The trial for Reginald Kimbro was over before it started after he agreed to plead guilty in two 2017 murders and four sexual assaults spanning four counties over five years.
Video cameras were not allowed inside the Tarrant County courtroom Friday because of the sensitive nature of the plea deal.
GUILTY PLEAS IN TWO MURDERS
Kimbro pleaded guilty to the 2017 killings of Molly Matheson of Fort Worth and Megan Getrum of Plano as well as three sexual assaults in Collin County from 2012 to 2014 and an aggravated sexual assault in Cameron County.
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Kimbro, 28, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with the rape and murder of Molly Jane Matheson. Matheson, 22, had previously dated Kimbro while she attended the University of Arkansas but at the time of the murder, they had no relationship.
Matheson's mother found her body on April 10, 2017, when she didn't show up for work. Matheson had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Police said Kimbro had attempted to destroy evidence by washing Matheson in the shower and washing a load of laundry where he left behind his underwear. Kimbro was connected to the crime through DNA, cell phone records, electricity usage and surveillance cameras.
“It took a long time to get here”
Molly's mother Tracy Matheson
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Kimbro was also sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the rape and murder of 36-year-old Megan Getrum — she was a stranger to him.
Getrum was hiking at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano when she disappeared on April 14, 2017. Getrum's body was found days later in Lake Ray Hubbard. Police connected Kimbro to the case using DNA and witnesses who put him in the parking lot of the nature preserve at the time of her disappearance.
VIOLENT ATTACKS BEFORE THE MURDERS
DNA also linked Kimbro to an aggravated sexual assault in Plano in 2012, South Padre in 2014, Allen in 2014 and while he was being investigated for murder, another victim in McKinney came forward.
All four victims described being drugged, strangled and raped. All four women were prepared to testify against Kimbro at trial.
"The women affected by Kimbro's crimes are incredibly brave for coming forward with their experiences"
Page Simpson, Tarrant County District Attorney's Office
Kimbro was sentenced to 20 years in the Plano case, life in the South Padre case, 20 years in the Allen case and 20 years in the McKinney case.
"Reginald Kimbro is a serial rapist and a serial killer. He used his personality and charm to attract women or drugged them when that did not work," said Tarrant County District Attorney's Office prosecutor Allenna Bangs. "He talked his way out of case after case until his violence culminated in the deaths of Molly Matheson and Megan Getrum."
MOLLY JANE'S LAW
It wasn't until after Kimbro was arrested for the two murders, that other victims learned his DNA was tied to their attacks committed before those killings.
Kimbro's crimes between 2012 and 2017 led to changes in two state laws related to both sexual assault survivors and data used to track potential serial rapists and murderers.
Molly Jane's Law — named after Matheson and spearheaded by her parents nonprofit organization Project Beloved — requires police agencies to enter information into an FBI-maintained database to help identify serial attackers.
"It doesn't change anything, doesn't take away the hurt, but we're glad this day is here," said Molly's father David Matheson. "Tomorrow the sun is going to come up and we're going to be thinking about Molly and we'll think about these girls."
Victims and families will have a chance to face Kimbro in court during victim impact statements on Tuesday.
In addition to entering the guilty pleas, Kimbro has waived all appeals.
