For over twenty years, Reginald Reed Jr., often referred to as Reggie, grappled with the unresolved mystery of his mother’s murder from which he was just six years old at the time. His mother, Selonia Reed, worked as a bank teller and was merely 26 years old when her lifeless body was discovered inside her vehicle in Hammond, Louisiana.
The final recollection Reggie holds from that day is his mother purchasing a chocolate chip cookie for him at the Hammond Square Mall. He also distinctly recalls her giving him a kiss farewell, though the rest remains hazy.
"48 Hours" along with contributor Vladimir Duthiers explore what transpired in the years that came afterwards. The Day My Mother Didn’t Come Back Home scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at 10 PM EST on CBS and available for stream on Paramount+
On a sweltering summer day in August 1987, Selonia’s lifeless form was discovered within her azure Chevrolet Sprint parked roughly one-and-a-half miles away from the Reed residence. According to law enforcement officials, she had suffered blunt force trauma and numerous stab wounds; additionally, she was left completely unclothed. The authorities stated unequivocally that sexual assault had occurred.
Reginald Reed Sr., who was married to Selonia, informed the authorities that she was missing about an hour prior to when her remains were discovered. On August 23, 1987, early in the morning, Reginald told law enforcement that Selonia mentioned she would be meeting up with a female friend the previous evening. However, this friend subsequently stated to the police that they did not have any arrangements to meet that night. Despite this information, Reginald maintained his initial account.
As the probe progressed, law enforcement discovered that Selonia had confided with her family members that Reginald subjected her to physical abuse and mentioned contemplating filing for divorce. This information made him a prime suspect early on; however, this suspicion never came to light before young Reggie, as he remained unaware of these details at such tender age.
After obtaining consent from his dad, Reggie was interrogated by law enforcement officers. They recorded his conversation with an officer as his father watched beside him, supporting his account. According to both their stories, they claimed to have stayed up all night together gaming and napping side-by-side on a pull-out couch. Consequently, this made Reggie’s father provide an alibi for him. Decades afterward, watching back over that interrogation tape brought Reggie strong emotions, particularly seeing footage of himself at age six pleading tearfully for his parents.
"I simply cannot fathom what it’s like for a 6-year-old child to have to endure sitting through that," stated Duthiers.
It’s still unbelievable seeing this; it feels like watching someone else," Reggie remarked. "That video stirs up numerous doubts and— and anguish within me since… I can see myself weeping.
Reggie penned a memoir recounting his experiences called, "The Day My Mother Failed to Return Home."
Reggie remained unaware that his dad was considered the main person of interest in the investigation until he turned 31, which occurred in 2012. It was during this year that a Texas Ranger paid him an unexpected visit at his residence. At that point, Reggie had completed his university education and was employed with a drug manufacturing firm close to San Antonio.
Reggie stated to “48 Hours,” “I asked myself, ‘Where is this information coming from?’ I recall wondering if any fresh evidence had come up.”
But over the next few years, the new lead investigator in the case, Lt. Barry Ward of the Louisiana State Police, was able to come up with new evidence. Eventually, it was enough that Reginald and an alleged accomplice were indicted for second-degree murder.
The co-conspirator, a buddy of Reginald named Jimmy Ray Barnes, consented to provide testimony against Reginald in return for receiving a five-year jail term. In November 2022, Reginald Reed Sr. was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Selonia Reed and subsequently received a life sentence in prison.
Ward informed Reggie that the police suspect Reginald probably killed Selonia inside their bedroom while Reggie was asleep. Investigators think he subsequently moved her body into her vehicle and transported it to the location where it was discovered. At the trial, Reginald’s accomplice Jimmy Ray Barnes took the stand and stated that he arrived at the crime scene and witnessed Reginald sitting in the car alongside Selonia's remains.
Even now, Reggie keeps questioning whether his father was really guilty.
“I desire justice, yet I never imagined it would cost me my father spending his entire life behind bars,” Reggie said when Duthiers inquired, “Do you think your father killed your mother?”
I’m uncertain about this… Another query—do I believe my father was involved? Perhaps. But I really don’t know for sure. That’s why it feels like being caught in a tug-of-war.
Reggie mentioned that he finds it difficult to reconcile what the state asserts with the image of the father he remembers. He acknowledges that his father showed him love, sent him to private school, and helped shape him into the person he is now.
Given what I know about the kind of father he is," Reggie stated, "I can't simply flip past the pages and view my dad as an entirely monstrous figure.
