This was updated at 7:40 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County coroner canceled his arrest warrants for Toledo Elementary School Principal Ron Reynolds and his son Jonathan Reynolds saying there’s no reason to arrest the pair.
“There is no purpose in having the warrants served when no criminal charges will be brought against them due to a lack of evidence,” Coroner Warren McLeod stated in a news release this afternoon.
McLeod said the manner of death for former trooper Ronda Reynolds will be changed from undetermined to homicide within two or three days.
The coroner’s announcement followed Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer’s decision this morning not to file charges against the former husband and steps-son of the 33-year-old woman.
Ronda Reynolds was found fatally shot in the head, on the floor of her walk-in closet in their Toledo home on Dec. 16, 1998.
McLeod will reconvene his coroner’s inquest tomorrow morning to read his closing orders on the record.
Update: 7:40 p.m.: Barb Thompson’s lawyer Royce Ferguson this evening opened his email and found Coroner McLeod had notified him just before 4 p.m. he was going to quash the arrest warrants.
Ferguson said he wrote to McLeod urging him not to do that, but didn’t know if it was too late.
He shared the letter he emailed McLeod this evening. It is below.
Dear Coroner McLeod,
Please do not quash the arrest warrants! I have just talked to Barb Thompson. We are flabbergasted! To quash the warrants is acting short of your statutory duty requiring you to (“shall”) issue warrants following the inquest verdicts. By issuing the warrants, you would be done with the case (following changing of the death certificate to homicide). The burden of proceeding would then be on the sheriff to make the arrest, the courts to release the arrestees, and then on the prosecutor to decide to charge or not. By quashing the warrants you are relieving the sheriff of any responsibility to act, as well as the other officials “downstream.” In all candor, it greatly tarnishes what has been stellar performance by you. It will expose you to criticism you need not endure or suffer. Please do not quash the warrants. Additionally, where in the statute does it say you may ignore the duty to issue the warrants because another official elects to not perform his or her duty? You are relinquishing and ceding your authority to them. Again, please complete your statutory duty.
Royce Ferguson
Attorney for Barb Thompson
•••
Read more about today’s events related to the case, here
so disgusting! Even the coroner doenst know his job…. perhaps we should make a test of these situations and see if they pass. nothing to difficult, if the law says you must issue a warrant, you issue the warrant! that was difficult huh! and to think, for a brief moment there we thought Ronda would get justice… silly citizens!
The death certificate still says Homicide. It can be used against future candidates for election/reelection.
Yah well if they didnt loose the dam evidence or get rid of it the first place we wouldnt have this problem and aressts would be made.her poor mother will never get peace or justice for ronda!!!!!!
“i say they put it before a grand jury and see if they find probable cause! if they do, it releases lewis county and forces charges to go forward! just my opinion, but we do have the Grand Jury for a reason.”
I SECOND THAT MOTION!!!!
This just gets crazier and crazier at every major turning point. That being said, it really is up to the citizens of Lewis County to hold our officials responsible. I think it’s up to us to strive for intelligent thinking and constantly seek those with like qualities. Jonathan Meyer and Warren Mcleod seem far more capable than our sheriff (or previous sheriff). Even if you solely base it on the fact that they are a new leaf in a pile ripe with rotted ones.
AS life time in Lewis County, as wer my parnets, Grandparnets and greatgrand parnets. Such Shame has the law put Lewis County in. The prosecutor, cononer, sherff need to go home and let someone with truth, and honor take over and jail the killers. As I have said in the past, if Ronda was a family member of anyone in court house, What would this look like then. We know the answer =Two more locked up with out a key. This will not go away without justic—-Amen Amen === Maybe they are to tired, lazy or===========
I guess that is the corners decision if he meets his duties or not. if he chooses not to meet his duties, the citizens can have him recalled. that is sad since he was so helpful up until now. i say they put it before a grand jury and see if they find probable cause! if they do, it releases lewis county and forces charges to go forward! just my opinion, but we do have the Grand Jury for a reason.
again I have to ask the question if we had a real medical pathologist 13 years ago we wouldn’t be discussing squashed warrants.
He needs a prosecutor to carry it forward. I say RECALL all the parties involved.
What happened to the legal requirement of issuing warrants if the coroner’s inquest names a homicide suspect? Did the law change, or was there some additional information he found that would make it inapplicablel, or did he just decide to ignore the law?