SAGINAW, MI — A Saginaw man professed his innocence on being sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for the brazen execution of a man inside a local dollar store. It’s a fate the presiding judge said was more than justified for the “calculating and ruthless” murderer.
A shackled Ronald L. Kinchen Jr., 39, stood before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson for sentencing on Thursday, Dec. 4. A jury in October convicted Kinchen of first-degree murder and eight firearm-related charges in connection with the June 2024 killing of 44-year-old Omar R. Morrow.
“I think the guilty verdict was not accurate,” Kinchen told the judge. “I plan to appeal it and get home when the appeal is done. Thank you for your time.”
Kinchen then stood aside as Morrow’s mother and son gave emotional impact statements.
“You took my best friend and only son from me,” said Yuvette Morrow-Dottery. “You stalked my son online for two, three years. I want you to know, Omar knew it was you who shot him… Why he didn’t tell on you, I have no idea.”
Morrow’s son, Ashante Banks, said he grapples with anger over his father being taken away in a “devilish act.”
“I’m mad every day because I miss my dad,” he said. “I miss all of our talks and inside jokes.”
Banks turned his attention toward Kinchen.
“I don’t like you, I don’t forgive you,” he told him. “May you get what you deserve, and what God does, God will.”
Before handing down his sentence, Jackson recapped the events that brought Kinchen before him.
Trial testimony established Morrow and Kinchen separately arrived at the Family Dollar at 1908 S. Michigan Ave. shortly before noon on June 28, 2024. Once inside, Kinchen opened fire on Morrow with a 9mm handgun, then ran outside and fled in a white 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander without a license plate. All of this was captured by cameras.
Morrow suffered 13 gunshot wounds, including two to his head. One wound to his abdomen would have alone likely proved fatal, testified forensic pathologist Dr. Daniel Spitz.
Kinchen fled to Texas, where police in Dallas County arrested him in September 2024.
“Sometimes I don’t agree with verdict of a jury, but in your case, they got it right,” the judge told Kinchen. “You prepared your disguise, planned your escape, stalked the victim, followed him into a store filled with customers and then shot him eight times in broad daylight. It doesn’t get much more premeditated or cold-blooded than that.”
Jackson imposed a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with eight lesser terms.
“You earned it,” the judge told Kinchen.
Jackson further ordered Kinchen to pay $742 in fines and costs within 60 days and restitution in the amount of $8,328 to the State of Michigan.
This will be Kinchen’s third prison term, as he was previously sentenced to stints in 2008 and 2015. His record includes eight felony and 15 misdemeanor convictions predating those stemming from Morrow’s killing.
Kinchen could have avoided a life-without-parole sentence had he availed himself of a prosecution’s offer to plead guilty to second-degree murder. He rejected the offer just before his trial started.
Morrow worked at Blue Diamond Steel Casting and was survived by his son, four stepchildren, a grandson, his parents, stepparents, and numerous siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
“Omar enjoyed lifting weights, eating, and watching sports,” his obituary states. “He was a local rap artist; his rap name was Infamouz. He could outflow anyone on a track. Omar had a smile and a sense of humor that would light up a room.”
Morrow was Saginaw’s 12th homicide victim of 2024. The city ended the year with 23 homicides, 21 of which resulted from gunfire.
