Updated at 9:03 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod has reissued the arrest warrants for Ron and Jonathan Reynolds after investigating the possibility of juror misconduct.
McLeod, in a news release this evening, said the allegation of misconduct was unfounded.
Ron Reynolds
The warrants were issued last Wednesday evening, following the conclusion by an inquest jury the pair were responsible for the homicide of the former state trooper Ronda Reynolds in 1998.
McLeod quashed them on Thursday to investigate what he called a legal issue that was brought to his attention.
McLeod tonight said he investigated the matter: A witness had reported seeing a woman in the lobby of the Lewis County Law and Justice Center putting a book about the Ronda Reynolds case in her purse between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on either last Tuesday or Wednesday, McLeod wrote in a news release.
The inquest jury had been instructed not to read up on the case.
McLeod stated the “witness” was unable to pick out a juror as being the person they had seen – from a photo montage. Also, the “witness” could not say if the woman had been wearing a jurors badge.
Also, McLeod wrote, he concluded the alleged misconduct could not have occurred on either of those days during those times because the jurors were in the jury room.
The warrants were signed this evening and will be delivered to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office in the morning so they can be served, according to McLeod.
The coroner said he had planned to ask each juror – and the two alternates – about the matter under oath on Friday morning in open court.
He will still reconvene the inquest at 9 a.m. on Friday, and read his final orders on the coroner’s inquest into the record. The jurors won’t have to come back in, he said.
this is a sad day for victims of a crime. If their waiting to get more evidence ok but you just let it go. sham on you for not doing something.
unfrickin believable…no charges filed. They got away with it.
So WHEN are they going to be served with the warrants? What are they waiting for now?
One is left wondering why the evidence was initally not fully gathered . Also curious that the evidence that was gathered has disappeared over time.
Hmmmmm……. could there be some ugly prejudice against the former state trooper by
law enforcement at large ; to the point that her
murderer(s) were protected by law enforcement?
please do not let Rondas murders go unpunished. please at least have half the guts that Barb T has had over the years. This was murder and a lot of people know it. Now Mr.Mcleod and Mr. Meyer, do Lewis county right and right for the rest of us too. If Ron and Jon didnt do any thing lets at least hear from them under oth. Ronda did not kill her self. She was a fighter, she had a plan and would of fought Ron and won. Ron new this too. No daughter would of done suicide ,. It was chistmas and she would not have done that to her mom. Ronda was asleep, sham on Ron, Jon, and catherine too. Sham on the sherifs every time some one is said to have commited suicide it should always be investagated as if it was muder. There are just to many red flags. And so far 2 jurys have said so too and they felt it was murder. How wrong can you guys go with those odds.
Don’t celebrate yet. Nothing will come of this. It only cost the tax payers a lot of money. The coroner could have changed the death certificate on his own without the big show. The criminal always goes free in corrupt Lewis County.
THANK YOU THAN YOU—JUSTICE JUSTICE—AMEN AMEN
Wow, can I call it or what? I said in an earlier comment that I had a gut feeling it was something to do with the jury. I don’t remember if I put it here or on the facebook page.
BRAVO CORONER MCLEOD!!! Looks like this goose DID lay a golden egg…. c’mon goose Meyer…. you can do it, too!!!
All kidding aside, I’m very pleased with Coroner McLeod’s handling of this inquest and in his diligence in researching a potentially serious allegation that could have caused problems down the road.
Hindsight is 20/20 – I can see now that there was a legitimate reason for the delay and I’m actually kind of impressed with the expediency in which McLeod investigated the issue, made a decision and then let the public know about it right away.
Alright Prosecutor Meyer, it’s your turn now, keep the ball moving…