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The brutal stabbing death of the father of four, Thad Reynolds, at his workplace shocked the town of Rome in July 2004. As the investigations unfolded, the authorities found reason to believe that the murder was due to an extramarital affair between his wife, Michelle, and a fellow churchgoer and family friend, Richard Scott Harper.
The Dateline: Unforgettable episode 8 of season 4 titled The Secret Life of the Homecoming Queen chronicles the shocking details of the murder of Thad Reynolds as it airs on July 26, 2024, at 8 pm EST. The official synopsis reads:
"To many, it seemed like a romance between a former football player and homecoming queen. However, when it ends in death, police investigate. Dennis Murphy reflects on a secret relationship that led a churchgoing couple down a dangerous path."
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Five key details about Thad Reynolds' murder explored
1) Thad Reynolds was found stabbed to death at his workplace
Thad Reynolds was a district manager for the Rome and Cartersville area for Frito-Lay. He had been at work on July 5, 2004, when he was attacked and brutally stabbed to death. His colleague found his dead body on the floor of the office in the early hours and dialed 911 for help.
According to the Rome News-Tribune, the Floyd County Police Sgt. Dallas Battle determined that the incident took place around 4 am local time.
2) The authorities suspected his wife, Michelle Reynolds, due to their history of marital problems
As soon as the investigations began, the authorities suspected Michelle Reynolds due to their history of marital problems. Her illicit relationship with the youth minister of the Hollywood Baptist Church, Richard Scott Harper, came to the front, and the officers looked into their involvement.
Michelle and Thad had been high school sweethearts who married right out of school in 1987 and had four children before they divorced in 1993. They remarried in 1997 and settled down with a house soon after, per Murderpedia records.
3) Michelle Reynolds had been s*xually involved with the youth minister, Richard Scott Harper
The Reynolds and the Harpers had been close as families as they attended the same church and lived close by. As Thad decided to become a minister full-time, Michelle allegedly grew tired of her duties at Church. She struck up a relationship with Richard Scott "Scotty" Harper around the same time after the two became intimate in the car in her SUV at Harper's workplace.
Scotty and Michelle kept their extramarital affair alive by visiting motels down the road of Hollywood Baptist.
4) Richard and Michelle conspired toward Thad's death
Richard Harper and Michelle Reynolds were pursuing their affair with dreams of moving in with one another someday. While Richard was willing to leave his wife, Paige Harper, Michelle was unwilling to separate from Thad again. Besides, a divorce would hurt his chances of becoming a minister at a church.
Michelle and Richard often joked about adding extra butter to Thad's food so that he may clog his arteries. According to Murderpedia, Richard mentioned in his statement to the DA that Michelle told him that he would have to outlive Thad to be with her.
5) Richard Scott Harper took a plea deal in exchange for death sentences
Richard Scott Harper and Michelle Reynolds were arrested four days after Thad Reynolds' murder. The evidence from the crime scene, a hunter's knife sheath and a pair of glasses, were traced back to Richard while the authorities found the murder weapon along with bloodied clothes at a data center of Scott's workplace, Floyd Medical Center.
Richard took a plea deal and testified against Michelle to ensure he was not put to death. Richard was sentenced to life without parole while Michelle was sentenced to 20 years with parole. She was released from prison on July 7, 2024, per the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Catch all the details of Thad Reynolds' murder as the Dateline episode airs on Oxygen on Thursday.
