By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Kirotv.com has a story today that says lawmakers next week will examine a proposal to change state law over arrest warrants after the coroner’s inquest into the 1998 death in Toledo of former trooper Ronda Reynolds led to the arrest of her husband and stepson.
Ronda Reynolds
Ron Reynolds and his son Jonathan Reynolds were named responsible for Ronda Reynolds’ homicide and while Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod vacillated in his next step, he issued arrest warrants as the law said he “shall” following the inquest jury’s decision.
The pair were immediately released after Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer told a judge he didn’t have enough admissible evidence to file criminal charges.
Kirotv.com’s news story from Mike Baker of the Associated Press said the bill has the support of the Washington Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.
Read about it here
And, read how nearly a year ago Prosecutor Meyer was preparing for the possibility of an arrest when Coroner McLeod was in the earliest stages of planning an inquest, here
I agree with both lisarae and sunshinegirl and the other ones that have posted…it is the same old bs in lewis county when it comes to a murder case…I also feel the sheriff dept should be ashamed of themselves for claiming it to be a suicide and planned on sticking to it when it is so obvious to absolutely any thinking person it couldn’t be. They know the truth but for some reason think that by stating it a suicide they are hiding their incompetence and mishandling of the evidence and the fear of a lawsuit when if anything it just makes them even look worst. It is time for people here to INSIST on this case going to a Grand Jury! I find it really hard to understand how there couldn’t be enough evidence still to be found for such a obvious murder crime. I’ve met the old coroner Mr. Wilson a long time ago and I personally liked him very much but he’s not a Doctor he was a Medic and I would of thought to qualify to be a coroner you should have to be a doctor trained and educated in that field. If a person hasn’t been educated or trained in such a important field how can anyone expect them to be able to always give the correct results. That would be like a trained caregiver being able to do the same job as a trained nurse.
What is required for an arrest is probable cause. And guess what folks… Inadmissible evidence is allowed in developing probable cause, and is used in gaining search and arrest warrants all the time!
What is still needed regarding this case, (since the Sheriff and the Prosecutor are not actively persuing this case) is a Grand Jury investigation. The Superior Court judges should convene a grand jury, and ask those witnesses who refused to testify in this inquest, just what they know about the incident. More can still be done with this case, if the will is there. But, until Lewis County citizens, (lke those reading this post) are willing to stand up and make their voices heard, nothing will happen.
Without “enough admissible evidence for a conviction” it’s all a mute point that goes nowhere in the courts, and only serves to burn time and money without any hope of putting someone behind bars.
Just more of the same old B.S. Want to commit murder move to Lewis Co.
I agree that the law needs to be revised in that an arrest warrent needs to go through a Superior Court Judge, but the criteria of “enough admissible evidence for a conviction” is a bit ridiculous. If there is a call for a coroners inquest to begin with, then is it not fair to surmise that the original investigation itself is flawed or questionable? This criteria is not required for any other arrest warrent, why here? Those who are suspected need to be processed like any other suspect in any other crime, while a new investigation proceeds, and that may or may not have the evidence to ensure a conviction the second time around either.