Kriti Mehrotra
When 26-year-old bank teller Selonia Reed was found dead in her car far away from home in Hammond, Louisiana, on August 22, 1987, the entire world for her family turned upside down. That’s because, as explored in CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Day My Mother Never Came Home,’ she left behind not only a husband but also a young 6-year-old boy for whom she was his entire world. What’s worse is that the case eventually grew cold, only for officials to ultimately look into it again a few decades later and swiftly arrest Reginald Reed Sr. for murder – something Reginald Reed Jr. struggles with to this day.
Reginald Reed Jr. Has Hazy Memories of the Fateful Day
Born in 1981 as the only child of Selonia and Reginal Reed in their hometown in Louisiana, Reginald Reed Jr.’s early years were filled with affection, care, kindness, and joy. After all, he shared a close bond with both his parents and had actually spent the morning of the fateful day with his mother in the local mall. The duo had spent time shopping together, with the then-6-year-old believing his mother had paid close attention to him throughout, as usual, before also showing him in love upon their return home.
That same August 22, 1987, evening, Reginald believes his mother left home to have a night out with friends, but she never returned – her body was found in her car the next day. Selonia’s husband and Reginald’s father, Reinald Sr., had decided to stay back the previous evening to look after his son, and they had reportedly spent most of the evening playing video games. The officials subsequently questioned the father-son duo, but the youngster refused to answer anything despite his father’s go-ahead because he just wanted to be with him and go home. He doesn’t remember much of the interrogation or that day itself, but he does know he was happy until he wasn’t.
What Reginald didn’t know at the time or even as he grew up and his mother’s case started being looked into by cold case officials was that his dad was the prime suspect for his mother’s murder. The hypothesis was that his mother had actually returned home while her son slept, following which a fight had led the patriarch to kill Selonia in their bedroom before placing her in her car and driving it to the spot where it was found. In the end, owing to the fact Reginald Sr. had taken out several life insurance policies against Selonia just days before the incident, and a witness had also identified him to be near the crime scene, he was arrested for murder.
Reginald Reed Jr. Continues to Question Whether His Father Is Innocent or Guilty
It was June 2019 when Reginald Sr. and an accomplice were indicted on one count each of second-degree murder, only for the latter to plead guilty and testify against the former in exchange for a 5-year sentence. With this, the indication of financial motives, and DNA evidence, he was found guilty as charged in November 2022 before subsequently being sentenced to life in prison. When this sentence was announced, his son, now 41, fell to his knees and cried out for his father because he just couldn’t believe it.
When asked if he thinks his father did indeed kill his mother, Reginald has candidly admitted, “I don’t know … another question — do I think my dad had some involvement? Maybe. I don’t know, though. I don’t know. So that’s where I’m just, it’s like a tug-of-war game.” That’s primarily because he only knows his father as the man who raised him all by himself in a loving environment and sacrificed a lot just to ensure he had the best of opportunities every step of the way. So, he can’t just paint him as a murdering “monster” even if the evidence suggests the same. “I want justice,” he said, “but I didn’t think justice was gonna come at the price of my dad going to prison for life.”
Reginald Reed Jr. is a Renowned Author, Family Man, and Pharmaceutical Executive
Despite the fact Reginald lost his mother at the tender age of 6, he admittedly had a rather fulfilling childhood thanks to his father’s care. In fact, he credits his father for putting him through a private school before also encouraging him to pursue his dreams with further education. He attended the University of Phoenix for a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Global Marketing Concentration before pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration from the same institution. Then, in 2020, he even attended Villanova University for a Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, which enables working professionals to improve their skills so as to better process improvement initiatives.
The truth is Reginald had kickstarted his career in 2004 as a Retail Sales Consultant at AT&T, where he remained for 2 years before being promoted to Assistant Retail Sales Manager in 2006 and then Corporate Indirect Retail Account Director in 2009. He held this position for just over a year and then joined Pfizer as a Professional Healthcare Representative from May 2010 to January 2015. From here, he evolved into a Senior Healthcare Cardiovascular Consultant until 2017, when he was promoted to the title of Dermatology Senior Healthcare Representative in Inflammation & Immunology. However, today, he serves as a Key Account Director, a position he has held since 2021.
As if that’s not enough, Reginald is also a published author. He released his debut book and memoir ‘The Day My Mother Never Came Home’ in 2024, where he recalls all the events surrounding the harrowing murder of his 26-year-old mother back in 1987. Thus, it’s evident that the past continues to hang over him like a dark cloud, but he does appear to be doing his best to move on and lead a good life because he knows that’s what both his parents would have wanted. So, at the age of nearly 44, the man of faith is currently based out of San Antonio, Texas, where he is happy to be by the love of his life, his wife, Paula Reed, and their two children: son Lathan and daughter Selonia.
Read More: Selonia Reed Murder: Where is Reginald Reed Sr Today?
