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The killing of Selonia Reed in 1987 is still one of the most astonishing crimes committed in Hammond, Louisiana. Her body, mutilated beyond recognition, was found on August 23, 1987, in her car parked outside a neighborhood convenience store. The murder case took decades to be solved, with her husband Reginald Reed found guilty in 2019.
The murder case of Selonia Reed appears in the documentary series Cold Case Files: Murder in the Bayou, in season 1, episode 2, entitled The Devil in Hammond. This was released on January 3, 2025, and can be found on platforms such as Apple TV and Prime Video.
A different documentary entitled The Day My Mother Never Came Home is also to be released on CBS based on the same case on April 12, 2025.
Discovery of the crime (August 23, 1987)
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As per Bayou Justice, early on the morning of August 23, 1987, a Hammond police officer discovered Selonia Reed's half-dressed body in her car in front of John's Curb Market. Her blue Chevrolet Sprint was parked three blocks from home. She had been s*xually attacked with an umbrella and brutally beaten, according to police reports.
The coroner subsequently established that she was killed by four stab wounds in the chest and heart inflicted with a weapon resembling a Phillips screwdriver. The body also contained smeared white material, but it is uncertain where it originated.
Initial investigation
Autopsy reports: As per Bayou Justice, the autopsy indicated that Selonia Reed had been dead for three hours when her body was found. The autopsy report confirmed s*xual assault and blunt force trauma to her face. The stab wounds were the cause of death.
Witness testimony: A witness told police about a suspicious car driving around the location of the crime scene the previous night. The license plate connected the vehicle to Reginald Reed's family, as per Bayou Justice.
Suspects identified: As per Bayou Justice, police held a photo lineup in September 1987. Suspects Reginald Reed and an associate, Jimmy Ray Barnes, were identified.
Delayed justice (1987–2019)
As per Bayou Justice, no charges were brought despite initial suspicions of Reginald Reed, and more than three decades went by. Meanwhile:
- Reginald Reed received $707,682 from life insurance policies he had written on Selonia Reed just before her murder.
- He went unjailed and even ran for mayor of Hammond in 1998.
- In 2019, new evidence and witness testimonies resulted in his indictment for second-degree murder by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.
The Trial and Conviction (2019–2023)
Trial proceedings: As per Bayou Justice, Reginald Reed's trial commenced in November 2022. Prosecutors introduced evidence implicating him in the crime, including Jimmy Ray Barnes' testimony. Barnes confessed to helping Reed by driving him after the murder.
Verdict: As per Bayou Justice, Reginald Reed was convicted of second-degree murder in 2023 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Barnes' role: As per Bayou Justice, Barnes was sentenced to five years for his role but died in January 2023 in a car crash.
Impact on family
As per Bayou Justice, Selonia Reed's son, Reginald Reed Jr., then six years old when she was killed. In 2024, Reginald Reed Jr released his memoir, The Day My Mother Never Came Home, in which he recalls the events surrounding his mother's murder.
In an interview with DailyMail, Reginald Reed Jr. described the evidence against his father as circumstantial and explained that he still harbors a soft corner for his father. He said,
"I don't think people take the time to understand. This is the man that raised me, and a lot of my learning and teaching - my upbringing came from him. And all of a sudden I'm exposed to this revelation that my dad murdered my mom - I can't just flip the script that he's a monster."
Appeals and ongoing developments
As per Bayou Justice, Reginald Reed has appealed his conviction, continuing to protest his innocence. Now that Barnes is dead, some hold that important testimony is lost forever to subsequent proceedings.
For more details about the killing of Selonia Reed, watch The Day My Mother Never Came Home on April 12, 2025.
