is something about these shows that makes me ashamed about myself for watching them. Like I am a peeping Tom or something.
And he'll come out looking like a cross between Kerry, Clinton and the Tooth Fairy.
I saw parts of that last night. He looked good after they finished with him.
From the parts I watched, he seemed like a fun person.
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