A Louisiana author whose father murdered his mom has revealed he still maintains a close relationship with his dad despite everything – he said this during an interview.
Reed Jr. explained how despite the horrifying circumstances of her death, he has clung onto his relationship with his father, whom his four-year-old son refers to as ‘paw paw.’Â
‘This is the man that raised me. I can’t just flip the script that he’s a monster,’ he said to DailyMail in an exclusive interview.
The Death of His Mother
On August 23, 1987, His mom, Selonia Reed‘s lifeless body was found in her 1986 Chevrolet Sprint at a local convenience store in Hammond, Louisiana.
Investigations revealed her body covered in lotion, her face mutilated by blunt force trauma, and dozens of stab wounds, including one inflicted by an umbrella between her legs.
The incident took an even darker turn nearly 40 years later, on November 18, 2022, when his father Reginald Reed Sr., (who is now serving a life sentence).was found guilty of second-degree murder in Selonia’s death.
Now Reginald ‘Reggie’ Reed Jr., 64, is releasing his memoir, ‘The Day My Mother Never Came Home.’Â
In an emotional interview connecting to his memoir, he recalled the last time he saw his mother alive.
‘I was six years old, I recall us being at home, my mother had gone out, we were at home playing Nintendo,’ he said. I just remember waking up and she never came home, realizing it was my last time seeing her.’Â
‘The town did a thorough investigation at the time. They turned over every stone, they interviewed a plethora of people – nothing came of it. Life just went on.’
His Father Was Later Linked to the Death of His Mother
Reed Jr’s father continued to raise him as he tried to move on with little physical or emotional support from his extended family.
‘I came to terms that no matter if we found the perpetrator or the suspect, it wasn’t going to bring my mother back. I wasn’t just going to live my life trying to find out who did it or why they did it,’ he explained.
However, after a push from his mother’s side of the family, pressure mounted to reopen the case. Eventually, new evidence emerged, leading to the arrest and testimony of a man connected to the crime scene.Â
Police tested a cigarette bud found at the scene through their investigation, and charged the man who had since become homeless. Then as part of a plea deal the man testified against his father.Â
The Biggest Shock of His Life
And in 2019, Reed Jr. received a phone call that shook him to his core: ‘I got this call over thirty years later saying my dad got indicted.’
Despite these revelations, Reed Jr. maintained his relationship with his father, acknowledging his central role in his upbringing and questioning his role in his mother’s murder.Â
Why He Didn’t Resent His Father
‘I don’t feel resentment to my father. I think it’s going to be hard for a lot people to understand my situation as far as still having that relationship with my dad,’ 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.’
‘He continued to be a dad, a father, a provider.’
Still now, Reed Sr. is involved in his son’s life and an involved grandfather to two of Reed Jr.’s children – a two-month old and a four-year-old who is named after him.Â
Said His Father is not a Danger to His Sons
He discusses Spiderman and Transformers with his grandson on calls from prison. Reed Jr. doesn’t believe his father would ever be considered a danger to his sons.
He admits the evidence against his father doesn’t look good but can’t believe his father could have murdered his mother in that gruesome manner – and he still struggles with the lack of closure regarding his mother’s death.
‘There’s no concrete evidence. There’s no video of him stabbing my mom. I’m a realist – I know it doesn’t look good,’ he said.
