Chatham Green apartments in Arlington, Texas, Jan. 26, 2024.
A convicted murderer identified as a suspect in a triple homicide that took place in Arlington last month is in custody in Mississippi.
Arlington Police said 29-year-old Larry Dewayne Reed was located Tuesday at a home in the Greenville, Mississippi area and was taken into custody by authorities there. Reed is expected to be extradited to North Texas where he's facing a charge of capital murder for the deaths of a woman and two men who were gunned down in an apartment on Jan. 25. It's not yet clear if Reed has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
At about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 25, Arlington Police were called to the Chatham Green Apartments where they found 29-year-old Shannen Oshay Jones dead in the doorway of a residence and 29-year-old Monique Elaine Smith dead inside. Another victim, an unidentified 31-year-old man, was found injured inside the apartment but he later died at a hospital. Two children inside the residence were not harmed, police said.
Police said Tuesday that Reed was identified as a suspect in the triple murder thanks to a tip provided by a citizen.
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While officials said they believe Reed knew the unnamed 31-year-old victim, they have still not determined a motive for the slayings. Officials said there was evidence of drug activity at the apartment but they added Tuesday that nothing appeared to have been taken from the home.
Police said Reed previously lived in Arlington but did have ties to Mississippi. Arlington Police thanked the U.S. Marshals Task Force and the sheriff's office in Washington County, Mississippi, for their assistance in taking Reed into custody.
"This is obviously a dangerous individual and we are grateful and relieved that he is now off the streets," said Sgt. Courtney White, with the Arlington Police Department.
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NBC 5 has learned that just weeks before the triple-murder took place Reed was released from state prison after serving 11 years for the murder of 18-year-old Obeth Hernandez. A report from our partners at The Dallas Morning News showed Hernandez and a 21-year-old man were both shot while at a house party in East Arlington. Reed, who was 17 years old when Hernandez was killed, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the murder.
Documents obtained by NBC 5 show he was released from prison on Dec. 11, 2023. Arlington Police said Tuesday they have no control over how long someone convicted of a crime is sent to prison and directed questions about his murder sentence to the courts.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the Arlington Police or Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS. The identities of tipsters will remain confidential and anonymous.
