Man who slashed girlfriend's throat found guilty of first-degree murder
A Des Moines man who claimed he was justified in stabbing his girlfriend to death had plenty of opportunities to stop before nearly severing her neck with a kitchen knife, a judge ruled Friday.
Clarence Reed, 34, was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder in the Feb. 26, 2022, death of 33-year-old Randi Light.
Although Reed told 911 dispatchers that a woman was dead and he didn't know what had happened, police arrived to find him with blood on his clothing and Light dead with numerous stab and slash wounds in the living room of their apartment. Reed, whose case was paused at one point to ensure he was mentally competent for trial, argued in his defense that Light had attacked him with a hammer and his diagnosed schizophrenia left him unable to comprehend what he was doing.
After a three-day bench trial in August, Judge Heather Lauber announced her guilty verdict Friday.
Clarence Reed claimed self-defense at trial
According to trial testimony, Reed called 911 to report Light's death and told the dispatcher he was doing CPR. He later acknowledged he hadn't.
Officers who responded to the scene reported Reed was very calm, and once placed in a police car began asking why he hadn't yet been taken to jail.
After his arrest, Reed told a detective that he and Light had been arguing in the days leading up to her death. He said after she attacked him with a hammer, he fetched a knife and stabbed her, continuing as she fell to the floor.
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Although Reed could not tell the detective how many times he stabbed Light, according to officers, he admitted things "got out of hand."
Judge finds brutal attack shows intent to kill
In reaching her verdict, Lauber said the length and brutality of the attack supported the conclusion that Reed intentionally sought to end Light's life. She pointed to evidence suggesting that the attack began in the bedroom, where police found blood and a broken knife, and then continued in the living room, where police found a second knife under Light's body.
"Certainly Mr. Reed had the opportunity to deliberate after breaking one knife and grabbing another from the kitchen," she said.
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Even if Light had attacked Reed first — a claim Lauber said was not supported by evidence — he suffered no injuries. A medical examiner testified that it appeared Light had still been alive, despite numerous wounds to her arms and body, when Light slashed her neck.
"By his own admission, Mr. Reed continued stabbing and slicing Ms. Light long after she was incapacitated on the floor of the living room," Lauber said.
Mental health defense rejected
The judge further ruled that while Reed clearly had mental health challenges, evidence showed he was lucid and aware when police spoke to him after the attack, belying claims that he killed Light during a psychotic episode.
Reed showed no apparent reaction as the verdict was read, while members of Light's family wept in the gallery. He's scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 9. He faces a mandatory life sentence without parole.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines man who stabbed girlfriend to death convicted of murder
