Pulaski man cleared of murder, attempted murder

PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – A Grand Jury decides a Pulaski County man acted in self defense when he fatally shot one man and wounded another during an altercation on his property in the Sloans Valley community in the southern part of the county on July 2.

A Pulaski County Grand Jury returned a “No True Bill” Wednesday against 65-year-old Bobby Ross, of Incline Road in Burnside, according to his attorneys, Jeremy A. Bartley and Kerri N. Bartley.

Ross originally was charged with murder, attempted murder, and wanton endangerment in an incident that took place on his property at about 9:20 p.m. on July 2, 2020. In that incident, 47-year-old Estle “Toby” Ridner, was killed, 45-year-old Danny Ridner, of Waynesburg, was wounded and shots were fired in the direction of Sharlene Helton, 46, and Tony Ridner, 43, investigators said at the time.

The Ridners were brothers.

But during a preliminary hearing in July, Ross’s attorneys were able to establish Ross had been threatened after his neighbors discovered someone had called the Drug Task Force about a suspected meth lab on the neighboring land, the Bartleys said in a statement.

“Mr. Ross maintained that three men came onto his property and were armed with what he thought to be machetes. During cross-examination, detectives admitted that a machete was located. Mr. Ross fired a warning shot and told the grand jury that the men kept coming. One man was killed and another injured,” Jeremy Bartley said in the statement.

The case was referred to the Grand Jury and the Bartleys asked that Ross be allowed the testify, which he did Wednesday.

“Conventional wisdom would say that sending your client to testify in front of the grand jury is a risky maneuver, but we believed strongly in Mr. Ross’s case,” Jeremy Bartley said following return of the Grand Jury’s verdict. “Bobby defended himself from three men who would’ve hurt him, if not killed him. He has remained consistent and upfront about what happened. We are so thankful that the Grand Jury was able to see the truth.”

Ross expressed his appreciation for the work of his attorneys and the fairness of the Grand Jury; but he was quick to express his regret that this had to happen.

“No one ever wants to have to hurt someone, but my family, including my three-year-old grandson was at my house. I had no choice but to defend myself and my family,” he said.

A No True Bill means no further charges will be filed against Ross.

“This substantiates our position and presentation in District Court that Mr. Ross acted in self-defense,” Jeremy Bartley concluded.