Shelby woman remembers son, wants answers in his death

Phyllis Ruff still remembers the day her son was born. She named him Timothy, the same name as the gentle nurse who coached her through 24 hours of labor.

Now, the grieving mother is learning to live without her firstborn and is seeking answers into his death.

Timothy Lamont Ruff, 50, died Friday, March 29, after police say he was shot and killed by Jonathan Martzes Petty, 41, of Shelby, outside of an apartment building on Best Street in Shelby. Police said the two got into a verbal altercation that turned deadly when Petty pulled out a gun and shot Ruff multiple times.

Petty is still on the loose, and police have said he is armed and dangerous.

“Tim was six foot one and a half, six foot two, big mean looking guy, but he wasn’t nothing but a big ole teddy bear,” Phyllis said “He would give the shirt off his back to anybody.”

She said he didn’t have any of his own kids, but he loved all his nieces and nephews and had a special relationship with one of his nieces, always encouraging her to get good grades.

The Thursday before he was shot, her son stopped by to see her, and the two sat and talked a little bit.

“He always called me baby,” she said.

He told her he was off on Friday and planned to cook fish.

“He loved fishing, oh my God,” she said.

Before he left, he told her he loved her.

“I didn’t know that was the last time,” Phyllis said, choking up, wiping tears from her eyes.

She said he was the oldest of her six children, and they just had recently been reunited following Tim's 20-year stint in prison and subsequent release in February of 2022.

“I just had a little time with him,” she said.

She described her son as loyal and someone who made an impact on people.

“No matter what, he got your back,” Phyllis said.

The Friday of his death, she was up watching TV. She said she usually goes to bed around 7 or 7:30, but she was still on the couch that evening when her other son, Trimaine Ruff, called.

“Mama, get to Best Street. Tim’s been shot,” he said.

By the time she got there, police cars were lined all up and down the street, and she was told Tim had been taken to the hospital.

When she arrived, a police officer approached her and broke the news that her son had died.

“I said please let me see him. They wouldn’t let me see him,” she said.

She said Tim had been shot five times.

Now, the grieving mother said she is praying Petty is caught without any further tragedy.

“I want him to answer, why,” she said. “Why would you murder my son?”

She said not only has her son been taken from her, but now Petty will be taken from his family as well, with one difference.

“You can still talk to him, but I can’t talk to my son,” she said.

Phyllis said Petty was man enough to take a life, and now she wants him to be man enough to turn himself in.

Now, she's left with memories.

She said Tim loved the song, Dear Mama, by Tupac, and every time it played, he would tell her to to turn on the radio.

"Your song is on," he would tell her. "I dedicated it to you."

Petty is wanted on charges of murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to arrest warrants. Anyone with information on Petty can call Capt. Seth Treadway at 704-484-6845.

Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Mother of murder victim remembers son, wants answers into his death