HIGHFILL — George David Reed’s jury trial didn’t take place last week.
Reed, 50, is accused of shooting his daughter’s boyfriend after catching him in Reed’s home with his daughter.
Reed is charged with battery in the first degree, a class B felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years. Prosecutors added an enhancement charge, which could bring Reed another 15-year prison term.
Reed’s jury trial was scheduled to begin Oct. 27, but on Oct. 26, Circuit Judge David Clinger granted a motion from Reed’s attorneys for another trial date.
Clinger gave attorneys three possible trial dates - Dec. 15, Feb. 9 and March 23. A status hearing in the case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 24.
Reed was arrested July 31, 2007, for shooting then 19-year-old Michael Austin Guzman at Reed’s home at 13569 Vaughn Road. Guzman is the boyfriend of Reed’s daughter, who called Benton County Central Communications that day to report her father had shot her boyfriend.
According to court documents, Guzman came to the home while his girlfriend’s parents were away. He parked his car on a dirt road about a quarter of a mile from the home. His girlfriend then picked him up in a vehicle, and they went back to her home, court documents state.
Reed told BCSO investigator Jeremy Felton that a friend called to tell him Guzman might be at the residence. According to court documents, Reed went home and got a pool stick from the garage before entering the house. Reed went to his daughter’s room, where he found Guzman hiding in the closet, according to an affidavit in the case. Reed claims he yelled at Guzman to get out of the house. Guzman then kicked Reed, so Reed hit Guzman with the pool stick, according to court documents.
Reed claims he left the room, retrieved a loaded gun and came back toward the room and yelled for Guzman to get out. Reed couldn’t get the bedroom door to open, court documents state. Reed claims he then fired warning shots and also fired shots toward the bottom of the door, according to the affidavit. Reed backed away from the door after hearing Guzman yell that he had been shot, the affidavit states.
The daughter told Felton her father found her boyfriend in the closet and began hitting Guzman with the pool stick. The affidavit claims that while being hit, Guzman kept saying, “Stop, I’ll leave.”
Guzman was taken to Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Mo., where he underwent surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his spinal cord. He is now confined to a wheelchair.
Reed was released from the Benton County Jail after posting $150,000 bond.
News, Pages 5 on 11/04/2009