Detective believes 6-year-old's mother was killed in next room while he slept

3 days ago 49

This communicative primitively aired connected April 12, 2025. It was updated connected June 27, 2026.

It's been decades since Reginald Reed Jr., known arsenic Reggie, past saw his parent Selonia Reed.

Reggie Reed: After my parent was murdered, things moved accelerated … I couldn't truly understand, like, wherefore would idiosyncratic termination her? Like, what did she do?

Reggie Reed: I consciousness similar I missed retired connected a immense portion of beingness that I'll ne'er get back.

Reggie was lone 6 years aged connected Aug. 22, 1987. One of the past things helium remembers is his parent buying him a cocoa spot cooky astatine the Hammond Square Mall successful Louisiana. He told constabulary his parent kissed him erstwhile she near the location aboriginal that nighttime but the rest, helium says, is simply a blur.

Vladimir Duthiers | "48 Hours" contributor: When you deliberation astir that … what does that consciousness like?

Reggie Reed: When I deliberation astir … however my mother's beingness was shortened and however my acquisition was shortened, I consciousness bare …

Vladimir Duthiers: If idiosyncratic says to you who was … Selonia, what bash you say?

Reggie Reed: If idiosyncratic asks maine who is Selonia, I would accidental you're looking astatine her. (Emotional, takes disconnected his glasses.) Because, based connected the description, the memories and what things radical person shared, erstwhile I look successful the mirror, I spot my mother.

Reggie's memories are astatine the bosom of the memoir he's written astir his mother's murder, "The Day My Mother Never Came Home."

Reggie Reed (reading from book): Within these pages, you volition find the memories of a 6-year-old lad whose parent was murdered … A 15-year-old young antheral searching for his spot successful the satellite without the guidance and encouragement of his parent …

Reggie Reed: … the nighttime my parent went retired and ne'er came home, beingness for maine and my begetter fundamentally flipped upside down.

Charles Muse, present retired, was the constabulary serviceman who recovered Selonia's assemblage aft taking the archetypal missing person's study from her husband, Reginald Reed.

Charles Muse: Selonia's assemblage … was successful betwixt the bucket seats of the car with her torso implicit into the backseat of the car.

Lt. Barry Ward: She had 16 pinpoint-like stab wounds successful her precocious torso, shoulder, and cervix … Her blouse had been torn disconnected … Her pants had been removed from her. She had been sexually assaulted arsenic well.

Who murdered Selonia Reed?

Louisiana State Police Lt. Barry Ward would yet beryllium assigned to the lawsuit years later. He was lone 16 years aged erstwhile Selonia was murdered.

Barry Ward: In 1987, I was a sophomore successful Marshall County High School successful Western Kentucky.

When helium yet did prime up the lawsuit file, helium took enactment of the deficiency of humor successful the car.

Lt. Barry Ward: It would suggest that she was murdered successful different determination … and past … transported to wherever her assemblage was aboriginal discovered astatine the John's Curb Market.

That marketplace was astir one-and-a-half miles from the Reed location connected Apple Street. At the scene, Muse noticed thing other astir Selonia's bare body.

Charles Muse: I did spot a substance, uh, that had been placed connected the body. … it was a … achromatic liquid-type substance … connected her torso and tummy area.

Police believed the achromatic lotion whitethorn person spelled retired a word, but, if determination was a message, it had go illegible successful the Louisiana heat.

Lt. Barry Ward: The windows were rolled up. It was August astatine the clip … it was precise blistery out.

Detectives bagged immoderate imaginable evidence, including the butt of a cigaret -- a Winston cigarette.

POLICE CHIEF (1987 video): Take peculiar attraction of that.

Police canvassed the area, but Ward says they didn't find immoderate eyewitnesses oregon a execution weapon.

Lt. Barry Ward: The pursuing time connected Monday the 24th, a neighbour … went to his mailbox and discovered a crucifix and a screwdriver …

Given the quality of Selonia's injuries, constabulary astatine archetypal believed the screwdriver mightiness beryllium the execution limb adjacent though it had nary disposable humor connected it. It was aboriginal successful the probe and detectives looked astatine each the angles, including Selonia's occupation astatine Citizens National Bank.

Lt. Barry Ward: She was a teller successful the commercialized conception … She was described arsenic being polite, kind, had a bully smile.

Selonia and Reginald, who was a Marine and aboriginal a car salesman, met during their precocious schoolhouse years. Selonia was known for being devoted to small Reggie, arsenic everyone called him. But the nighttime she disappeared, she near the 6-year-old astatine location with his father, according to what Reginald told police.

Lt. Barry Ward: He and his son, Reginald Jr., were gonna enactment and play videogames portion she went retired to a section barroom with her girlfriend.

Officer Muse interviewed that person who denied she and Selonia had plans that night. Reginald told constabulary helium suspected Selonia had a "boyfriend" and admitted helium and his woman had "personal differences." But Ward says the constabulary recovered nary grounds of an affair.

Lt. Barry Ward: Based connected … the probe that I had conducted, her co-workers, the radical that knew her, said that she conscionable went to enactment and came location … that she was ever seen with her small boy.

The time aft her assemblage was found, investigators searched the household location connected Apple Street.

Lt. Barry Ward: The main of constabulary said that … erstwhile helium went successful … it smelled similar bleach successful the house.

Detectives looked for grounds that Selonia whitethorn person been killed there, but each they recovered was a freshly vacuumed carpet and the golden clasp of a necklace.

Reginald gave investigators support to interrogation small Reggie, the lone different idiosyncratic successful the location the nighttime of the murder. In constabulary video, a detective questions Reggie arsenic his begetter fidgets with a legume container intended for his son.

POLICE OFFICER: Tell maine what you retrieve astir that night.

Reggie became his father's alibi. The lad said helium and his begetter played videogames and past slept unneurotic successful the aforesaid sofa furniture connected that August night.

POLICE OFFICER: Did anybody travel over? Did anybody leave?

REGGIE REED JR.: (shakes caput his caput "no.")

POLICE OFFICER: Everybody stayed location that night?

REGGIE REED JR.: (nods his caput "yes.")

When Reggie agrees that "everybody stayed home," his begetter looks astatine him.

REGINALD REED SR.: Everybody?

POLICE OFFICER: Everybody stayed location that night?

REGINALD REED SR.: Don't beryllium afraid, this -- you know, she talks to you.

POLICE OFFICER: Don't -- don't -- don't beryllium afraid.

REGINALD REED SR.: This - we conscionable talkin'

REGGIE REED: I don't privation to speech nary more.

REGINALD REED SR.: She -- she wants to inquire you a fewer much questions.

POLICE OFFICER: You alright? What's the substance baby?

REGINALD REED SR.: He said helium don't wanna speech nary more.

POLICE OFFICER: Oh, you don't wanna speech nary more?

REGINALD REED SR.: He's conscionable emotional.

POLICE OFFICER: Yeah.

REGINALD REED SR.: All of it.

POLICE OFFICER: OK. That's alright. Look.

POLICE OFFICER: Didn't I archer you earlier that I'm -- I'm your friend?

REGGIE REED JR.: I privation my daddy.

POLICE OFFICER: Oh, he's present baby.

REGGIE REED JR.: I don't privation to talk. (cries)

POLICE OFFICER: OK, darling. I won't speech nary more. You don't person to.

Vladimir Duthiers: I conscionable can't ideate what it's similar arsenic a 6-year-old to person to beryllium determination and --

Reggie Reed: Looking astatine that, it's inactive hard to judge that that's maine … watching that video conscionable brings backmost truthful … truthful galore questions and -- and symptom due to the fact that … I spot maine crying.

In the aftermath of Selonia's murder, her household came guardant with much accusation -- immoderate of it directed astatine 1 of Reginald's friends, Jimmy Ray Barnes. Turns retired Barnes smoked Winston cigarettes -- the aforesaid marque recovered successful Selonia's car. And Selonia's sister Gwen Smith said that Selonia did not similar Jimmy Ray.

Gwen Smith: And seemingly she knew Jimmy Ray's dependable 'cause she started screaming … "come inside. I don't spot him." So she was frightened of him …

Selonia Reed's relatives archer constabulary astir adjacent person of victim's husband

In the days aft Selonia Reed's murder, determination was 1 sanction constabulary kept hearing: Jimmy Ray Barnes, a person of Reginald Reed Sr.

Lt. Barry Ward: Jimmy Ray Barnes was an acquaintance of Reginald Reed. … He hung retired with him. He worked with him.

Ward learned astir a disturbing incidental astatine a section formation wherever Selonia was swimming with small Reggie conscionable days earlier the murder.

Lt. Barry Ward: They were connected interior tubes … Jimmy flipped Selonia … implicit … She didn't consciousness that it was a playful thing. She felt that it was, uh, deliberate and intentional. Uh, she was not a bully swimmer and, uh, she said she struggled to marque it to the … bank.

The adjacent night, her sister Gwen said Selonia became frightened erstwhile a comparative who was visiting Selonia spotted Jimmy Ray Barnes adjacent her home.

Gwen Smith: And she said … Selonia … went into hysterics. … Like no, nary … Don't spell retired there. Don't spell retired there.

Lt. Barry Ward: And wrong a fewer moments, Jimmy Ray Barnes walked astir the country of the location … Jimmy told her that helium was checking connected Selonia … and she ran him off.

Ward would larn that Barnes, on with Reginald, came nether adjacent much scrutiny 2 days aft the murder. A witnesser came guardant to accidental she had seen 2 men astir John's Curb Market connected the nighttime Selonia was murdered.

Lt. Barry Ward: She became suspicious and … aboriginal wrote down connected a portion of scrap paper, the licence plate. … As it turns retired … that was the conveyance that Reginald Reed was known to, um, run in. That was his car.

Reginald Reed Sr., left, and Jimmy Ray Barnes

Some 2 weeks later, constabulary assembled a photograph array and showed it to the witness.

Lt. Barry Ward: The witnesser identified the operator arsenic Reginald Reed and the rider arsenic Jimmy Ray Barnes.

Barnes was fixed a polygraph trial and constabulary astatine the clip said helium passed. But it wasn't agelong earlier Jimmy Ray near Hammond.

Reginald denied having thing to bash with Selonia's murder. But neighbors told constabulary the matrimony was troubled. Family members accidental Selonia had accused her hubby of carnal maltreatment and determination was speech of divorce. The constabulary continued investigating but prosecutors ne'er brought the lawsuit to a expansive jury.

Lt. Barry Ward: There's a batch of circumstantial grounds successful 1987 that pointed to Reginald Reed and Jimmy Ray Barnes. … arsenic acold arsenic a -- a smoking weapon … it – it -- it was not determination astatine that time.

Gwen Smith: I started feeling similar thing was gonna beryllium done astir her murder, and we would not get justice.

Time passed, and Reginald continued to unrecorded successful Hammond. He adjacent ran for politician successful 1998.

He mislaid that race, but helium and small Reggie stayed successful the household location which contiguous has fallen into disrepair.

Reggie Reed (inside his erstwhile home): So this is it.

Vladimir Duthiers: What's it similar for you to conscionable travel backmost here? I cognize you don't similar to, but what does it consciousness like?

Reggie Reed: I consciousness numb. Yeah, I consciousness numb … This is wherever it each started. You know, this is the halls I utilized to run. … This is the TV room. This was the TV country …

Vladimir Duthiers: When you were playing Nintendo with your begetter … the nighttime that your parent was murdered, was that here?

Reggie Reed: That was successful this room.

Reggie went connected to be assemblage and aboriginal got an MBA. He moved retired of Hammond and began moving for a pharmaceutical company. There were nary caller developments connected his mother's execution until 2011 erstwhile Lt. Barry Ward of the Louisiana State Police got involved.

Lt. Barry Ward: After I started interacting with Selonia's family, her sisters, I realized however important it was.

Gwen Smith: … earlier Barry Ward came into … the representation … I conscionable felt similar … cipher cared astir Selonia's case.

Lt. Barry Ward: This was conscionable the past accidental I felt earlier much witnesses passed distant … that we would person a accidental to find justness for this unspeakable transgression that happened to Selonia.

As acold arsenic Ward could determine, the crucifix and screwdriver recovered wrong days of the execution led nowhere. But the detective was drawn to respective beingness security policies Reginald had taken retired connected Selonia that paid retired much than $700,000. Some of those policies were taken retired the aforesaid period that Selonia was murdered.

Ward wanted to reinterview Reggie Jr. successful 2012. Reggie was 31 years aged and surviving successful Texas. Ward sent a Texas Ranger to statesman the questioning.

Reggie Reed: … helium told maine wherefore helium was here, and it was to … sermon … my mother's murder.

And the Ranger past told Reggie thing helium said he'd ne'er heard before.

Lt. Barry Ward: He was not alert that his begetter was a fishy successful the execution of his mother.

Reggie Reed: But I was like, where's this coming from? Like, it's been implicit 3 decades … You're talking astir my dada similar killed my mom, like, earnestly … I retrieve asking, "is determination immoderate caller grounds that was surfaced?" … And it was thing new.

It's existent that the security policies had been discovered by the archetypal detectives, but Ward had organized them successful a mode that helium felt was damning. The Texas Ranger asked Reggie astir those policies.

Reggie Reed: He showed maine a graph, a timeline … it showed each security argumentation that were taken retired adjacent to her death.

Vladimir Duthiers: Did you each of a abrupt say, I request to get to the bottommost of this oregon what?

Reggie Reed: It was eye-opening … origin I'm like, well, that doesn't look bully … I got to larn what, similar what's each this?

Reggie struggled to marque consciousness of it all.

Reggie Reed: I did speech to my dada astir it implicit the phone, and his effect was … helium -- helium took retired policies connected everyone.

Reggie said helium finds it hard to quadrate what the probe revealed with the loving begetter who raised him.

Reggie Reed: I look back, I'm like, man, helium truly -- helium truly did bash immoderate large worldly for me. He was a large provider.

Ward took a heavy dive into the lawsuit record and focused connected that Winston cigaret butt recovered successful Selonia's car. He sent it retired for DNA testing, thing that was not wide disposable successful 1987. There was a lucifer successful the nationalist transgression DNA database CODIS, but not to Jimmy Ray.

Barry Ward: It came backmost to … a antheral by the sanction of Billy Ray Barnes.

Billy Ray was Jimmy Ray's identical duplicate brother, and the DNA supervisor had different surprise.

Barry Ward: He fto maine cognize that identical twins stock identical DNA.

Ward decided helium had to interrogation Jimmy Ray and it turned retired that Jimmy Ray had been holding onto immoderate cardinal accusation each these years.

Barry Ward: Jimmy Ray Barnes did archer maine … that Reginald Reed offered him $50,000 to, quote-unquote, sound disconnected his wife.

New grounds heats up a decades-old acold case

In July 2012, Lt. Barry Ward went connected the hunt for Jimmy Ray Barnes, who had go a premier fishy successful the Selonia Reed execution lawsuit aft his DNA was linked to the transgression scene.

Ward recovered Jimmy Ray Barnes successful the Atlanta country wherever helium said Jimmy Ray told him he'd fled Hammond due to the fact that helium was acrophobic of Reginald Reed. Jimmy Ray Barnes said backmost then, he'd been changeable astatine 3 times and deed erstwhile successful the neck. He suspected the shooter was Reginald Sr. but had nary proof.

Lt. Barry Ward: Jimmy said helium was known to transportation a gun. But you accelerated guardant … 25, present 30 years … Reginald Reed was present an aged man.

Barnes was acceptable to speech astir Reed without a lawyer.

JIMMY RAY BARNES: I ain't got thing to hide.

Barnes told Ward that a fewer days earlier Selonia was killed, Reginald Reed asked him if helium would "knock disconnected his wife."

LT. BARRY WARD: Reginald asked you if you would—

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Yeah.

LT. BARRY WARD: -- quote, by your terms, "knock disconnected his wife."

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Right. Right.

LT. BARRY WARD: That mean -- you took that to mean to termination her, to execution her?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Right. Right.

LT. BARRY WARD: What was your effect to that?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Hell, no.

LT. BARRY WARD: Did helium sermon immoderate wealth with you?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Yeah, helium has. He discussed money.

Ward pressed Barnes to archer him however overmuch money.

LT. BARRY WARD: More than $5,000?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Yeah.

BARRY WARD: More than $10,000?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Yeah.

BARRY WARD: More than $50,000?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: $50,000.

BARRY WARD: He offered you $50,000?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: Yeah.

BARRY WARD: … is that a conjecture oregon is that the magnitude helium offered?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: That was the magnitude helium offered.

But Barnes told Ward that helium would not repetition the communicative successful court.

JIMMY RAY BARNES: … I don't spot the instrumentality nary more.

Ward confronted Barnes astir that polygraph trial from the archetypal lawsuit file. Barnes allegedly had passed that polygraph, but Ward suspected Jimmy Ray secretly had asked his identical duplicate Billy Ray to instrumentality that test.

LT. BARRY WARD: I talked to Billy … and helium said helium took that polygraph trial … And if Billy looked similar you and was questioned implicit a execution that you took portion successful and helium doesn't cognize thing astir it, he's astir apt going to walk that polygraph test. Would that beryllium just to say?

JIMMY RAY BARNES: I don't know. I'm not going to reply that origin I -- I cognize I'm the 1 who took the polygraph test.

Ward believed helium had a coagulated lawsuit to yet bring charges. He had Jimmy Ray's DNA connected to the transgression country and his videotaped connection astir Reginald offering him $50,000 to termination Selonia. But, Ward said, prosecutors ever wanted more.

Lt. Barry Ward: I would get telephone calls done the years from … prosecutors … who had asked maine to reinterview household members … find retired further information, trial much grounds … it was engaged work.

Then, successful 2018, a recently hired prosecutor, Taylor Anthony, got assigned the case.

Vladimir Duthiers: Why reopen a 35-year-old case? What was the trigger?

Taylor Anthony: Well, wherefore reopen it? It's an absorbing question … this was a lawsuit to maine close distant erstwhile I looked astatine it … that determination was a communicative to beryllium told.

Anthony was impressed by each the investigative enactment done by Ward, truthful helium reached out, but Ward told Anthony helium was excessively engaged and that helium felt he'd been fto down by different prosecutors.

Lt. Barry Ward: My archetypal effect was to conscionable get this feline disconnected the phone.

Taylor Anthony: He said, look, I've already poured hundreds of antheral hours into that lawsuit … and y'all, didn't bash thing and … He said … You're wasting your time, kid … person a bully life, basically.

But Anthony was undeterred and promised Ward that, this time, things would beryllium different.

Lt. Barry Ward: I deliberation helium saw what I saw … I deliberation that made each the quality successful the satellite …

Like Ward, Anthony was definite Jimmy Ray Barnes knew a batch more, truthful helium and Ward took a roadworthy travel to Atlanta.

Lt. Barry Ward: And we were capable to find Jimmy. He was staying successful a camper astatine his employer's place.

Lt. Barry Ward: We pulled up aboriginal successful the greeting erstwhile the prima was coming up and helium was coming retired of this camper … putting a loop successful his pants. … And helium said, uh, hey, "who y'all looking for?" … I said, "you, Jimmy." And helium goes, "Oh, you, again."

But this clip the caller authoritative had with him an agreement, approved by a judge, giving Barnes implicit immunity if helium testified to everything helium knew astir Selonia's murder.

Vladimir Duthiers: So to the layperson, you offered him a deal?

Taylor Anthony: So, I offered him what I would accidental would beryllium the aureate ticket.

But Barnes rejected the offer.

Taylor Anthony: He did not spot me. He did not judge me. He did not privation to speech to us.

Ward and Anthony were astir to thrust backmost to Louisiana erstwhile Barnes said thing that took them by surprise.

Taylor Anthony: … arsenic Barry and I were … getting backmost successful the car, Jimmy Ray Barnes came implicit to america and helium said, I privation you boys to cognize that I'm the cardinal to it all. And helium said … if you deliberation you tin indict maine for murder, past bash it.

Anthony was speedy to instrumentality him up connected that challenge.

Lt. Barry Ward: A mates of weeks aboriginal … a expansive assemblage successful Tangipahoa Parish returned second-degree execution indictments for some Reginald Reed and Jimmy Ray Barnes. … instantly … we went to Reginald's location … I knocked connected the door, identified who I was and that I had an apprehension warrant for him for the execution of his woman … He … truly had nary emotion.

The day was June 21, 2019, much than 30 years aft Selonia's murder.

Gwen Smith: … erstwhile Reginald was arrested … it was like, it was similar a load conscionable got my chest, similar a load was lifted off.

Reggie Reed: I got a telephone … that my begetter was indicted for second-degree execution and conspiracy, on with a co-defendant for my mother's murder.

Reggie Jr. enactment up his father's $250,000 bail bond.

Reggie Reed: … my dada being my stone for truthful galore years, I felt the request to effort to assistance him.

Vladimir Duthiers: Now that you are some adults … did you ever inquire him those questions that you person that you're questioning adjacent present arsenic we beryllium here?

Reggie Reed: Yeah. I asked him -- I asked him. And helium -- helium -- helium maintains his innocence.

Sitting successful different Hammond jailhouse compartment was Jimmy Ray Barnes. He present had a lawyer and asked to talk with Det. Barry Ward and Taylor Anthony.

Taylor Anthony: So, Barry and I went and met with him again. … And successful speech for him telling america everything helium knew … helium was offered a woody to plead to accessory aft the information to execution and was fixed a five-year situation sentence.

The homicide proceedings of Reginald Reed Sr. was scheduled for November 2022 and Jimmy Ray Barnes had agreed to testify. Reggie hoped to perceive never-before-revealed details of what had happened to his mother.

Reggie Reed: I privation to cognize what happened.

Why was Selonia Reed murdered?

In November 2022, the execution proceedings of Reginald Reed Sr. began successful Amite, Louisiana. He was represented by the parent and girl defence squad of Vanessa Williams and LaToia Williams-Simon.

Vladimir Duthiers: What makes you deliberation … that helium did not execution Selonia?

LaToia Williams-Simon: Their full lawsuit is circumstantial.

Williams-Simon says the state's lawsuit was weak: determination was nary execution weapon, nary fingerprints oregon DNA tying Reed to Selonia's homicide.

LaToia Williams-Simon: I was confused arsenic to however they were truly gonna beryllium their case. … There's nary nonstop evidence.

But authoritative Taylor Anthony believed his prosecution would present justness to Selonia.

Taylor Anthony: The crushed I became a authoritative is to combat for radical similar this … I spot a pistillate … whose assemblage has been desecrated, violated, mutilated, and cipher spoke up for her and fought for her. And determination is simply a punctuation that I love, and it goes … "The dormant cannot outcry retired for justice. It is the work of the surviving to bash truthful for them." … And that's my job.

Anthony told jurors astir the $700,000 from the security policies connected Selonia's life.

Vladimir Duthiers: So, what was your mentation erstwhile you enactment each these pieces together?

Taylor Anthony: My mentation was that … Selonia and Reginald were successful a matrimony that was astir to travel to an extremity … determination was a past of maltreatment and that Selonia was bushed of it and she was acceptable to permission Reginald. ... I deliberation … helium was aggravated and helium saw an accidental for immoderate money. … I deliberation that's wherefore helium killed this woman.

Vladimir Duthiers: The lawsuit that they're presenting, which is this antheral takes retired each these beingness security policies connected a young, steadfast 26-year-old pistillate … what is his rationale for having done that?

Vanessa Williams: But they're missing the biggest portion of it.

Vladimir Duthiers: Which is?

Vanessa Williams: It wasn't conscionable connected her. It was connected himself. It was connected the child. … It was household policies. So, it's not similar helium conscionable went and took retired policies connected Selonia only.

Prosecutor Anthony was frank with jurors, telling them that the authorities would not nutrient a execution limb oregon the nonstop determination wherever Selonia was stabbed. He focused connected what the prosecution did have, including that achromatic lotion recovered connected Selonia's body.

Taylor Anthony: … aboriginal constabulary were capable to find a vessel of lotion successful the Reed household that matched that benignant of lotion that was connected her body.

The authoritative besides showed jurors a photograph of immoderate scratches connected Reginald Reed Sr.'s cervix taken connected the time Selonia's assemblage was found.

Taylor Anthony: They wanted to instrumentality photographs of his neck, and helium was precise hesitant …

Anthony said Reed told constabulary 2 antithetic stories astir however helium got those scratches but aft forensic testing, it was determined that nary of Reginald's DNA was recovered nether Selonia's fingernails.

LaToia Williams-Simon: They judge that the slayer is Mr. Reginald Reed. So, thing that goes to contradict that they're gonna wholly artifact out.

Williams-Simon pointed to Jimmy Ray Barnes' agelong transgression grounds of arrests.

LaToia Williams-Simon: It couldn't beryllium introduced astatine trial.

Vladimir Duthiers: Because?

LaToia Williams-Simon: And the crushed wherefore his transgression rap expanse couldn't beryllium introduced astatine proceedings is due to the fact that these aren't convictions …

But Williams-Simon says Jimmy Ray's arrests were for convulsive crimes.

LaToia Williams-Simon: False imprisonment and aggravated assault, aggravated artillery with a unsafe weapon, execution … These are things that the assemblage had a close to know, but due to the fact that of the law, they didn't find out.

Jimmy Ray Barnes yet took the basal arsenic portion of his plea agreement. There were nary cameras successful the courtroom. In a signaling taken from Barnes' constabulary interrogation conducted by Ward earlier the trial, helium told the aforesaid communicative arsenic erstwhile helium testified:

On the nighttime of the murder, Barnes said helium promised to conscionable Reginald Reed Sr. successful the parking country extracurricular John's Curb Market wherever Selonia's assemblage had been found.

JIMMY RAY BARNES (recorded interview): When I got there, helium was getting retired of the small bluish car. The small bluish car was parked there.

Barnes said Reginald Sr. asked for his assistance successful moving Selonia's body.

JIMMY RAY BARNES (recorded interview): I said no, I wasn't, I wasn't getting progressive successful that. He wanted maine to determination the body, and I didn't privation to move, and I didn't determination the body.

Barnes says that Selonia was afloat clothed erstwhile helium saw her, and sitting successful the rider seat.

JIMMY RAY BARNES (recorded interview): I did spot the assemblage successful there. And uh, I panicked ...

Taylor Anthony: My knowing aft the information is that Jimmy Ray Barnes talked to Reggie [Sr.] and said, "where is the money? You told maine $50,000." … helium says helium ne'er got a penny of it.

Prosecutor Anthony contends that, aft the men drove away, Reginald Reed Sr. returned and "staged" the transgression scene, stripping disconnected Selonia's clothes, covering her with that achromatic lotion, and leaving different grounds to marque it look arsenic a enactment crime.

Vladimir Duthiers: And what does your dada accidental to that?

Reggie Reed: He says it's wholly BS. He says … it's nary way. We were astatine location playing Nintendo.

Williams-Simon had her ain mentation of what happened that night.

LaToia Williams-Simon: All of the accusation that we've received astir Jimmy Ray Barnes is that … helium was borderline obsessed with Selonia … I judge that possibly helium encountered her, tried to marque a walk astatine her that was … rejected, and that's wherever you spot that anger, that rage, that hatred.

Sitting done the trial, Reggie admitted that the relentless absorption connected his mother's execution was upsetting, particularly arsenic helium watched that transgression country video which helium had ne'er seen before.

Reggie Reed: … and it truly struck a chord … by conscionable seeing my parent there, um, (crying) lifeless, and conscionable alone, and dead.

Reginald Reed Sr. ne'er took the basal and aft little than a week of testimony, the lawsuit went to the jury. Reggie Jr. braced for the verdict.

After the verdict, Reggie Reed Jr. inactive cries retired for his father

Taylor Anthony: … arsenic a prosecutor, when the assemblage deliberates … it's painstaking. You're conscionable … waiting and waiting and waiting.

Some of Reginald Reed's brothers and sisters -- Kennedy Reed, Belinda Reed Cox, and Claude Reed -- were waiting arsenic well.

Vladimir Duthiers: Claude, you don't judge your member murdered Selonia.

Claude Reed: No, I don't. I don't judge Reggie (Sr.) did that.

Belinda Reed Cox: My brother's not a murderer. He's not.

But connected Nov. 18, 2022, Reginald Reed Sr. was recovered blameworthy of second-degree execution aft the assemblage deliberated for conscionable implicit 3 hours.

Reggie Reed: … erstwhile helium was recovered guilty, I consciousness similar helium died without dying (crying). … And I saw myself arsenic that aforesaid 6-year-old crying retired for my dada arsenic I did successful that [1987 constabulary interview] video.

Reggie Reed: And I conscionable privation it to end.

Reggie tried to recapture the infinitesimal his begetter was recovered blameworthy successful his book.

Reggie Reed (reading from book): My begetter grabbed maine up into a large hug. … I wanted to enactment determination everlastingly … helium pulled backmost for a moment, looked maine successful the eyes and kissed maine connected the forehead. … We embraced erstwhile more, and then, they took him distant from me.

Taylor Anthony: I wanted to … archer him, I'm atrocious … for the nonaccomplishment of your mother. I'm atrocious for your begetter going to situation … I can't adjacent ideate the grieving process that he's got to beryllium going through.

Reggie says sitting done the proceedings was excruciating. But erstwhile it was over, helium inactive wanted answers.

Reggie Reed: This is my parents' room.

Vladimir Duthiers: Lieutenant Ward has told you that 1 of his theories is that your parent whitethorn person been killed successful this room.

Reggie Reed: In this country … I conscionable spell backmost reasoning of the mode successful the way, which she was killed. If she was killed here, however is that imaginable that they couldn't find anything?

In airy of Lt. Ward's information, Reggie present wonders if his begetter killed his parent portion helium was dormant successful the adjacent room.

Reggie Reed: … Where was I? … did you permission the location aft I fell dormant …?

Questions Reggie cannot reply due to the fact that helium simply does not remember.

On Jan. 30, 2023, everyone piled backmost into the aforesaid courtroom wherever Reginald was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole. He did not connection immoderate benignant of mentation oregon connection and said nothing.

Reggie Reed: You cognize I privation justice, but I didn't deliberation justness was gonna travel astatine the terms of my dada going to situation for life.

Vladimir Duthiers: So, my question is, bash you judge that your begetter murdered your mother?

Reggie Reed: I don't know.

Reggie Reed: Another question, bash I deliberation my dada had immoderate involvement? … Maybe. I don't cognize though. I don't know. … So that's wherever I'm just, it's similar a tug-of-war game.

Reggie Reed: … conscionable knowing the benignant of begetter helium is … I can't conscionable crook a leafage and conscionable look astatine my begetter arsenic a implicit monster …

Selonia's sister Gwen Smith ever believed Reginald was Selonia's killer. Although she and Reggie Jr. are estranged, she inactive worries astir him.

Gwen Smith: I conscionable benignant of felt atrocious for him, you know, due to the fact that … his ma was taken distant from him erstwhile helium was a small boy.

Vladimir Duthiers: What bash you privation radical to cognize astir this lawsuit … if you could sum it up for me.

Kennedy Reed: I cognize 1 thing; my member did not perpetrate this execution …

For Ward, who worked connected the Selonia Reed lawsuit for a decade, the condemnation was just, and helium appreciates that Jimmy Ray Barnes agreed to testify.

Lt. Barry Ward: Jimmy Ray Barnes was the key.

Barnes served his condemnation for being an accessory aft the information to murder. He was freed from situation and, soon after, connected Jan. 27, 2024, helium was killed successful a car accident. He was successful Hammond to be the ceremonial of his identical twin.

Charles Muse: There are respective cases passim my vocation that instrumentality retired to me. And this is astir apt the -- the main one.

Charles Muse, the Hammond constabulary serviceman who recovered Selonia's body, is pleased helium got to spot the result of the case.

Charles Muse: I mean her death, you know, didn't conscionable spell successful vain. … I find immoderate bid successful that.

Vladimir Duthiers: You accidental that you privation you would've gotten to cognize her better, but past you recognize too, you must, that she's surviving done you that she's present due to the fact that you're here.

Reggie Reed: Absolutely … And I deliberation astir that she's successful a spot wherever she's consistently … watching implicit me.

As for Reggie's father, helium calls Reggie from a Louisiana authorities situation erstwhile oregon doubly a week.

A "48 Hours" shaper was contiguous during a caller call.

Charlotte Fuller | "48 Hours": Do you deliberation you got a just trial?

Reginald Reed Sr.: No, of people not. Of people not. Wasn't nary evidence.

Charlotte Fuller: What bash you got to archer america astir your son?

Reginald Reed Sr.: Oh, singular … I convey the Lord for him each time that helium was capable to recognize immoderate -- thing that was going on, but that I would ne'er permission him …

These days, Reggie has his ain family. His lad Lathan is astir the property helium was erstwhile Selonia was killed, and they often play games conscionable arsenic Reggie did with his father. And successful January 2024, Reggie and his woman Paula were blessed with a babe girl.

Reggie Reed: When our girl was born, we some agreed there's nary different sanction that we should sanction her but Selonia … you cognize springiness that sanction an accidental to unrecorded beingness and beryllium recognized successful a affirmative way.

Vladimir Duthiers: Wow, that's beautiful.

In May 2025, an entreaty for Reginald Reed Sr. was denied.

Produced by Paul La Rosa and Marie Hegwood. Charlotte Fuller is the tract producer. Sara Ely Hulse is the development producer. Richard Barber and Diana DeCilio are the editors. Anthony Venditti is the contented probe manager. Nancy Bautista is the subordinate producer. Anthony Batson is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.—

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