ARLINGTON, Texas — A 29-year-old man wanted in connection to a January 25 triple homicide in Arlington has been captured in Mississippi, officials say. Now that he's in custody--one victim's family is questioning why he was even a free man in the first place, facing charges just weeks after completing an 11-year sentence for a previous murder in 2012.
Arlington police issued a warrant for the arrest of Larry Reed, 29, on a capital murder complaint, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Officials say that Reed was previously known to live in Arlington and has ties to Mississippi. Police in Greenville, Mississippi, on Tuesday confirmed that Reed was taken into custody after a short standoff. More details about his arrest were not yet available. Investigators from the Arlington Police Department informed media members Tuesday that Reed would be extradited to Tarrant County soon.
Last month, officers responded to a shooting at about 8:30 p.m. 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.
According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, the woman who died was 29-year-old Monique Smith. Her two children were inside the home and witnessed the shooting. One of the men was identified as 29-year-old Shannen Jones.
A 31-year-old male who was also killed has yet to be officially identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office.
The Arlington Police Department shared Reed's arrest warrant in connection to the January slayings Tuesday afternoon.
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.
"A triple homicide is not something that regularly occurs in Arlington, and solving this case was our top priority. Our detectives worked tirelessly to identify the suspect," Sgt. Courtney White said. "We worked with our partners at the U.S. Marshals Service to locate Mr. Reed. This is a dangerous individual, and we're glad he's off the streets."
45 Days Free Before Trouble Again
Before Reed was tied to the triple murders, he had been breathing free air for the first time in over a decade.
He was released from the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 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. Before the triple murders, he had only been free for 45 days.
Investigators with APD added Monday 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.
Court documents read that the 21-year-old was prepared to testify against Reed in 2014 before the case was resolved. Investigators added Monday that one of Reed's friends had a gun at the party, and that friend got into the fight that spilled outside.
The friend handed the gun to Reed before he ultimately opened fire. Reed was just 17 at the time of the murder, per APD.
Still, Shannen Jones' mother, Paula Johnson, wonders how Reed could have gotten just 11 years for shooting another teenager in the chest.
Johnson is in the middle of planning Jones' funeral, which is scheduled for this weekend.
"I just feel like they slapped him on the wrist and told him, 'OK, go to time-out, and when that time out is over with, you, just come back here,'" Johnson said. "That's not working for me. It doesn't fix me. It doesn't fix my family. If they come back with a light sentence or whatever they gave him the first time -- I'm going to have a super problem with that because he's going to kill again. It's not going to stop."
Joe Shannon Jr. was the Tarrant County District Attorney when the case was resolved. He has since retired from practicing law, per state records. Tamla Ray was a prosecutor on the case, per court records. Ray is now a magistrate for Tarrant County and sets bonds for suspects, among other legal responsibilities.
WFAA reached out to her on Tuesday for a comment about the 2012 case and what factors led to the plea deal, and we're still awaiting a reply.
WFAA also contacted the current District Attorney, Phil Sorrells, for comment; the newsroom is still awaiting a reply.