Ronald Leon Stem, 57, was shot to death on February 9, 2006, in Tampa, Florida. The killing occurred late at night in the parking lot of the Magnolia Apartments on the University of South Florida campus; it was the first murder on the USF campus since 1994. Stem was a 20-year Army veteran who served in Vietnam and Desert Storm and was employed at Tansu Woodworks, Inc. in Tampa at the time of his death. Colleagues remembered him as amiable and conflict-averse.

Witnesses reported seeing three black males fleeing the scene in either a white vehicle or a black SUV; the suspects were said to be wearing dark clothing, with one person in white or light-colored clothing. The USF Police and the Tampa Police Department increased patrols and opened an extensive investigation. Little is known publicly about motive. Anyone with information about what happened that night is asked to come forward.