Todd Alan Reed
Todd Alan Reed (born 1967), known as The Forest Park Killer, is an American serial killer and sex offender who raped and strangled three homeless women in Portland, Oregon between April and June 1999, later dumping their bodies in the Forest Park reserve. He was convicted of these deaths and received three terms of life imprisonment, and remains the sole suspect in two similar murders that occurred in nearby Gresham, in 1987.[1]
Todd Alan Reed | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 (age 52–53) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Other names | "The Forest Park Killer" |
| Conviction(s) | Murder x3 |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment x3 |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3–5 |
Span of crimes | April–June 1999 (possibly 1987) |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Oregon |
Date apprehended | July 18, 1999 |
Early life
Little is known about Reed's early life. By the age of 14, he was a registered sex offender and was put in a residential program for his crimes, but, as he wasn't considered dangerous, he was released. In the following years, Reed met Gail Bennett, whom would he would later marry, but the latter would subsequently divorce Todd in 1997.[1] Reed worked at Rinella Produce, where he was described as a dilligent worker who never made any trouble. During this time, several homeless women from around the city began to mysteriously disappear.
Murders
Confirmed
- Lilla Faye Moler (28) - a homeless prostitute suffering from manic depression, Moler had previous convictions for drug use and prostitution. She went missing in April 1999, and her body was later found by a couple walking their dog on May 7, covered with tree branches and leaves.[2] She had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death.[3] A condom containing the killer's DNA was found 28 feet away from her body.
- Stephanie Lynn Russell (26) - a fellow homeless prostitute and acquaintance of Moler, Russell's body was found by police while they were searching the area where the previous victim was located. Her body was discarded only a quarter-mile away from Lilla, and had also been sexually assaulted and strangled. Unlike Moler, authorities suspected that Russell had died much more recently, likely within a week of being found.[3]
- Alexandria Nicole Ison (17) - a transient runaway with convictions for drug use (specifically heroin and cocaine), Ison's body was found by a hiker on a trail running along Forest Park on June 2, which hadn't been searched by authorities the previous month. Her body had been dumped down a steep hill, about a quarter-mile away from the other victims, and she had also been sexually assaulted and strangled like them. Ison had been missing since May.[4]
Suspected
- Jennifer Lynn Tchir (15) - Tchir went missing on July 3, 1987 in Gresham, and was last seen with Reed's girlfriend, Gail Bennett. Initially, a biology student from Mt. Hood Community College discovered a human shin and heel bone on July 18, 1988, and over the week, Explorer Scouts discovered enough bones from the brushy fields in the southeastern part of the city to make a nearly complete skeleton. It was later positively identified as Tchir by the Multnomah County Medical Examiner's office, with the cause of death being labeled as asphyxiation.[5]
- Mindi Coleen Thomas (12) - Thomas disappeared from her apartment complex in Gresham on August 3, 1987. Like Tchir, she was last seen in the company of Gail Bennett. That same October, her remains were found near a hiking trail close to the Mt. Hood Community College. She too had been strangled to death.[5]
According to the Gresham Police Department, the suspect in both of these cases was described as a white male in his late teens to early 20s, with very dark, short hair, thick eyebrows and little beard hairs along the chin line. He wore military-type glasses with metal frames and a stud-type earring in his left ear, and apparently drove a car described as a metallic blue-colored 1970s model Dodge Charger. Capt. Gerald Johnson noted in a written statement that the man was likely acquainted with the girls or their circle of friends, as he was seen calling out to Tchir by name at a convenience store on the day of her disappearance.[6]
Arrest, trial and imprisonment
On July 7, a female police officer who matched the then-unknown killer's physical preferences posed as a prostitute in an attempt to lure him out. Reed was observed stalking the officer, and one of the lookouts recognized him from an earlier conviction for burglary and assault, from which he spent 2.5 years behind bars. On July 18, Reed was arrested at his job in Rinella Produce for the murders of Moler, Russell and Ison, after his DNA was matched to the crime scenes.[7]
On February 23, 2001, he plead guilty to the murders in order to avoid the death penalty, and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms. Reed was questioned about the two 1987 Gresham murders, as he met every criteria for the suspect's description, but to this day, he has yet to be charged with either of them.[7] As of June 2020, it is unclear in which prison Todd Alan Reed is housed in, or even if he's still alive.
Bibliography
- W. Jerry Chisum and Brent E. Turvey (2011). Crime Reconstruction: Second Edition. Academic Press. ISBN 0123864607.
- John O. Savino and Brent E. Turvey (August 23, 2011). Rape Investigation Handbook. Academic Press. ISBN 012386030X.
References
- "Police think man killed others". Statesman Journal. August 8, 1999.
- "Bodies found". Albany Democrat-Herald. May 10, 1999.
- "Park deaths may be related". Statesman Journal. June 4, 1999.
- "Police looking for serial killer". Albany Democrat-Herald. June 5, 1999.
- "Father believes two girls' deaths related". Albany Democrat-Herald. July 26, 1988.
- "Suspect described". The Daily News. March 22, 1989.
- "Serial killer suspect linked to other deaths". Corvallis Gazette-Times. August 8, 1999.