By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A deal was struck today that means there will be no trial for James M. Reeder but he will go to prison for many years and possibly the rest of his life.
The 26-year-old, accused of rape, torture and the death of his girlfriend’s toddler, pleaded guilty today, but didn’t admit guilt.
James M. Reeder
He made a so-called Alford plea in which he acknowledged a jury hearing the evidence would likely find him guilty, but acknowledged no wrongdoing.
“We got the maximum of life, which is the best we could get at trial, and we don’t have to deal with appeals,” Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said this afternoon.
Koralynn Fister, 2, died May 24 in Centralia. Reeder claimed he stepped away to get a towel while giving her a bath and returned to find her face down in the tub. She died from head trauma and drowning, but authorities said they also found evidence of sexual assault.
The unemployed man who previously worked as a floor installer was separated from his wife when he moved in with Koralynn’s mother in Centralia roughly two months before the death.
According to a report in his court file, he attempted suicide in the jail, trying to drown himself in the sink.
Reeder pleaded guilty today in Lewis County Superior Court to homicide by abuse, second-degree assault, two counts of first-degree rape of a child and possession of methamphetamine.
His sentencing will probably occur around the first part of February, according to Meyer.
The rape conviction means he will be sentenced to an indeterminate length of time with a maximum of life, according to Meyer. A board, like the former parole board, will be responsible for deciding when and if he gets released after he’s served the minimum number of years.
Reeder has no felony criminal history.
Meyer said he will recommend to the judge the minimum stay be 37 and a half years. Reeder’s attorney will be free to recommend 28 years, he said.
Those numbers come from the offense that has the highest standard range among the five counts to which Reeder pleaded guilty; homicide by abuse. It has a standard sentencing range of roughly 28 to 37 and a half years.
Defense attorney David Arcuri didn’t return a phone call this afternoon seeking comment.
As part of the deal, Reeder gave up his right to appeal in any way, according to Meyer.
Secondarily, Meyer said, this avoids the trauma of a trial for all involved.
“Police officers, doctors, jurors, other witnesses; jurors would have to see things they’ve never seen before,” he said of the graphic evidence.
Meyer also this afternoon spoke of his gratitude to the professionalism of members of the fire and police departments.
“They saw things and dealt with things they never should have,” he said.
Reeder will make a brief appearance in court on Jan. 17 to set a date for sentencing. They will have to wait for a pre-sentencing review to be conducted by the state Department of Corrections.
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For background, read “Breaking news: Mother’s boyfriend held for investigation of rape, murder of Centralia child” from Friday May 25, 2012 at 5 p.m., here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I am appalled to hear this news. I have children and I would never leave them in anyone’s care I barely knew for a minute let alone to bathe or have time to have his way with that sweet innocent baby. More and more of these disgusting pigs are popping out of the woodwork. Only one option in my mind the death penalty. Why waste time and money keeping him locked up. Yes he will be tortured by other inmates for what he did but that is not punishment enough. I just saw an article where a child abuser got 3 years served two thirds and was out and within the first few weeks he was on the prowl again. He was high risk to reoffend so why give him that chance. We have to be able to change the system somehow quickly so these freaks are locked up forever or are given the death penalty and they by pass all the others waiting on death row and taken first. I don’t care if they are deemed mentally ill….they don’t deserve to have any type of a life period. My heart weeps for this family and I hope somehow they will be able to smile one day and feel at peace but I truly doubt that will happen. Sweet angel you are in my prayers! I hope you are dancing in the heavens knowing you are loved by so many.
All those adults so carefully protected from something they might see and hear. For Koralynn, tiny sweet toddler, it was her life. We, as a community, can carry her story and remember it in considering our laws. I wish they had the trial. Let him go through it, so every single person in the world knows what he did.
Death Penatly for child rapists. She wasnt even a child yet, but just slightly grown past a baby. Only Gods hand can deliver a justice due this filthy monster reeder.
@branchouttara “As an emergency room nurse, this article truly disturbs me. EMS, Police and Health professionals deal with these types scenerios everyday of our lives. It’s not pleasant, but we are certainly not fragile.”
I am constantly thankful for the “first responders” and care givers – thank you for your service.
While I agree that Reeder needs to be smeared with honey and left out for the grizzlies, I am not on that jury. Pictures are very powerful (heard of porn? There is a reason it’s an “industry”). Most times police and others who work against child porn are only allowed/able to work in it for a few short months due to the graphic nature and what it does to a person.
Allowing Reeder off the hook also allows those who participate in jury trials to not see the pictures. That trial might take months, and those involved will be for ever scarred. There are many a sex addict without a police record, and it would be quite the backlash if those pictures were horribly duplicated on another child.
Centralia/Chehalis, seems to be the where people just stop caring! More meth addicts, more welfare, more sexcrimes, and we almost support it! Our agencies are overworked ,underpaid,and short staffed! I would hate to be one of the agencies that failed to check on this because I will tell you right now this was noticed and ignores because there are too many of them! Then family failed! GRANDMA, AUNT,UNCLE, FAMILY FRIEND! Most importantly mom!! Her own mother choose a man over her own child! That is a crime! If she isn’t properly punished according to the law, Im sure it will get old school real quick!
ACCOUNTABILITY WOMEN, MOTHERS, AND THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BRING A LIFE INTO THIS WORLD THAT THEY DON’T INTEND TO PUT FIRST,NOR PROTECT OR EVEN PARENT! This mother needs to be held accountable 100% Who in their right mind allows their boyfriend of only months, to have alone time either child and bathe them?? Oh yeah, and take any witnesses with them when they hand their OWN CHILD OVER TO THE DEVIL??!! One woman’s co-dependant need for a man allowed her to sacrifice her own child! Take her kids and put her away as well because this will happen again,if it hasn’t already to her other child/children. I hope she suffers the same way her child did in the end.
Those full pillowy lips of his are going to provide some one with alot of cigarettes in trade when he gets to Walla Walla.
As an emergency room nurse, this article truly disturbs me. EMS, Police and Health professionals deal with these types scenerios everyday of our lives. It’s not pleasant, but we are certainly not fragile. Testifying and seeing this go to trial would actually assist in the closure for all involved. We have already witnessed the injustice and so now we are deprived the ability to witness justice. Why should this man not have to sit infront of a jury and be cross examined? Why did the justice system simply allow him to hide behind close doors and slither into his cell?
I am not sure who gave this journalist the reason of sparing the public for their decision but it is certainly outrageous. As a citizen I have to wonder what is being hidden? Did some agency fail to act on reports prior to this childs death? The fact that the mother has not been placed in Jail or had to sit in front of a Jury is really disturbing.
This man didn’t move in one day and then kill the child the next. This mother should be tried for child endangerment, neglect, accessory to a murder maybe. No mother does not know and allow her child to be victimized for months. Casey Anthony was tried, what is so special about this woman? Does she have other children? What about them? Is this system, without a trial ever going to allow her to have another child back?
In my mind, full disclosure can only be determined by a trial and Jury. If this is the course for him then they still need to place the mother on trial for her part. She assisted in the murder of her child by passively not intervening.
The community, has been deeply impact by this event. They should insist by petition that the mother is put on trial in my opinion. Nightly TV has graphic depictions of death. The nightly news has shown graphic’s. The argument of this article makes no sense. In fact if anything makes me think of the Benghazi excuse of a video.
Could it be the system failed somewhere? If it went to trial that system failure would be exposed? I don’t know but this article’s reasoning leaves more questions than answers in my mind of why the Judicial System would not try this case. Just an opinion.
@ Disgusted Hell yea
@Paul Harvey…LOVE IT. Mksr eloquent FU ever
He’ll get what’s coming to him In prison. Someone will do to him what he did to that poor innocent baby girl.
I am torn on this one. I fully agree with sunshine girl to send a message but yet to have 12 jurors forever have the autopsy photos and details of the case forever etched in their minds is asking a lot too. Unfortunately with there not being any premeditation the death penalty is not an option. Even then they sit on death row for years, filing millions of dollars of appeals and maybe in 20 years they are executed.
I know we have come a long way and everyone is entitled to their day in court but the strong tree and rope of days or yore do sometimes seem a better way.
I just pray Koralynn is resting in peace.
What James Reeder did is so unspeakable that to even imagine what that child must have gone through is painful. The piece of shit isn’t even man enough to admit it, instead taking an Alford Plea? I guess we should expect no less from a man who is capable of raping a baby. Becky Heupel is just as guilty and the bitch should be sitting in prison with this scumbag thinking about how epically she failed her innocent baby girl for the rest of her life. If she gets custody of her other child, then there is no justice in this world because not only is she not fit to raise children, she should also be forcibly sterilized and never allowed to give birth to another kid again.
True travesty. A death sentence should be the only option for anyone who repeatedly tortures, violently rapes, and murders an innocent 2-yr-old baby. Every person involved in the legal decision in Lewis County should be ashamed and embarrassed about their integrity and lack of soul. I still hope for his early demise by whatever means and I still hope that the mother is held accountable for her parental incompetency. Sunshinegirl has it all correct. Everyone failed that innocent, beautiful, little child. Everyone.
James I know u will probably never see this but I hope u will somehow hear what I have to say…you are a heartless poor excuse for a human….I hope u are tortured everyday in jail by every person who hears what u did too that beautiful baby ….you are a disgusting piece of shit and I hopeu go insane thinking about what u did every time u close ur eyes I hope the look in that helpless child’s eyes haunts u! As a personal friend of koralynns family I will tell u you are safer in prison than u would and will ever be outside those bars….because if u get out I promise u you will be dead before u can.step outside the bawire of the prison! As for the judicial system are u serious 37 and a 1/2 years does not do justice for the innocent life.he took.from her father.and his family. And to koral ynns mother their were plenty of warning signs and u should be rotting in prison right along with himr qe
Mr Reeder,
May your die a God awful death consisting of ants eating you from the ass forward. An express lane to hell has been paved and may you take that journey sitting down on a bicycle with no seat.
Good Day…
Maybe these things should come to light no matter how horrendous they are. We need to send a message to these animals that they can not rape and torture our babies . We need to give them the death sentence. This is total bullshit. We are sending a message that you can do whatever you want and blame drugs. Revenge is mine saith the Lord , I know that , but where the hell is justice for that sweet baby. What about the next creep her stupid Mother (and I call her that instead of what I really think) invites to live with her? Did she not have another little girl? I believe in the judicial system, but I sure as hell don’t believe in it tonight!! Lets hope he get a little justice where ever they send him. This is about money. Whatever they save on appeals they will spend keeping this animal in segregation for the next 30 years if he even does the time. This is a huge miscarriage of justice. Happy Fucking New Years!!