You may have heard of Ronnie Long. After serving 44 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, the North Carolina native made headlines across the country.
When he got out of jail in 2020, he sued and got $25 million for the years he had been held against his will.
Last month, though, Long had a problem with a pool builder and turned to 5 On Your Side for help.
A dream pool with problems
Long dreamed of making a pool in the shape of Mr. Peanut after he got out of jail. Why a peanut? When he was 21, he was wrongly convicted and his life was changed forever. This is a nod to the snack he loved as a child.
Long said of the experience, “I can’t sit around and think about what’s been and what’s happened.”
Since he got out of jail and their case was successful, the Longs have spent their time giving back and relaxing. It’s been easy to give back. The Longs have given large amounts of money to churches and groups working to change the way prisons work. Most recently, they gave $250,000 to Long’s school mater. There has been less free time, though.
Long and his wife, Ashleigh Long, hired Jim Hinson Pools last fall. According to the Longs’ permit and emails, the company also went by the name Pearl Pools. Emails sent to WRAL 5 On Your Side show that the company told the Longs they would have their Mr. Peanut pool by the end of April, but that date never came and went.
“Due dates missed, no contact… “It’s been hard,” Ashleigh Long said.
Ronnie Long, who is 68 years old, knows how important time is. That’s why his daughter Ashleigh Long called 5 On Your Side in August when the worker wasn’t answering. The company said the delays were caused by “heavier-than-average rainfall” and extra work that wasn’t part of the deal.
The weather experts that WRAL’s 5 On Your Side talked to said that between January and June 2024, it didn’t rain more than usual near the Longs’ house. The Longs did say, though, that it rained a lot in July during Hurricane Debby.
In August, WRAL’s cameras showed that the pool was almost done. It was filled with water two days later.
The party did not last long, which was a shame. Asheleigh Long woke up that same night to find that the pool had drained, filling their yard and the property next door.
What’s wrong? A pipe that was linked to the filter wasn’t properly sealed. As soon as Ashleigh Long called 5 On Your Side again, Jim Hinson Pools came back to fix the problem.
Now that the pool is full again, Ashleigh Long is having fun in it by jokes that her neighbor blew up a big flamingo float for her. But Ronnie Long is still not sure.
“No” was his clear answer when asked if he would work for the company again.