By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The real life drama that has played out in Lewis County for more than a decade and peaked last autumn with a coroner’s inquest into the controversial 1998 death in Toledo of former trooper Ronda Reynolds will be told on national television next month.
48 Hours Mystery, CBS’s true crime series will feature a one-hour documentary on the case on April 21 at 10 p.m., according to Reynolds’ mother Barb Thompson.
Inquest witness, 2011
Thompson, who lives in Spokane, got word today from producers of the airing date, and she promptly sent out a message sharing the news for those interested in the story.
“My daughter Ronda Reynolds died Dec. 16, 1998 and finally in October 2011 her death certificate was changed for the last time to homicide,” Thompson wrote.
Reynolds, 33, died with a bullet in her head in the home she shared with husband of less than a year, Toledo Elementary School Principal Ron Reynolds. She was found dead on the floor of a small walk-in closet, covered up by a turned-on electric blanket.
Her death was labeled a suicide and an unconvinced Thompson battled the offices of the sheriff and the coroner and then took the matter to court.
Producers from 48 Hours joined local and regional news media in October at the Lewis County courthouse when new Coroner Warren McLeod held his inquest.
The sheriff’s office admitted to some mistakes, including either the handgun being moved at the scene before photos were taken, or those photos getting lost. Jurors heard about evidence being destroyed or returned too soon.
The inquest jury ruled unanimously the manner of death was homicide and named Ron Reynolds and his son Jonathan as responsible. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer however declined to bring criminal charges. The father and son deny any involvement.
Thompson said television crews spent four days with her in November and three more days in Spokane earlier this month.
“I know they interviewed Ron and his family once, and went back and did it again a couple weeks ago,” Thompson said this evening.
The widespread attention to the case is not something Thompson expected to ever see.
There was a time when she pestered local newspaper editors to investigate her daughter’s death, and was told no, they don’t report on suicides.
In 2001, she and a good friend of her daughter’s, David Bell, took a trip down to The (Centralia) Chronicle to try once again with its new editor at the time, and succeeded.
“Way back then, we were just hoping to wake up Lewis County,” she said. “That was kind of all we were thinking about; helping people realize there was a problem.”
Thompson said she didn’t think the examination of the case would go on for almost 14 years, or turn into a book by true crime author Ann Rule, let alone a television documentary.
“I’ve got the death certificate that say homicide,” she said. “And that’s what I set out to prove.”
Thompson said she only knows about the parts that were filmed with her, and doesn’t know how the 48 Hours episode will end.
She and her 36-year-old son Freeman will likely watch the show together, just the two of them, she said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I just finished Ann Rule’s book. Unfortunately, I feel that the incompetence of the Lewis County PD ensures that this case will never come to trial. All the “lost” and/or discarded evidence – the failure to interview key witnesses at the time of the crime – their hostility towards anyone trying to investigate this case has destroyed any possibility that there is enough evidence for a conviction.
But it does make me serenely happy that Ron and Jonathon were named as suspects. I hope it haunts them until they die..and THEN there is that pesky “after life” to consider. Oh, they’ll get theirs..maybe not in this life, but surely in the one to come.
I would like to ad just a bit to Sharyn’s story. I did tell Sharyn I knew that 48 hours had interviewed Ron Reynolds but I need to to clarify that my information came from individuals in Lewis County and not from “the horses mouth” I cannot verify that 48 hours ever talked with any of the Reynolds family. I have no reason to disbelieve the source in Lewis County but maybe to clarify I should have stated that it was my understanding that 48 hours had talked with Ron Reynolds. In 2000 after over a year of trying to get any reporter, any newspaper to listen, it was Editor Mike Wager with the Chronicle in Centralia who took the time to listen and then turned the story over to Sharyn Decker who was then a reporter for the Chronicle. Then Tracy Vedder with KOMO TV in Seattle took it a huge step forward. Then Best Selling True Crime Writer, Ann Rule took Ronda’s story another step forward and the rest is history. It is true that when David Bell and I first talked with Sharyn Decker we had no idea the can of worms we were opening. We were looking for the truth — not knowing then where the truth would lead us.
I have no idea what is going to be revealed or shown on the 48 Hours Special. I do expect nothing less than professionalism.
I do hope everyone interested in Ronda’s story will tune in to 48 HOURS on Saturday night, April 21st at 10:00 P.M. Thank you everyone for taking time for Ronda’s story. BARB THOMPSON
oh oh oh Lewis County under siege. They better hold onto their hats, it aint over.
Dear Barb, Son and all who stand beside and bring light into the injust. Hero’s stand for all and give of self, for this is about us all. Thank you Barb Bless you
Dear Barb and Son, Bless all the hero’s that tell the truth, and give self to set light into the dark. This is about each and everyone of us. Thank you Barb for this stand, and thank you for the ones that have not noticed– amen