ARLINGTON, Texas — A new video obtained by WFAA shows Larry Reed, the 29-year-old charged in a January triple homicide in Arlington after serving 11 years behind bars for a 2012 murder, live-streaming himself on social media via a cell phone while incarcerated after beating up his cellmate in March of 2021.
Per the Texas Penal Code, it's a third-degree felony to possess a cell phone or cell phone part while incarcerated in a state correctional facility.
The punishment range sits between 2 and 10 years in jail.
An official from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told WFAA that it did its own investigation after the altercation and found Reed had a contraband cell phone at the time in his possession. That official added that the investigation was handed over to the Office of Inspector General for TDCJ, which prepares cases for the agency's Special Prosecution Unit.
The SPU prosecutes many crimes committed behind bars. However, a representative from that unit confirmed to WFAA on Monday that it never received a case involving Larry Reed during his time in prison, signaling that the Office of the Inspector General either opened a case and never passed it along or didn't do anything with the investigation.
If prosecutors had received a case, Reed's release in December may have been prolonged, which may have prevented the alleged murders.
Requests for comment to the OIG for TDCJ have not been returned.
In the video, Reed is seen standing over his cellmate, gloating, while the cellmate writhes in pain on the ground. The circumstances surrounding the altercation are unknown, but the video is clearly being filmed in a prison cell while Reed is live-streaming to Facebook. He picks up the phone for a brief moment while it's facing him before he ends the stream.
Cheri Siegelin has 17 years of experience as a correctional officer within TDCJ and now represents them via a statewide union.
She said that inmates do have tablets while they're incarcerated but that they're controlled, don't have access to the internet, and are primarily used for communication with family and vocational programs.
"There's no social media access and no internet," Siegelin said. "Just seeing the content of that video makes my stomach lurch. Somehow, someway, the ball was dropped here."
Reed was recently arrested in Mississippi on a capital murder complaint after being on the run for killing 29-year-old Monique Smith, 29-year-old Shannen Jones, and a 31-year-old man yet to be identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office.
The week of February 12, Reed was extradited and being held at the Lon Evans Corrections Center in Tarrant County.
The offense happened Jan. 25 at an apartment complex in the 3500 block of Chatham Green Lane, off Arbrook Boulevard and Matlock Road. Police say they found two men and a woman shot, and all three died.
Court documents read that tipsters led police to Reed -- saying that he knew the 31-year-old, shot him in the leg over a disagreement, then proceeded to shoot everyone in the apartment.
The tips led investigators to Reed's previous mugshots, which were shown to witnesses who claimed to have seen the shooter fleeing from the apartment complex. They were able to confirm Reed was the shooter via a suspect lineup, per the arrest warrant. Reed was arrested in Greenville, Mississippi after a short standoff with police.
Before the killings, Reed had been breathing free from TDCJ for just 45 days.
He was released from the custody of the TDCJ system on Dec. 11, 2023, after serving 11 years for a June 2012 murder he pleaded guilty to in 2014.
Before the case was about to go to trial, Reed waived his right to a jury trial and accepted a plea bargain from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. Reed was sentenced to 11 years in prison for shooting and killing 18-year-old Obeth Hernandez at a house party following a fight that spilled outside on Geraldine Lane in Arlington.
However, he was credited for time served and released early on December 11. Investigators with APD added that Hernandez had been shot in the chest at the time. A 21-year-old was also shot in the leg and survived his injuries.
Shannen Jones' mother, Paula Johnson, told WFAA Reed should have gotten a stiffer sentence for the 2012 murder.
After showing Siegelin the video, she told WFAA there was sufficient evidence to tack more years onto Reed's sentence before his release and that it was clearly in the hands of the state.
But, she added that the opportunity was missed.
"I'm almost at a loss for words. To me, it just doesn't make sense. You cannot just walk down to the commissary and get cell phones," Siegelin said. "I think there's more that could be done, that should have been done. These families should not have to deal with that. I mean, he's bragging about it on social media. That's a black eye for the agency. This is something that everybody is seeing, and you've lost control."