@Jak: That's the reason that legends like that persist. Even if we know that they are just stories, there's a part of us that wants to believe in them. They are entertaining tales that either shock and horrify an audience or leaves the listener satisfied that there is justice in the world. Ronald Opus is a story about people getting exactly what they deserve.
@RaN: And that's actually another reason these stories get retold. They seem grounded enough in reality that it isn't hard to imagine that something like it has happened before.
Folklore is fascinating. ^_^