GhLinks Media
Imagine spending 44 years behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit.
The stolen years, shattered dreams, and relentless fight for exoneration – it’s a story that would break most people.
But for Ronnie Long, he found solace and unwavering support in Ashleigh, a young woman who believed in his innocence and dedicated her life to fighting for his freedom.
Ronnie Long wife: Who is Ashleigh Long?
Ashleigh Long ( born 27th August ) was a criminal justice student from Durham, North Carolina.
Ashleigh Long never met husband Ronnie Long outside prison walls, but the pair struck up a relationship when she wrote to him after studying his case during a criminal justice degree.
Fighting for Justice
Ashleigh became Ronnie’s voice to the outside world, raising awareness of his plight and garnering support from across the country.
He has always maintained he was wrongfully convicted and Ashleigh has spent the last seven years lobbying for his release.
Ashleigh said: ‘I knew immediately that he was innocent.’
She first visited Long in October of 2013 and says she ‘fell in love with his personality’ within weeks.
Ashleigh dropped out of college to campaign for her husband’s freedom and began working in a restaurant.
She found him a pro bono attorney and set up a petition for his release which has been signed by over 10,000 people.
Love Behind Bars
As their connection deepened, Ronnie and Ashleigh’s friendship blossomed into love.
Despite the physical and emotional barriers of prison life, their bond grew stronger with each passing day.
They married at the Harnett Correctional Institution in Lillington, North Carolina, in August 2014, less than a year later.
Ronnie was freed on his wife’s birthday on August 27, 2020.
