From Oklahoma to Texas, the work to bring serial killer William Reece to justice

An interstate settlement from 2016, dad and mom’ dedication, and 25 years of fixed police work helped deliver William Reece again to Texas after he acquired a demise sentence in Oklahoma.

All of that culminated in a pair of court docket hearings final Wednesday when Reece pleaded responsible to the 1997 murders of Laura Smither, Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox.

“Laura, Jessica and Kelli all deserved their day in court docket,” mentioned Laura’s mom, Homosexual Smither.

These 10 phrases helped guarantee Reece was introduced again to Texas after he was convicted final summer time of the the1997 homicide of Tiffany Johnston close to Oklahoma Metropolis. Reece was then given the demise penalty, however by January of this 12 months, Smither mentioned she seen he nonetheless had not been moved to demise row from the county jail.

“2022 rolled round and he was nonetheless there, deep considerations set in,” mentioned Smither.

Friendswood police chief Robert Wieners additionally began pushing for solutions.

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“This has all the time been in regards to the households and the households’ want for a decision to those instances,” mentioned Wieners.

Wieners found the stumbling block was an settlement between Texas and Oklahoma signed in 2016. By then, Reece had been charged with Johnston’s homicide, however he was introduced again to Texas to guide police to the place he buried Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox. Smither’s physique was discovered a couple of weeks after disappeared.

Wieners offered KPRC 2 a duplicate of the Interstate Settlement on Detainers involving Reece’s return to Texas after being charged with Johnston’s homicide. A portion of the settlement reads Reece signed a waiver of extradition again to Oklahoma to “serve any sentence there imposed upon me, after completion of my time period of imprisonment on this state.”

Court docket information present in 2016, Reece nonetheless had 41 years left on a 60-year kidnapping sentence. In 1997, Reece additionally kidnapped Sandra Sapaugh from a car parking zone in Webster, however she escaped by leaping out of his truck because it barreled down the Gulf Freeway. Her unwavering testimony helped safe Reece’s conviction and explains why the murders stopped in 1997.

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“The language was very particular about him having to return,” mentioned Wieners.

Wieners mentioned a Friendswood regulation agency additionally reviewed the detainer settlement and located a 1993 court docket case between the state of New York and Oklahoma, the place a choose dominated one state’s demise penalty doesn’t routinely trump an interstate settlement calling for the return of a defendant.

“There was a frank dialogue in regards to the language of the detainer and the truth that he wanted to come back again,” mentioned Wieners.

The choose who presided over Reece’s homicide trial then signed an order on March 4 releasing Reece to the custody of Friendswood police. The order stipulated police needed to take custody of Reece by March 14 or he can be routinely transferred to the custody of the Oklahoma Division of Corrections.

By then Reece had already agreed to plead responsible to the 1997 murders of Laura, Jessica and Kelli and on Wednesday he saved his phrase. Reece was then sentenced to life in jail

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“Absolute aid, it’s the one factor he didn’t change his story on,” mentioned Smither.

Smither mentioned what was not obvious in Wednesday’s hearings was the 25 years of fixed police work spear-headed by Friendswood that lastly led to Reece answering for his crimes.

“For 25 years, this division has actually cared in regards to the women,” mentioned Smither. “They saved the households as the main target, they saved the women as the main target they usually did their job.”

Whereas appreciative of Smither’s phrases, Wieners rapidly factors to the work performed by Texas Rangers, a number of regulation enforcement businesses in Galveston County, in addition to investigators in Oklahoma.

“I imply, there have been a number of businesses and a number of organizations who contributed. I imply all people’s function was important,” mentioned Wieners.

Reece is now again within the custody of the Texas Division of Felony Justice and TDCJ officers inform us inside the subsequent two weeks they’ll work out the small print of when he could also be despatched again to Oklahoma.

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“So long as he’s locked up and by no means has the chance to hurt one other human being, both place is okay,” mentioned Smither.