Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod speaks with some of his staff as he leaves the courthouse.
Updated at 10:52 a.m. and 7:37 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The coroner stayed awake all night struggling about the arrest warrants for Ron and Jonathan Reynolds.
Yesterday he quashed them, saying they served no purpose after the Lewis County prosecutor announced no criminal charges would be filed.
This morning, Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod reversed himself and is heading back to his office now to issue arrest warrants for the pair.
This is just the latest turn in the case of Ronda Reynolds, a 33-year-old former trooper found shot to death in a closet of the Toledo home she shared with her new husband and his sons in December 1998.
Initially believed by the sheriff’s office and then-Coroner Terry Wilson to be a suicide, the manner of death has been changed repeatedly over the years back and forth between undetermined and suicide as it was reinvestigated, moved through a civil suit brought by Ronda Reynolds’ mother and finally this month was the subject of a rare coroner’s inquest under a new county coroner.
An inquest jury ruled unanimously last week the manner of death was homicide and named Toledo Elementary School Principal Ron Reynolds and his son as responsible for the death.
McLeod, a college forensics instructor who came to Chehalis from the coroner’s office in Las Vegas, Nevada, campaigned last year in part on the issue of the controversial death. He promised to change the death certificate to undetermined and review it.
This morning in the Chehalis courtroom where the seven-day inquest was held, McLeod spoke to a small audience of spectators when he formally finalized and closed the inquest for the record.
He said he reflected all evening, and all night on his reasons for canceling the warrants, and then reviewed, and reviewed and reviewed the state law that says the coroner shall issue a warrant if the inquest jury ascertains it is a homicide and identifies who is responsible.
“My decision is the jury’s decision is representative of the citizens of Lewis County, and they expect me to follow through with their decision,” he said this morning.
The applicable statute reads “…the coroner shall issue a warrant for the arrest of the person charged, returnable forthwith to the nearest magistrate.”
What happens next is in the hands of others, according to McLeod.
The coroner read his final order into the record.
He is changing the manner of death on Ronda Reynolds’ death certificate from undetermined to homicide.
McLeod said he was satisfied the purposes of the inquest were met.
Among his stated goals: “To satisfy the community that the circumstances surrounding the death of no one of its members will be overlooked, concealed or ignored.”
Barb Thompson, mother of Ronda Reynolds, was present and feeling very good about McLeod’s choice to issue the arrest warrants and allow the process to play out before a judge.
It gave her a feeling of confidence in public officials she hasn’t had in 13 years, the Spokane resident said.
“These guys are studying the law you know, Lewis County has come so far,” Thompson said. “They’ve got a good prosecutor and a good coroner.”
Coroner McLeod too was much more relaxed as he left the courthouse to head back to his own office.
He conversed casually with Thompson, something he’s been careful about since he became coroner, given he and she both have issues pending in the Washington State Court of Appeals.
The three-judge panel put the case on hold, waiting to see what the outcome of McLeod’s inquest would be.
Former Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson appealed a 2009 judge’s order to remove suicide from Reynolds’ death certificate and Thompson filed a cross appeal asking them to clarify what can happen under a judicial review of a coroner’s decision.
McLeod said he’s no longer interested in pursuing the former coroner’s battle. He’s curious how the appeal will end, he said.
“I’m interested if the appeal judges say yes, a judge ought to be able to tell a coroner what to change a death certificate to,” McLeod said.
Barb Thompson speaks with a reporter from the television show 48 Hours, whose team has been chronicling the events around the inquest, which will likely air next spring.
I agree with you Boss, it is time to think about voting for a new judge. Its time to close up the Good Old Boys club in Lewis County. Clearly the majority of the citizens do NOT consider this matter over. Someone murdered Rhonda and they need to be brought to justice.
Yes, that indicates Lawler is making his “I’m one of the 1%” and the hell with the rest of you peons statement. Time to vote him out.
Since it takes a majority of the Superior Court judges in Lewis County to approve the summons of a grand jury – I doubt that will ever happen.
Judge Lawler made his opinion very clear today when he ordered both men be released, saying the matter of Ronda Reynolds’ death “is over.”
My hat is off the Coroner McLeod for doing the right thing as the law states. I, too, have not been getting good sleep over this case. There are so many inconsistencies and changes. Now that a few steps have been taken forward, it is time for others to step up and step forward and do the right thing.
How about Catherine Huttula? I do not know every word of her testimony, but seems she must know much more than she is telling. She either arrived after the 911 call the night Ronda died or she slept in Ronda’s bed while Ronda’s dead body lay a few feet away. She did not plead the 5th, so she must not fear for her own situation. What can be done to make her talk. Has she been interrogated, or just conversational? Could she have been a witness or an accessory? Sounds to me like a Grand Jury could question in depth all people who were at that house that night. Isn’t there a witness or two?
So many questions, so much lost time and physical evidence lost, such a loss of a young life.
Yes, Coroner McLeod is an honorable man. Lewis County may surely be proud of him, and rightfully so. My hat is off to him.
At least one elected official in Lewis County can hold his head up high and say he did everything within his power that the law allows to find the truth in this case.
Coroner McLeod has done his duty. Thank you, Mr. McLeod! You have shown that you are willing to do the right (and legal) thing.
Thank you….It’s the right thing to do! So glad Mr. McLeod is humble enough to admit when his decisions aren’t right the first time and takes ownership and corrects himself. Wish more leaders in Lewis County would follow his lead.