Previous posts:
- [WA] Mother of former Trooper Ronda Reynolds never gave up
- [WA] Newschannel continues to push for truth on ex-trooper Reynolds' death
- [WA] UNPRECEDENTED LEGAL MOVE IN THE SO-CALLED SUICIDE OF EX TROOPER RONDA REYNOLDS
A Thurston County judge Friday ordered Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson to come up with another cause of death for Ronda Reynolds, a state trooper who was found dead of a gunshot wound in her home in 1998.
Seattle Times
By Nancy Bartley
January 29, 2010 at 8:13 PM
[Excerpts] A Thurston County judge Friday ordered Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson to come up with another cause of death for Ronda Reynolds, a state trooper who was found dead of a gunshot wound in her home in 1998. Reynolds' mother, Barb Thompson, has argued that her daughter's death was not a suicide and sued to have Wilson's cause-of-death determination overruled. In November, a Lewis County jury agreed. Friday's hearing was at Wilson's request. John Justice, his attorney, asked that Judge Richard Hicks strike from an earlier ruling his wording that Reynolds' death was "definitely not suicide," as well as written comments by a juror who speculated on the case being a homicide. Hicks agreed to strike the juror's comments but refused to change his own earlier wording. Hicks again ordered Wilson to come up with another cause of death for Reynolds within 10 days, saying the coroner had been "arbitrary and capricious" in ruling her death to be a suicide... Hicks' order Friday does not force Wilson to find Reynolds' death was a homicide, as Thompson hoped... Thompson said she was disappointed but vowed to continue to fight for a homicide designation on Reynolds' death certificate. "Her death certainly wasn't natural or accidental and it's not a suicide or undetermined. So what do you have?" Thompson said... If the coroner "comes up with 'undetermined' (a finding most often used for badly decomposed bodies) we'll be back in court all over again," said Royce Ferguson, Thompson's attorney... Reynolds had been married less than a year to a Toledo elementary-school teacher and was preparing to leave him the next day and fly home to her mother in Spokane when she was found shot, curled up in the closet, wrapped in an electric blanket... Reynolds' husband, Ron Reynolds, told police his wife had threatened suicide and had shot herself. He has never been considered a suspect in the case... [Full article here]
JUDGE ORDERS CORONER TO CHANGE RULING ON STATE TROOPER'S DEATH
seattlepi.com, KOMO-TV STAFF
Last updated 9:48 a.m. PT
[Excerpts] A judge has given the Lewis County coroner 10 days to remove the word "suicide" from the death certificate of former Washington state trooper - or else. "Fail not to obey at your own peril," says a court order issued Friday by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks. In 1998, trooper Ronda E. Reynolds was found dead in her home of a single gunshot to the head. Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson ruled her death as a suicide at the time. But in 2008, a KOMO investigation highlighted evidence and opinions from experts who believed that Reynolds did not take her own life. In November 2009, after reviewing the evidence, a jury unanimously decided that coroner Wilson was wrong when he called the death a suicide... The judge's latest order requires Wilson to "reconsider all of the information and evidence available" and issue a new cause of death within 10 days."The jury found that your determination of 'suicide' is inaccurate," the judge's order says... Jury forewoman Angel Hubbard said everyone on the jury thought the cause of death was homicide. "I can say unanimously for all of us - we even talked about that - that we definitely felt it would not, it should not be undetermined, but (move) more towards homicide," said Hubbard... [Full article here]
Good - I'm always skeptical when an officers death is ruled a suicide. I wouldn't think that sort of solution is in their character.
ReplyDeleteThat kind of solution is in too many male officer's character, but female officers not so much.
ReplyDeleteWell that is Bullshit We all know him or one of his boys did it why would he have sent his boy off like that if he wasnt nervous! He is weird anyways
ReplyDeleteHOW CAN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM , BE JUST INTERESTED IN CHANGING HER DEATH CERTIFICATE. WE ALL KNOW WHEN A DETECTIVE WAS TOLD TO DESTROY ALL EVEIDECE THAT WAS IN A BROWN PAPER BAG . THAT THIS HEAD SHERIFF LEADER, WAS SCREWED UP OR PAYED OFF. A DECTECTIVE ENDED HIS CARREER BECAUSE OF THE DISHONESTY IN OUR LOCAL SHERIFFS OFFICE I SAY WE TRY EACH SHERIFF AS THEY DO US IT,S ASHAME . WHEN A DETECTIVE SAYS TO ME THE OTHER DAY . THAT THERE ARE NO SHERIFFS TO TRUST. IN ANY LEGAL SITUATIONS TODAY HE GAVE ME THAT INFORMATION HIS WORDS THERE ALL LIARS!!!
ReplyDeleteYour retard! The detective quit and still persued the case for years for FREE!!
DeleteI am at least encouraged to see this story. I knew Ronda and never believed that she would have done that. Justice will be served one day.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the first two posts. Suicide I think way too often is jumped to for the quick explain all answer. The chance of a female cop killing herself is next to nil when you take into consideration how much females must endure to get on this job and deal with this job.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness they have changed the cause of death from suicide to homicide. Hopefully they can get to the bottom of this and get a conviction on someone. What was the problem there seems the police dept. was lacking in respect they contaminated the seen. My question is was the father trying to cover for his son,was the police trying to cover for the father beings he was the principal. I hope with all my might that they take a better look at this crime,and prosecute the perp. who did this to the fullest extent. I don't know where the state of Washington stands on the death penalty, but I believe this crime warrants it.
ReplyDeleteI have read the book about this and I am very happy to learn her death is now a homicide investigation.........Ron, you did it.....aren't you tired of holding it all in? Just confess.........someone will get you someday...somehow.........
ReplyDelete