Man Found Guilty of 1978 Murder for Third Time

A former car dealer is facing a life sentence in the 33-year-old murder of a flight attendant.

A Dallas County jury found Jonathan Bruce Reed, 59, guilty Thursday in the 1978 death of Wanda Jean Wadle, a flight attendant for Braniff Airlines. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty but changed their minds for reasons that weren't immediately clear, The Dallas Morning News reported.

It's Reed's third conviction. Two previous convictions were overturned.

Because the crime was committed in 1978, Reed is eligible for parole. If the crime were committed today, he would be sentenced to life without parole because of a change in the law.

Wadle was found unconscious, with a plastic bag around her head. She died nine days later.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us