Murderer's daughter tells of sex and drugs

The dark saga of a man who used his teenage daughter to help him kill an Alamo Heights teacher turned darker still on Monday as the girl revealed how her father had sexually abused her for years before the murder, often selling her to other men for cash and drugs. The daughter, 16-year-old Pearl Cruz, who last month was key to the capital murder conviction of her father, Ronnie Joe Neal, said he first abused her when she was about 13 years old and later forced her into prostitution at cheap motels along Austin Highway. The abuse, she said, was routine. "He would have me have sex with two older men," she said. "It was a regular thing. Every Friday."

Yes, here is the blow by blow on this victim of a heartless and racist society, Mr. Neal:

LOTTERY
TV/MOVIES
COMICS

THE LAWN MOWER MAN
Neal Convicted In Teacher's Murder
After about 90 minutes of deliberation...jurors convicted drifter and lawn maintenance man Ronnie Joe Neal of the kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder of respected Alamo Heights teacher Diane Tilly in November of 2004. (More from WOAI)

* * *

Previous Stories

2-27-2006

LAWN MOWER MAN CASE
'Oh God! It Hurts! It Burns...'
Diane Tilly As She Died
SAL Staff

The killer stood over San Antonio teacher Diane Tilly and emptied six rounds from a 357 magnum into her raped and beaten body.

Still, she was alive.

As she lay in a rural field where she would later be found, she prayed.

The killer reloaded.

"Oh God! It hurts! It burns... Bless this child."

Then the killer, Ronnie Joe Neal -- the Lawn Mower Man -- polished off the life of the popular school teacher, as she sobbed, with stinging slugs of hot lead.

So said Neal's 16-year-old daughter Pearl Cruz, an admitted accomplice, as testimony continued Wednesday in the capital murder trial. Cruz turned State's witness in exchange for a plea deal.

Cruz hinted at an incestous relationship with her father, telling the jury that she became angry and "jealous" when she saw her father rape the teacher, after the pair tricked their way into her house and robbed Tilly. (See previous stories.)

Cruz said Tilly was chosen by Neal because she was "rich." Neal did lawn work for Tilly.

Cruz said Neal "played" Tilly.

Jurors were shown a letter from Neal to Tilly.

This is what it said:

Diane, just something for a beautiful lady.

Do you like Mexican food?

Because if you do, me and my daughter would like to take you out or have you meet us somewhere.

She told me she likes you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Ronnie Neal.

More to follow

- Developing -

* * *

Previous Stories

2-22-2006

UPDATE: LAWN MOWER MAN CASE
Prosecutors Outline
Diane Tilly Murder Plot
SAL Staff

Prosecutors in the so-called "Lawn Mower Man" capital murder trial painted contrasting pictures of accused killer Ronny Joe Neal, and popular teacher Diane Tilly who was robbed, raped and shot to death with her her own gun, at her home, in November of 2004.

In the early evening hours of November 22, prosecuters contend, Neal hatched a plot. He sent his daughter to the teachers front door.

Neal worked as a gardener for Tilly. Neal's teen daughter, Pearl Cruz accompanied her father on at least one previous occasion.
Tilly, described as a kind woman, even gave the pair a porch swing from her backyard.

"...she heard the doorbell ring ...it was Pearl and (Tilly) let her in," DA's prosecutor Jill Mata explained.

The jury was then told that Neal came in behind the girl, surprising Tilly.

Neal and Cruz found the .357 revolver that Tilly kept for protection as they roamed through the house looking for valuables. They also took credit cards and demanded pin numbers. Then, with a sheet over her head, Tilly was raped, and taken to a field near Schertz, where she was shot dead, prosecutors said.

Cruz is now the star witness against Neal, and is expected to relay the details of the savage crime to the jury.

DNA also links Neal to the crime, according to prosecutors.

More to follow. Previous stories below.

- Developing -

* * *

DIANE TILLY MURDER TRIAL
Lawn Mower Man Goes On Trial
Ronnie Joe Neal
Capital Murder Trial
SAL Staff

The brutal murder of popular teacher Diane Tilly will be presented to a Bexar County jury today; and the man charged with killing her could face the Texas executioner.

Neal is accused of robbing, raping and killing the 58-year-old Tilly at her home on Novermber 22nd, 2004.

Neal worked as a gardner for Tilly, and some call him "The Lawn Mower Man."

See stories below for background.

More to follow.

- Developing -

* * *

- Previous Stories Archived In Reverse Order -

SUSPECT "CONFESSED" TO JAIL INMATE
No Bail For The Lawn Mower Man
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary

Accused killer Ronnie Joe Neal was refused bail today, after new details emerged in the November murder of Alamo Heights teacher Daine Tilly. (See archives below for background.)

Judge Sid Harle nixed the defense motion after listening to jail-house stool pigeon Alberto Mendiola recount Neal's boasting of how he had used a condom in his rape of the teacher so that authorities "couldn't get no DNA out of her." Neal also admitted shooting Tilly, according to the jail inmate.

Medical testimony also indicated the teacher was shot four times, with two bullets to the spine cited as "fatal."

Neal is charged with capital murder, and could face the death penalty upon conviction. His 15-year-old daughter is also held in the case.

Developing.

- More to follow -

* * *

1-12-2005 AM

NOT BLOODY LIKELY
Lawn Mower Man Seeks Bail
Charged With Murder, Robbery And Rape Of Teacher Diane Tilly
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary

Accused killer/robber/rapist Ronnie Neal will ask the court to grant him bail, as he awaits trial in the brutal murder of popular Alamo Heights teacher Diane Tilly. (See archives below.)

Neal, and his daughter, are charged with robbing Tilly's home in November. He is accused of torturing, raping and shooting her. Her body was found in a deserted filed.

Neal had been released from prison on a legal technicality, that was later found to be in error.

Don't look for the court to allow bail...the DA's office will reportedly fight the request "vigarously."

Developing.

- More to follow -

* * *

- Previous Stories Archived In Reverse Order -

12-14-2004

LIGHTNING EXCLUSIVE- TILLY MURDER CASE
San Antonio 15-Year-Old Claims:
'I Am Not Pregnant By My Dad!'
Did Lawn Mower Man Rape His Own Daughter?
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary - Copyright 2004 San Antonio Lightning Newspaper

Heredity has become a big issue in the wake of the savage killing of Diane Tilly; and the Lightning has learned that the father-daughter team accused in that murder had a shadowy relationship which may have resulted in the teenager's pregnancy.

The twisted, tragic tale of the rape, torture and murder of the beloved 58-year-old Alamo Heights teacher continues to shock and disturb the San Antonio community, as new details emerge about the two accused killers.

Ronnie Joe Neal, called by some the Lawn Mower Man, and his daughter, 15-year-old Pearl Cruz, are jailed in the case.
(See complete archives below)

Authorities confirmed Monday the pregnancy first reported in this publication on November 26th.
Cruz' lawyer told the Lightning that his client won't say who is responsible.

"At this point we just don't know," said veteran criminal attorney Mario Travino. Amidst speculation that Neal parented the baby, Trevino says he has asked and that Cruz denies that her dad raped her, or that he is the father of her unborn child.

Trevinio confirmed that medical procedures will be conducted to determine if that is true.
A test for AIDS/HIV has also been performed, though Trevino says he has not yet learned the results of that test.

Ronnie Neal is HIV positive.

* * *

Who is Pearl Cruz?

She is a girl with no perceivable future, and a dark family past.

She was a runaway, born out of wedlock, who moved in with Neal about two months before the murder. She has variously said that Neal is and isn't her father.

Lawyer Trevino says that Cruz' mother (Identity withheld by the Lightning) claims Neal is the father of Cruz.

Trevino is convinced that the girl's actions in helping Neal murder Diane Tilly were "mitigated" by her "relationship" with the accused killer. Though he doesn't spell it out, Trevino hints at a dark side to that situation.

Trevino says Cruz' maternal family has made no effort to help her. Trevino is under appointment by the courts to defend the girl.

It was young Cruz who says she held the gun while Neal raped the teacher.

It was young Cruz who led police to the body, and who related the shocking events that culminated in the teacher's horrible death.

Cruz will face many more hearings before her own legal fate is known.

Her testimony, which will save her from murder charges, may well send her father, the Lawn Mower Man, Ronnie Neal, to the the Texas execution chamber, and ultimately to the gates of Hell.

More to follow.

- Developing -

* * *

ARCHIVED IN REVERSE ORDER

12-8-2004

KNUCKLE SANDWICH
Accused Tilly Murderer
Says Jail Officers Beat Him Up
Deputy Says Neal Assaulted An Officer And Was Subdued

The man accused of murdering an Alamo Heights high school teacher says he was beat up by deputies in the Bexar County Jail, according to KSAT NEWS 12 . (See stories below.)
The lawyer representing Ronnie Neal, 33, said his client was severely beaten last week. Neal is charged with capital murder. He is charged with raping and killing Diane Tilly in November.

Officials at the jail acknowledge deputies injured Neal, but they say he got those injuries after taking a swing at one of the correctional officers.

Neal's attorney said that Neal's sister tried to visit him in jail last Wednesday. That meeting was cancelled, and she returned the following day. On her return, she said she could see he had several visible injuries. (More from NEWS 12)

SAL Archives Below In Reverse Order

UPDATE
DA To Seek Death Penalty Against
Lawn Mower Man
Diane Tilly Was Bound, Raped, Robbed, Tortured, Then Shot With Her Own Gun

District Attorney Susan Reed said today she will seek the death penalty for the man charged with kidnapping, raping, and murdering Alamo Heights teacher Diane A Tilly, according to WOAI.
(Click for more.)

12-6-2004 AM - Updated
'It Burns!'
Last Words As Teacher Is Shot Dead
The Lawn Mower Man Charged
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary

The truth is finally emerging in the horrific death of Alamo Heights school teacher Diane Tilly. (See previous stories below.)

The following information is outlined in the cold pages of an affadvit used to obtain the capital murder warrant filed against the man believed to be the killer.

The suspect's teen daughter, also implicated in the murder, led detectives to the murder scene after negotiating a deal with authorities.

Here is what happened, according to the teenager, and to statements made by her father as he "bragged" about the murder in jail.

* * *

NEWS 12 Photo
15-Year-Old Pearl Cruz knocked on Diane Tilly's Bexar County home on the evening of November 22rd. The teenager asked to use the phone. Tilly knew her because Cruz' father had done yard work for her in the past.
Tilly allowed the girl to enter.

That's when young Cruz pulled out a .32 automatic supplied by her father, 33-year-old Ronnie Joe Neal. Neal is a known burglar, exconvict, and part-time yard worker. Some refer to him as "The Lawn Mower Man."

Cruz forced Tilly to get on the floor, and then opened the door to Neal.

And as his daughter watched, Neal tied the woman's hands, covered her face with a pillow case, and viciously raped and tortured the popular Alamo Heights school teacher. Pearl Cruz held the gun as her father attacked the 58-year-old woman.

The pair robbed and ransacked the house, taking jewellry, a Rolex watch, bank cards and the teacher's own .357 revolver. At one point Tilly resisted. A shot was fired into her couch.

The scantily-clad Tilly was then dragged from her home, and driven to a field in Schertz, where Neal and Cruz forced her to kneel on the muddy ground as she pleaded for her life.

Tilly's hands were still bound. She was crying.

Neal shot her, at least twice.

Tilly's last words, according to the statement, were " it burns!"

Then Neal shot her again.

* * *

Neal and his daughter prepared to drive away, but noticed the body could be seen from the road. They returned and covered the corpse with branches and bush.

When the teacher was found by searchers Saturday night, she was wearing nothing but a Robbins Academy T-shirt.

More to follow

- Developing -

* * *

- Previous Stories -

11-27-2004

MISSING TEACHER CASE - UPDATED
More About The Lawn Mower Man
Suspect Was Out Of Jail On A Technicality
Planned Jail Escape In Rusk County; HIV Positive
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary - Copyright 2004 San Antonio Lightning

His Name is Ronnie Joe Neal.

He sometimes worked as a gardener and yardman, when he wasn't pulling burglaries or robberies or stealing cars or serving time in prison or jail.

A lawn mower man.

Neal is now in custody at Bexar County Jail - Offender ID 0138764. He is held on a $1 Million bond as the chief suspect in the abduction and probable murder of Alamo Heights school teacher Diane Tilly. (See previous stories below.)

Offender Record

Last Name: NEAL in Custody
First Name: RONNIE BEXAR COUNTY JAIL
Date of Birth: 01/18/1971 Black
Offender ID: 0138764 Male

FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS - VINE

But who is the man behind bars? What do we know about the 33-Year-Old Lawn Mower Man?

This from court records:

"During the summer of 1998, (Neal) was in the Rusk County jail awaiting trial on charges of forgery and burglary of a habitation. On June 16, 1998, the local jailers caught him with a homemade weapon-a toothbrush sharpened into a stabbing instrument-which he had secreted in his boxer shorts. On July 17, 1998, (Neal) pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea bargain, to both the forgery and burglary charges. On September 9, 1998, he was indicted for possession of a deadly weapon in a penal institution, stemming from the June 16th incident. (Neal) filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against Rusk County on May 20, 2000, alleging mistreatment in the jail. Before trial in the civil-rights suit, (Neal) and the State negotiated a plea bargain for a two-year sentence on the pending weapons charge. Appellant-who was by then in prison serving his burglary sentence-was bench-warranted back to Rusk County for a plea on the weapons charge. But before that plea hearing could take place, Rusk County officials returned appellant to prison because they learned he was HIV positive. Thus, on November 17, 2000, the State dismissed the weapons charge with a notation that "[t]he defendant was convicted in another case."

Neal was later recharged and convicted on the weapons charge. He appealed.

More:

At the punishment hearing, the State put on evidence of: 1) appellant's previous forgery and burglary convictions; 2) appellant's penitentiary packet, which listed four other convictions-one robbery, two burglaries, and one unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; and 3) letters appellant wrote to his girlfriend while in the Rusk County jail in which he asked for her assistance in smuggling a handgun into the jail so he could escape and in obtaining documents to create a new identification after he escaped.

Neal was released on a reversal of the weapons conviction, but ironically, on November 17 of this year an appellate court realized the error in that.

NO. PD-1559-03

FROM THE SIXTH COURT OF APPEALS

RUSK COUNTY

Because appellant never presented his prosecutorial vindictiveness claim in the trial court, he failed to preserve this issue for appellate review. We therefore reverse the judgment of the court of appeals and affirm the trial court's judgment.

Cochran, J.

Delivered: November 17, 2004

Error corrected. Warrant authorized. 5 days later, 58-year-old Diane Tilly, her credit cards and her car went missing from her violated home.

More to follow.

- Developing -

* * *

-Previous Story-

11-26-2004 AM

UPDATE
Lawn Mower Man Has Started
Talking; Teacher Still Missing
Suspect Says He 'Found' Teacher's Car
Admits He Knew Her; Search For Body Continues
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary

33-year-old Ronnie Joe Neal has begun talking to police, and the story he is telling is a whopper.

Neal and his pregnant 15-year-old daughter, Pearl Cruz, were arrested Wednesday in possession of a Cadillac and numerous items stolen from the home of Alamo Heights teacher Diane Tilly. Tilly has been missing since earlier this week. Her home was found in disarray. (See previous stories below.)

WOAI reported Thursday that an affadavit for an arrest warrant quotes Neil as saying he found Tilly’s 1998 Cadillac running at a car wash. Neal also told police he found Tilly’s ATM card in the ash tray of the car along with a PIN number. (Click for WOAI story.)

Neal admitted using the ATM card and to burning the woman's car. He said news coverage of the disappearance prompted him to set the Cadillac on fire in an isolated area, according to WOAI.

Neal also admitted that he knew Tilly. He told detectives that he met her in October as he solicited door-to-door. Neal worked in lawn care and said he was looking for customers. Neal also is a convicted burglar and robber.

* * *

Meanwhile, the search for the woman continues. Though officials say they are holding onto hope, insiders in the investigation say they suspect the worst.

More to follow

- Developing -

* * *

Previous Stories

11-25-2004

MURDER MYSTERY?
The Lawn Mower Man
Two In Custody; Third May Be On The Loose
Authorities Search For Local Teacher's Body
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary - Copyright 2004 San Antonio Lightning Newspaper

Though authorities carry the case as a "missing person," school teacher Diane Allison Tilly, 58, is probably dead, killed, after an itinerant lawn care man and his teenaged daughter somehow got into the single woman's home, burgled the house, and took her away by force, insiders tell the Lightning.

Tilly, an Alamo Heights instructor, was last seen Monday. Her car was found Tuesday night in Guadalupe County. It had been torched. (See previous stories below.)

At least one bullet hole was found in a couch, though no visible signs of blood were reported.

The Lightning has also learned that a gun belonging to Tilly was taken in the incident, along with numerous items, including bank cards, a laptop computer, and some clothing.

33-year-old Ronnie Joe Neal is now in custody along with his 15-year-old daughter, a former Judson High student. They were arrested Wednesday after using the missing teachers credit cards. They were caught at a motel near Splashtown. Many of the missing items were recovered.

Neal has a history of crime and is wanted in several counties in Texas on burglary charges. The girl has a history of being a runaway, according to reports on WOAI radio.

Neal has also lived in the same area as Tilley. Her house is in the 9400 block of Bending Crest. In fact, Neal may have done lawn care for Tilly in the past.

Authorities said Wednesday that Neal and his daughter aren't being cooperative in questioning, though the Lightning has learned that Neal's daughter has since made "some admissions" to investigators. Also, it is believed that a third person may be involved.

Meanwhile, authorities and cadaver dogs have beem searching areas near the location where the teacher's stolen Cadillac were found.

More to follow.

- Developing -

* * *

Previous Stories

11-24-2004 PM

EVADED ARREST
Two In Custody In Missing Teacher Case
Stolen ATM Card Recovered, Sources Say
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary - Copyright 2004 SAL

Diane Tilley, the missing Alamo Heights teacher, is likely dead, sources close to the investigation tell the Lightning. (See story below.)

Two people -- One adult male, and his 15-year-old daughter -- have been arrested at a local motel, near splashtown.

They are, so far, charged with evading arrest and possession of stolen property.

They were driving a white Ford truck which matched the description of a vehicle seen leaving the burning wreckage of the teacher's stolen Cadillac.

Several stolen ATM and credit cards belonging to Diane Tilley was found in the truck. Other items believed to have been stolen from Tilley's home were also recovered.

Interrogations of the suspects are now in progress.

A search is also being conducted in Guadalupe County for the body of the missing woman.

(Expanded coverage from WOAI)

- Developing -

* * *

11-24-2004

Previous Story

SAL UPDATE - APARTMENT WAS 'WRECKED'
Alamo Heights Teacher Murdered?
Missing Teacher Was 'Probably Abducted'
Stolen Cadillac Found Burned In Rural Guadalupe;
ATM Card Used By Suspect
RG Griffing, SAL Commentary

Alamo Heights teacher Diane Tilly may have been murdered.

Investigation insiders are calling it a "probable abduction," but the Lightning has learned that
Bexar County homicide detectives and the Texas Rangers have also been alerted.

Tilly, age 58 -- 5'4, weighing about 135 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes -- never made it to school Tuesday morning. She has taught at an alternative class at Alamo Heights High School for years.

But when the usually punctual teacher didn't show up, friends and co-workers became worried and went to her home in the 9400 block of Bending Crest. The they called authorities.

The house was in a shambles, and evidence of a violent confrontation and theft were found.

Home invasion? That's one theory expounded by investigators. She was due to fly out for the Holidays. She never made that flight.

Tilly’s stolen car has been found, torched in a Guadalupe County field. One of her credit cards was used yesterday afternoon at an ATM. Automatic photos of the user have been obtained by authorities, but had not been released as of Wednesday morning.

More to follow.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.