Hammond, LA — Decades of enigma and heartbreak surrounded a small Louisiana town following the brutal murder of 26-year-old Selonia Reed. The case, which remained unsolved for over 30 years, was finally revitalized with new evidence, leading to the arrest of her husband, Reginald Reed Sr., and an accomplice in a complex tale of betrayal, insurance fraud, and murder.
On a summer night in 1987, Selonia Reed disappeared after reportedly leaving her home to meet a friend at a local bar, a departure from her routine of spending time with her son and husband. The following day, her body was found in her car at a nearby market; she had been sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed. This brutal act shattered the peace of the Reeds’ hometown and began a decades-long quest for justice.
Leading the investigation, Louisiana State Police Lt. Barry Ward, who was only a teenager at the time of the murder, took on the case years later with fresh eyes. His efforts uncovered disturbing details, including the possible involvement of Reginald Reed’s friend, Jimmy Ray Barnes, and tantalizingly, insurance policies amounting to more than $700,000 taken out on Selonia shortly before her death.
Charles Muse, the retired officer who discovered Selonia’s body, described the grim scene, noting the eerie absence of blood in the car which suggested she was killed elsewhere. A further chilling detail was a white lotion-like substance found on her torso, later thought to connect with evidence found in the Reed home.
Selonia’s life and death cast a long shadow over her family, particularly affecting her young son, Reggie Reed Jr., who was six at the time. Reggie’s childhood recollections of his mother were marred by the trauma of her violent death, a pain revisited years later when he decided to commit his thoughts and lingering questions to a memoir. His reflections painted a poignant picture of loss and the enduring quest for answers.
The breakthrough in the case came with the advent of DNA testing technology, which was not available at the time of the murder. A crucial piece of evidence was re-examined—a cigarette butt found in Selonia’s car. The DNA matched not Jimmy Ray but his identical twin, Billy Ray Barnes, blurring the lines of the investigation but deepening the intrigue around Jimmy Ray’s involvement.
As investigators closed in, Jimmy Ray’s guarded secrets began to unravel. He eventually disclosed that he had been offered $50,000 by Reginald Reed to kill Selonia. This confession, alongside the historical DNA evidence, led to charges finally being laid against both men.
The subsequent trial in Amite, Louisiana, gripped the local community and became a poignant moment of reckoning. The defense argued that the evidence was purely circumstantial, pointing out gaps in the prosecution’s case such as the lack of a definitive murder weapon. However, the prosecution painted a narrative of a man desperate to cash in on life insurance as his marriage crumbled, willing to murder for financial gain.
In an emotional culmination to a tragic saga, Reginald Reed Sr. was convicted of second-degree murder. His son, Reggie Reed Jr., who had stood by his father through the trial, was left to grapple with the stark reality of his father’s deeds against the backdrop of his own loss and grief.
The conviction of Reginald Reed Sr. brought some closure to the community and Selonia Reed’s family, but it also left lingering questions about justice, betrayal, and the painful aftermath of violent crime. Decades later, the scars remain, a reminder of the enduring impact of such a profound loss on a small community.