One of the two men charged with the murder of West Virginia University student Eric J. Smith, 21, will remain in jail until his case is resolved after a judge denied a request to set bond on Monday.
Judge Susan Tucker said she was initially inclined to set bond for Shaundarius Reeder at $500,000. However, after hearing about an incident that happened in Marion County the week before Smith’s murder, she could not in good faith set a bond for Reeder.
On Feb. 21, the week before Smith’s murder, Reeder was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and person prohibited from possession a firearm, Monongalia County Prosecutor Perri DeChristopher said.
Those charges were the result of a traffic stop that turned up 320 Xanax bars in a bag in the vehicle and 16 of the pills on Reeder, she said. Reeder was also carrying a firearm, despite having his concealed carry permit revoked for two DUIs on controlled substances.
Those DUI convictions were in Fairmont City Court, DeChristopher said.
William Summers, Reeder’s attorney, said his client was not culpable for the murder. Reeder’s co-defendant, Terrell Linear, 21, has offered a written confession saying he was the one who shot Smith.
DeChristopher argued that while it may be true Linear shot Smith, Reeder was carrying a gun and actively participating in the murder — Linear just happened to be the one to shoot.
Reeder and Linear are being held in North Central Regional Jail.
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