Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘A Family Affair’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Mother, May I Murder?,’ the primary focus is on the cold-blooded murder of 69-year-old Bill Reynolds right outside his house in Scott County, Indiana. As the investigation progressed in the following days, the detectives uncovered a deadly murder-for-hire plot carried out by someone close to the deceased. Armed with surveillance footage and confessions, the police managed to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the gruesome crime.
Bill Reynolds Was Found Dead on His Driveway by a Mechanic
William “Bill” Reynolds was born on July 28, 1946, in the city of Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio. At a young age, he was driven by a strong sense of patriotism and was eventually called to serve his country during the Vietnam War, when he was just 18 years old. Upon his return, he adopted a lavish life full of things that bring him comfort. On the personal front, he entered into a relationship with Dalene Cates after their paths crossed in 2000. As the two spent more time together, they realized what they had was special. While Bill was a doting father to Henry and William Reynolds Jr., from his first marriage, Dalene had a daughter, Johnetta Hall, from another relationship.
Eventually, Dalene moved into Bill’s home along with her grandkids. A devoted family man, he and Dalene ultimately tied the knot in 2013. He also embraced his step-daughter, Johnetta, and her children as his own. Since Johnetta worked as a truck driver, her kids would often be left under the care of their grandmother. Over the years, Bill had built a fulfilling life for himself and his blended family. He had always been deeply passionate about automobiles. One of his favorite things to do was repair and restore cars to their original glory, as well as tinker with their mechanics. By the time 2015 rolled around, Bill was leading a content life surrounded by his family and friends in Scott County, Indiana. Unfortunately, things took a fatal turn on September 27, 2015.
Around 2:30 pm, a mechanic called the police and informed them about finding his dear friend, Bill Reynolds, dead on the ground in the driveway leading to his residence. He said he had no idea what happened and was there just for a job. When the police arrived at the scene, they declared the 69-year-old had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The authorities didn’t look into the case as a suicide since the murder weapon (a gun) wasn’t present on or around the scene. An investigation into Bill Reynolds’ murder was swiftly launched.
The Killing of Bill Reynolds Was Planned by Multiple Perpetrators
During the investigation, the detectives talked to Bill Reynolds’ family members, including his sons from his first marriage. They told the authorities about how Bill’s relationship with Dalene Cates deteriorated after he battled esophageal cancer in 2015. It got to the point that he had filed for divorce from her, after which she got a restraining order against him, forcing him out of his own home. According to reports, Bill then accused Dalene of stealing his possessions, including his extensive NASCAR memorabilia collection, worth more than $100k. By August 2015, Bill regained possession of the marital residence, and Dalene, alongside her daughter and granddaughters, was ordered to vacate the property by September 20.
With suspicions looming over Dalene, the investigators questioned her about her whereabouts at the time of the murder. She claimed that she was busy cleaning her home. Meanwhile, Johnetta told the detectives that she went to a storage unit and Circle K to buy groceries at the time of the murder. She also provided a receipt to solidify her alibi. To verify Johnetta’s story, the police reviewed security footage from the storage unit and grocery store where she claimed to have been. The video from the storage unit showed that she was with two men, moving boxes into their vehicles, one of which belonged to a man named Jacob Mathis.
Two Perpetrators Were Closely Related to Bill Reynolds
Upon talking to him on September 28, 2015, Jacob led the detectives to the other man in the video, Kerry Heald, who was not only his roommate but also the boyfriend of Johnetta’s daughter, Amaris Bunyard. During his interrogation, Jacob admitted that Kerry had shot Bill Reynolds in the driveway of his house. He also told the detectives that he had multiple meetings with Kerry, Amaris, and Johnetta to plan Bill’s murder, further claiming that Johnetta was the orchestrator of the plot. The following day, the investigators brought Kerry in for questioning. Initially, he denied being in Scott County the day of the murder, claiming he had nothing to do with it. However, when presented with the evidence they had against him, he confessed to killing Bill for $100k, reportedly offered to him by Johnetta, who planned to sell Bill’s NASCAR collection.
Subsequently, Amaris was questioned about the murder-for-hire plot. Although she admitted that meetings about the same were held in her apartment, she claimed that she didn’t take it seriously and was shocked to hear about the murder. She alleged, “Kerry told me while we were in the car, he said, ‘I just came back from killing your grandfather.’ He said, ‘I walked right up to him. I put the pistol between his eyes, and pulled the trigger.’ They left him in the driveway. Just left him there.” Furthermore, in order to make Kerry carry out the killing, Johnetta also allegedly told him that Bill had been sexually abusing Amaris; investigators stated there was no evidence supporting this claim. Therefore, all four parties — Johnetta Hall, Amaris Bunyard, Kerry Heald, and Jacob Mathis — involved in the murder of Bill Reynolds were arrested.
Johnetta, Amaris, Kerry, and Jacob Are Serving Their Respective Sentences at Separate Indiana Prisons
Amaris Bunyard took a plea deal and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her involvement in the murder of Bill Reynolds. Meanwhile, Jacob Mathis received 32 years in prison for conspiracy to murder. As for Kerry Heald, he was convicted of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, receiving a 55-year imprisonment sentence for the same. In September 2020, Johnetta Hall, who investigators said played a leading role in her stepfather’s killing, stood trial. The jury eventually found her guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder and sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
As of today, Johnetta is serving her sentence at Rockville Correctional Facility in Rockville, while her daughter, Amaris, is incarcerated at Madison Correctional Facility in Madison. Meanwhile, Kerry is at Pendleton Correctional Facility in Pendleton, with his possible release date scheduled for December 2056. As for Jacob, he is serving his sentence at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, with his release date scheduled for September 2039.
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