Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Judge Richard Brosey said most potential jurors don’t read the news as much as some lawyers seem to think when he denied a motion that John A. Booth Jr.’s upcoming triple-murder trial be moved out of Lewis County.

Three fatally shot, Salkum

Roger Hunko, attorney for Booth, had asked that his client’s trial be changed to a different venue because of so much pre-trial publicity by the news media.

Brosey on Friday denied the motion, although he noted it could be revisited if attorneys encounter difficulties during jury selection.

“There was no waving of the bloody shirt” by the news media, Brosey said, noting he thought most reporting was on the basic facts.

Booth is scheduled to be tried starting Monday in Lewis County Superior Court in Chehalis.

The 32-year-old former Onalaskan is charged with murder and other offenses related to the August 2010 gunshot deaths of two men and a teenage boy inside a Salkum-Onalaska area home. Booth is also charged with attempted murder a woman in the same house the same night.

Hunko and Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher went before the judge on Friday, to finalize details for next week’s trial.

John A. Booth Jr.

Hunko made a motion to dismiss the attempted extortion charge, saying most of the evidence was circumstantial. Brosey denied the motion.

The judge also denied Hunko’s request for a lengthy questionnaire to be given to potential jurors.

Brosey did say he would make accommodations to ensure a fair trial such as bringing in a larger than usual group of potential jurors. He’s asked that as many as 160 people are available, he said.

Meagher told the judge he has lined up 23 witnesses. The judge said he thought the trial might last a week to 10 days.

Prosecutors allege Booth and Ryan J. McCarthy visited the house on Wings Way in connection with collecting money for drug debts or a “perceived” debt owed to Robert “Robbie” S. Russell. One of the victims, David West Sr. 52, was a witness in a pending case against Russell.

Also shot dead were David West Jr., 16, and a friend Tony E. Williams, 50, of Randle. Denise Salts, then 51, survived a gunshot wound to her face.

McCarthy was sentenced late last month to a little more than 14 years following a plea deal. He denies being guilty of the crimes he pleaded guilty to.

Booth’s defense, according to documents in the court file, include general denial,and self defense / defense of others.
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Read most recent story, “Court hearing reveals more details about Salkum triple slaying” from Saturday Oct. 1,  2011, here

Jonathan, left, and his father Ron Reynolds enter a Chehalis courtroom this morning

Updated at 6:10 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Lawyers and the sheriff arranged for Ron and Jonathan Reynolds to go before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court within less than two hours of their warrants being re-issued this morning.

After hearing briefly from the prosecutor, Judge James Lawler ordered the two men to be released immediately.

“The matter is over unless and until the prosecutor decides to file criminal charges, and none are pending at this time,” Lawler said.

Chehalis attorney Joe Mano had no comment about his client, Toledo Elementary School Principal Ron Reynolds.

Olympia attorney Rick Cordes, representing Jonathan Reynolds, called it a travesty.

This may or may not be the final turn in the case of Ronda Reynolds, a 33-year-old former trooper found shot to death in a closet of the Toledo home she shared with her new husband and his sons in December 1998.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod issued the arrest warrants based on his inquest jury’s unanimous finding last week the pair were responsible for the homicide of Ronda Reynolds.

While the coroner said he was fulfilling his statutory obligation, elected Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer told the judge this morning the same as he announced to the press yesterday:

There is not enough admissible evidence to prosecute them criminally.

The inquest jury only had to make its finding based on a preponderance of evidence, but much of what they heard would not be allowed in a court of law, Meyer said.

Following the very brief hearing in the Chehalis courthouse, Cordes spoke publicly for the first time on the matter.

The process he called a waste of time and money has torn up Ron and Jonathan Reynolds, he said.

“It’s devastating. Ron is in the process of losing his job and Jonathan can’t get a job,” Cordes said.

The two “absolutely” believe Ronda Reynolds committed suicide, and he’s not sure they can ever clear their names, he said.

“The paper has now come out and accused them basically of murder, something they didn’t do, something they had no involvement in,” Cordes said. “And that’s been hanging over them for 13 years.”

Cordes said they are considering holding a press conference of their own sometime next week, and another thought is the possibility of a lawsuit against the county and the coroner, “among others.”

The lawyer said he doesn’t agree the coroner ought to have had them arrested, after knowing the prosecutor would not file charges

The statute was originally adopted around 1850, he said, and was designed for the coroner to act when the sheriff was unavailable, he said.

The influence that Barb Thompson and Ann Rule have had on the community has led to something that’s ruined many lives in the Reynolds’ family, he said.

“People know who they are so they associate some terrible thing that they had nothing to do with, with them,” he said.

Jonathan Reynolds was 17 at the time of Ronda Reynolds’ death.

Ron Reynolds remains on administrative leave from his job as a school principal in Toledo.
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Read this morning’s news when the coroner reversed his decision from the night before to quash the warrants, here

Read Prosecutor Meyer’s announcement from yesterday on why he isn’t filing criminal charges, here

Read about the coroner’s inquest, and find links to the stories filed each day during the proceedings, here

Judge James Lawler's courtroom is full when Ron and Jonathan Reynolds appear briefly

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Barb Thompson, mother of Ronda Reynolds, waits for the appearance of Ron and Jonathan Reynolds

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer announces no charges against Ron Reynolds, Jonathan Reynolds, at the Lewis County courthouse this morning

Updated at 2:15 p.m. and 8:50 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer will not file criminal charges against the husband and step-son of former trooper Ronda Reynolds despite them being named as responsible for her homicide during the recently concluded coroner’s inquest into the December 1998 death.

But murder knows no statute of limitations, Meyer said at a press conference this morning at the Lewis County courthouse.

Ronda Reynolds

The elected prosecutor cited a lack of physical evidence available for a trial, as most was released after the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office early on decided the death was a suicide.

He also noted a higher standard he must adhere to if choosing to prosecute criminally, relative the rules that pertained to Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod’s inquest.

One issue is the obvious foreseeable defense he must consider in making a charging decision, Meyer said. The inquest jury named Toledo Elementary School Principal Ron Reynolds and his son Jonathan Reynolds.

“There is some evidence to suggest Ms. Reynolds was murdered; however there is also evidence to suggest she killed herself,” Meyer said.

However, he left the door open to further inquiry.

Meyer said he will be talking with the sheriff and discuss options for obtaining information he thinks is important for closure of the matter one way or the other.

Barb Thompson, who has battled for almost 13 years to see justice in her daughter’s case, repeatedly said this morning she is fine with the outcome and now can go on with her life.

“I’m okay with this decision,” Thompson told news reporters.

Following the eight-day inquest that concluded last week the coroner issued arrest warrants for the two men as required by state law, but recalled them to investigate an issue and then re-issued them again the night before last.

Prosecutor Meyer said he believes the sheriff is still obligated to serve the warrants, but doesn’t know what will occur when the Reynolds’s are brought before a judge.

“The statute is completely silent as to the process,” Meyer said, adding he will be prepared to answer any questions the judge has.

Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield has remained tight-lipped throughout the inquest and since.

Mansfield stated publicly the day the inquest began that its outcome would not cause him to reopen their case or change its disposition in his office – suicide – unless clear and compelling new information arose.

Despite the sheriff’s office stance in the case, Meyer said he has confidence the sheriff will assist him in getting the answers he wants.

“Had they not followed up on some leads given to them by Barb and her team, I might have that concern, but they have followed up on several leads they’ve been given,” Meyer said.

Meyer said his ethical obligations as a prosecutor prevent him at this point from simply letting a jury decide if there is enough evidence.

The prosecutor said he has to have substantial admissible evidence, be able to convict, and in this case, and also consider a foreseeable defense.

“And in this case, I don’t think we’d be able to meet that burden,” he said.

Thompson said she was disappointed but has faith in Meyer as a prosecutor, and as new information comes in, she’ll work with him for as long as he allows her to do that.

“I think he’s going to keep that door open for me,” Thompson said.

She reminded a small crowd of news reporters that true crime author Ann Rule has offered a $30,000 reward for anyone who comes forward with information that ends in a conviction of the person responsible for her daughter’s death.

“Thirty-thousand dollars is a lot of money,” he said.

“We still think some may,” she said. “We know they know. There’s people out there that know.”

Regardless of today’s announcement of no charges, Thompson is feeling a great deal of finality knowing the suicide label will be replaced with that of homicide.

She has been keeping her daughter’s ashes at home, and now feels free to scatter them, she said.

“You know, I needed that, I needed that determination to do that,” she said.

•••

Read background on the coroner’s inquest, here

Barb Thompson, of Spokane, answers reporter's questions after the prosecutor's announcement.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A Centralia woman fought off a knife-wielding purse snatcher who confronted her when she pulled into the driveway of her home last night, according to police.

Officers were called just before 10 p.m. to the 1000 block of Alder Street and conducted a search with a police dog but didn’t find the male subject, Officer John Panco said this morning.

There was no indication in the police report either the 45-year-old woman or her attacker were hurt, he said.

Panco said he confronted her as she exited her vehicle, put a knife to her chest or neck and demanded her purse.

“At first, she thought it was a joke,” Panco said.

The woman grabbed the knife or his hand, they fought a little bit, going to the ground and he got up and took off, with the purse, according to Panco.

The male was described as wearing a gray or brown “hoodie” and she thought he was about 5-feet 7-inches tall, Panco said.

The search did lead to possible suspects, but no arrest has been made, according to police.

Panco said he didn’t know if the woman chose to fight to try to keep her purse or to defend herself from the knife.

“We never ever recommend putting yourself in a position where you’re going to get hurt, but people react differently in different situations,” he said.