Naman Shrestha
Leslie Reeves and Chris Smith were unaware of the tragedy awaiting them when they went out on their first date at a local bar in Farmsville, Illinois. Later, on Thanksgiving Day 2021, the latter’s residence turned into a gruesome crime scene as Leslie was found dead and Chris was severely injured. The investigation led the authorities to Leslie’s former boyfriend, Robert Tarr, who turned out to be the perpetrator responsible for the crimes. The entire case and the investigation that ensued are explored in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Fatal First Date,’ which also features exclusive and insightful interviews with individuals related to Leslie and Chris.
Robert Tarr Stalked Leslie Reeves and Chris Smith Before Attacking Them
Robert “Bobby” Tarr was a contractor residing in Collinsville, Illinois, with a romantic past with Leslie Reeves, a divorced mother of two children, living in Troy, Illinois. According to reports, the divorced father of three secretly followed his former girlfriend on Thanksgiving Eve 2021, while she was on her first date with a 48-year-old musician named Christopher Smith at a local bar in Farmersville, Illinois. As Leslie and Chris drove down to the latter’s place, Robert reportedly followed them and broke into his house through the back door. After some kind of a struggle, the intruder shot both of them in the head in the early morning hours of November 25.
Several hours later, the authorities found Leslie dead in the living room and Chris barely clinging to life on the kitchen floor. Soon, the deceased woman’s loved ones told the authorities to zero in on her ex-boyfriend, Robert. After the detectives brought him in for questioning, he claimed that he and Leslie were still together and that he was at home with his daughter, Shelby Tarr, at the time of the murder. However, Shelby’s version of the night contradicted Robert’s statements. On top of that, they spotted his car at a gas station after midnight on the surveillance footage of the area. When confronted about the holes in his story, he changed several aspects of his original story and claimed that he didn’t remember being outside after midnight.
When he failed to provide any explanation, the police immediately arrested him after the interrogation and charged him with the murder of Leslie Reeves and the attempted murder of Chris Smith. In the show, Robert Tarr admitted to following Leslie and Chris on the fateful night, but he claimed that he did so because Leslie asked him to, as she didn’t feel safe. According to him, he only parked his car right in front of Chris’ house in Farmersville and never went inside. He claimed that he lied to the police about the events of the night during the interview because there was an alleged tension between his daughter, Shelby, and Leslie, and he didn’t want the former to know that he was still in touch with her former girlfriend.
Robert is Currently Incarcerated at an Illinois Prison Facility While Awaiting Trial For Another Charge
After Robert Tarr was taken into custody, the investigators searched his car to gather incriminating evidence against the accused. However, they didn’t find any traces of blood in his car or the crime scene that could link him directly to the crime. A week after Leslie Reeves’ killing, Robert’s friend, Billy Adams, told the detectives that Robert called him from jail and asked him to get rid of aluminium brackets from his front yard. Thinking that he might be referring to the murder weapon in code, they conducted a search of his front yard but could not find anything other than actual aluminium brackets. However, when the detectives searched the property again, they came across the gun, which was used to shoot Leslie and Chris.
Robert defended himself, claiming that he had initially purchased the gun, but Leslie had bought it from him. Later, an inmate also came forward and claimed that the accused had paid him $10,000 to kill Chris and the lead detective of the case. Thus, in 2022, Robert was also indicted on two counts of solicitation of murder. A couple of years later, in April 2024, he stood trial for the murder and attempted murder charges. After several days of back-and-forth between the prosecution and defense, the jury deliberated for less than three hours and reached a final verdict. He was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the death of Leslie Reeves and injury to Chris Smith. A couple of months later, on July 1, 2024, the sentencing hearing of Robert Tarr took place.
Chris Smith also attended and gave a victim impact statement about how the incident affected him. He claimed that he had been “waiting for this day for two and a half years.” He said, “I’ve lost my house. I’ve lost my daughter being with me. I had her 85% of the time. I can’t use my arm anymore. I can’t use my leg anymore.” Before the sentencing, Robert also took the stand and claimed his innocence. Ultimately, he was sentenced to a total of 85 years in prison (50 years for murder and 35 years for attempted murder). The judge denied all the appeals that the defense filed after the sentencing. Robert is yet to stand trial for the solicitation of murder charges. As of today, he is serving his sentence at Lawrence Correctional Center in Sumner, Illinois.
Read More: Leslie Reeves Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
