James Reeder waits to be escorted out of the courtroom and back down to the jail.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A judge will decide if some of the information gathered by police during their death investigation of a Centralia toddler will be kept from jurors, details James Reeder’s attorney said were obtained illegally.
Reeder, 26, is charged with homicide by abuse and other related offenses regarding the May death of his live-in girlfriend’s daughter, 2-year-old Koralynn Fister.
Reeder claimed he found her face down in the bathtub and carried the naked and unbreathing child to neighbors across the street from her house asking them to call 911 while he attempted CPR.
Prosecutors allege Reeder tortured and raped the child. According to the coroner, Koralynn died from drowning and head trauma.
Defense attorney David Arcuri filed a motion to suppress evidence in Lewis County Superior Court, alleging a Centralia police detective went inside the home on West Oakview Street the afternoon of May 24 purportedly to see if there was another child in the residence even though other officers had told him they’d already checked inside for anyone else.
The information detective Pat Beall obtained while inside is what Arcuri is trying to get tossed out, according to Arcuri.
According to the written motion, Beall walked through the house and found no other children. He then dipped his hand into the bath water, finding it cold to his touch.
Beall notified the hospital and was told the child’s temperature was 84 degrees while in the emergency room, according to Arcuri.
The fire department had been called the scene at 3:09 p.m. and Koralynn was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 4:15 p.m.
Beall’s information and more was given to Lewis County District Court Judge R.W. Buzzard to then obtain a search warrant for the house, according to Arcuri.
“If you conduct a search without a warrant, it’s presumptively bad,” Arcuri said today.
The other side must show it was okay, according to Arcuri.
Reeder and his attorney went before a judge briefly this morning to schedule a hearing on the matter.
The arguments will be heard on Jan. 11. Reeder’s trial is set for the end of January.
Reeder remains held in the Lewis County Jail on $5 million bail.
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For background, read “Defendant in Centralia toddler death by abuse case pleads not guilty” from Thursday July 12, 2012, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Yep I agree with DCO the cops screwed this one up. This man should be let free to roam,,,,,YEA right DCO what goes thur ur brain dude. This guy hurt and harmed this little girl and just because its your local police department investigated it you think there all dirty. Wake up and smoke more dope. HO2 drink alot its for for you.
He looks kinda like a little guy.He better hope those tattoos make him look like a real bad dude when he gets to Walla Walla.
Other wise…..
This is simply a ploy by the defense attorney to:
A. Log more billable hours…
B. Provide SOME sort of defense for the accused so he himself doesn’t get raped in the media like Underwood did in the drive by shooting trial…
C. Attack the police because there really is no defense…
D. All of the above…
Reeder needs to suffer in prison, then burn in Hell. I would hate to be the attorney that had to defend that cowardly piece of shit.
The Centralia Police have a track record of violating rights, the community should be pissed off that the Local Police screwed up once again. What does Robert Berg have to say for himself Sharyn?
how can something be suppressed then posted on the internet?