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with a horseshoe and attacked her. He admitted strangling her and putting her body in the woods by the side of a road, where it was discovered the following day. Reece stated that he knew
Johnston's mother, Kathy Dobry, who lived in Anadarko, had once taken him to renew his drivers license after it expired while he was incarcerated and was an acquaintance of his mother and other members of his family.
233:, but left after some time. His wife divorced him a year into their marriage. Reece convinced her to remarry him, and the couple had a second child shortly afterward. Flaming said Reece began drinking heavily and became physically abusive. In 1982, Flaming went to the police after a beating and said that her husband had threatened to kill her with a knife and shotgun. She divorced him.
347:, and provided a map of the burial sites. He then offered to admit fully to the crimes in court to avoid the death penalty and guarantee he would serve his sentence in Oklahoma. Authorities refused the deal, excavated the burial sites indicated on the map, and discovered the skeletal remains of Kelli Ann Cox and Jessica Cain.
293:. Sapaugh managed to break free from the restraints and jumped out of the truck, sustaining severe injuries to her body in the process. She survived and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she contacted the police. She described her attacker, but as she could not recall important details, she was put under
249:
In April 1986, Reece kidnapped the 19-year-old daughter of a sheriff's deputy. The woman was driving to a local gym when her car stalled. Reece, who worked as a truck driver at the time, lured her into his truck with the promise of taking her to the nearest payphone. Instead, he tied the woman up and
429:
and resumed in May 2021. Among the people present at the trial were
Tiffany Johnston's relatives, law enforcement officers involved in the murder investigation, Sandra Sapaugh, and two other girls who claimed that Reece had kidnapped and raped them in the Houston area on July 3, 1997. On May 28, he
380:
According to Reece's account, on July 26, 1997, he stopped at the
Sunshine Car Wash in Bethany to clean his truck and accidentally sprayed Tiffany Johnston. Without witnesses, he grabbed the teenager and dragged her inside the trailer, where he raped her at gunpoint. Reece struck her over the head
421:
dust that could negatively affect the health of the trial's participants. An independent examination concluded that the building's condition was hazardous. The trial adjourned until June 2019. In the meantime, prosecutors from Texas announced that they would extradite him to their state to stand
257:
While at large, a month after his release, he sexually assaulted another woman and was re-arrested. He was put on trial for both rapes, found guilty, and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. His attorneys appealed the conviction to a criminal court, which granted a review of his case. The results
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On August 19, 2021, Reece was officially sentenced to death by the
Oklahoma County District Court. After the trial, prosecutors stated that Reece had given partially false information in his confession and failed to disclose both his true motives for the crime and the accurate details. Two days
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suburb of
Houston, and her car was abandoned on an interstate highway later that day. Reece claimed he had approached her outside the restaurant, but she rebuffed him. Angered, he tailed her vehicle until she was forced to stop and confront him. He admitted that he beat and strangled her.
250:
raped her. Reece then drove the victim to a nearby motel, where he rented a room for the night. He allowed her to use the bathroom, giving her an opportunity to escape and call the police. Reece was arrested and charged but was released from custody after paying his
285:
to use a pay phone, where she was spotted by Reece. She got into her car and began to drive, but after a few minutes she realized that one of her tires was flat and was forced to stop. Reece, trailing behind her in his white truck, stopped and offered to help her.
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In early 2016, Reece began cooperating with investigators, admitted responsibility for
Johnston's murder, and further confessed to three murders in Houston during the summer of 1997. With the help of his attorneys, he contacted the prosecutor's offices in
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In July 2016, Reece was extradited from Texas to
Oklahoma to stand trial for the murder of Johnston. A few days later, he appeared before the Oklahoma County District Court, where a hearing was scheduled for October 10, 2016, after he waived his
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Following his conviction for
Johnston's murder in Oklahoma, Reece was extradited to stand trial in Texas in early March 2022. He pleaded guilty to all three murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2022.
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Police became suspicious that Reece was involved in the disappearance of three teenage girls from
Houston and the surrounding suburbs, one of whom was last seen alive and later found murdered near his workplace.
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In the fall of 1997, Reece became a suspect in the kidnapping and attempted rape of 19-year-old Sandra
Sapaugh. According to her testimony, in May 1997, Sapaugh stopped her car at a gas station in
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226:. Due to his parents' financial issues, he was forced to quit school after the ninth grade and take on a job as a farm laborer. In 1979, he married Judy Flaming after she became pregnant.
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before his conviction, he was charged with possessing prohibited items after a search of his cell at the county jail revealed that he had purchased a cell phone from fellow inmates.
366:. According to Reece, he accidentally hit Smither with his car on a rainy day. He admitted to hiding Smither's body in a lake. Later, Reece admitted to strangling the girl to death.
297:. In her hypnotized state, Sapaugh was able to recall Reece's license plate number. Sapaugh singled Reece out as the assailant in a police photo array, which led to his arrest.
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and strangled her in the ensuing fight. Cox was found buried in the woods in Brazoria County. Like with the Smither case, he insisted that Cox had not been sexually assaulted.
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331:. The owner of the Sunshine Car Wash told police that Reece frequently used the car wash. Johnston's body was later found on the side of a dirt road near the
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When questioned whether he was involved in any other disappearances or murders in the area, Reece strongly insisted that he had nothing to do with them.
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indicated that there were procedural errors in Reece's criminal case, causing his sentence to be reduced and leading to his parole in October 1996.
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Reece also confessed that on July 15, 1997, he was driving from Oklahoma to Houston when he stopped to buy some whiskey at a gas station in
531:"PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER: HE WENT UNDISCOVERED FOR 19 YEARS —— THEN LED AUTHORITIES TO THE BODIES. NOW, ONE BIG QUESTION REMAINS: WHY?"
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335:. Johnston had been sexually assaulted, beaten and strangled. On September 21, 2015, Reece was formally charged with her murder.
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17-year-old Jessica Cain was reported missing on August 17, 1997. She was last seen alive after leaving a Bennigan's in the
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After luring her inside his truck, Reece overpowered Sapaugh and bound her wrists before continuing driving along
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491:"William Lewis Reece sentenced to life in prison for murders of Laura Smither, Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox"
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Reece stated that he committed his first murder on April 3, 1997, when he killed 12-year-old Laura Smither in
359:, Kelli Cox, Tiffany Johnston, and Jessica Cain but refused to admit a sexual motive for many of the crimes.
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to serve his sentence. In the early 2000s, he was compelled by law to submit DNA samples to be entered into
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In 2015, his DNA was matched to the murder of 19-year-old Tiffany Johnston. On July 26, 1997, Johnston's
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373:. He claimed that he got into a physical confrontation with 20-year-old Kelli Cox, a student at the
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based on the supposedly broken plea agreement between his client and law enforcement officials.
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Reece was convicted of the kidnapping charge in 1998 and sentenced to 60 years imprisonment.
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was found guilty on all counts by jury verdict. His defense attorney had advocated for an
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994:"Witnesses Testify On Day 2 Of Murder Trial For Suspected Serial Killer William Reece"
736:"Witnesses Testify On Day 2 Of Murder Trial For Suspected Serial Killer William Reece"
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trial for the murders of Smither, Cox, and Cain after the end of his Oklahoma trial.
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1055:"Accused serial killer William Reece returns to Texas to face charges for 3 murders"
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Reece remarried, but his second wife divorced him a few months into their marriage.
639:"After 24 years, 4 murders and one kidnapping, William Reece is sentenced to death"
407:
815:"Admitted serial killer William Lewis Reece found guilty in 1997 Oklahoma death"
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59:
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The trial began on April 21, 2017. Reece's defense team filed a motion for a
963:"William Reece Trial Postponed; Public Defender's Office Condition To Blame"
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932:"Preliminary Hearing Begins For Suspect In OKC '97 Kidnapping, Murder Case"
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After his conviction for kidnapping and rape, Reece was transferred to the
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1025:"Admitted serial killer William Lewis Reece stays silent at sentencing"
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902:"Accused Serial Killer Appears In Court, Waives Right To Speedy Trial"
872:"Man Accused Of Killing Bethany Woman In 1997 Booked Into OK Co. Jail"
65:
198:. Not long after, he confessed to three murders associated with the
847:"Was a serial killer's mother visiting one of his victim's graves?"
608:"Investigator in case of Sandra Sapaugh speaks about William Reece"
566:"EXCLUSIVE: Ex-wife sheds light on suspected serial killer's past"
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702:"Texas Felon Charged In 18-Year-Old Murder Case In Oklahoma Co"
669:"A Pattern Of Killing By Suspected Serial Killer William Reece"
183:
771:"Suspected Serial Killer Leads Officers On Hunt For Bodies"
218:, one of 13 siblings. He spent his youth in the cities of
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After his release, Reece moved into his mother's home in
417:, claiming that the county courthouse offices contained
182:, rapist and kidnapper. In 2015, he was linked via
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1166:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Texas
1141:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
214:William Lewis Reece was born on July 1, 1959, in
425:The trial was indefinitely postponed due to the
327:was found abandoned at the Sunshine Car Wash in
202:, for which he was convicted and sentenced to
194:, for which he was subsequently convicted and
8:
529:Sarah Mervosh, Claire Ballor (May 3, 2016).
229:After their marriage, Reece enlisted in the
1116:American people convicted of attempted rape
467:List of serial killers in the United States
245:Sexual assaults, imprisonment, and release
94:60 years imprisonment (kidnapping charges)
18:
1161:Prisoners sentenced to death by Oklahoma
1121:American people convicted of kidnapping
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1151:People convicted of murder by Oklahoma
543:from the original on December 16, 2017
484:
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1136:American prisoners sentenced to death
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462:List of death row inmates in Oklahoma
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961:Clayton Cummins (October 15, 2018).
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1156:People convicted of murder by Texas
1126:American people convicted of murder
178:(born July 1, 1959) is an American
1181:Violence against women in Oklahoma
1065:from the original on June 20, 2022
1035:from the original on June 20, 2022
1004:from the original on June 20, 2022
973:from the original on June 20, 2022
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912:from the original on June 20, 2022
882:from the original on June 20, 2022
781:from the original on June 20, 2022
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712:from the original on June 20, 2022
679:from the original on June 20, 2022
618:from the original on June 20, 2022
578:from the original on June 20, 2022
501:from the original on June 30, 2022
355:Reece confessed to the murders of
117:April 3 – August 17, 1997
14:
1131:American people convicted of rape
827:from the original on July 2, 2021
649:from the original on July 2, 2021
489:Cathy Hernandez (June 29, 2022).
265:. In early 1997, he regained his
992:Brittany Toolis (May 19, 2021).
734:Brittany Toolis (May 19, 2021).
1096:20th-century American criminals
308:Imprisonment and identification
1111:American murderers of children
1023:Nolan Clay (August 19, 2021).
637:Robert Arnold (June 2, 2021).
606:Marla Carter (March 1, 2016).
457:Capital punishment in Oklahoma
1:
1171:Serial killers from Oklahoma
813:Nolan Clay (June 1, 2021).
277:Kidnapping and imprisonment
1197:
1176:Serial killers from Texas
375:University of North Texas
169:
53:
1106:American male criminals
536:The Dallas Morning News
408:right to a speedy trial
231:Oklahoma National Guard
708:. September 21, 2015.
160:Allan B. Polunsky Unit
16:American serial killer
190:murder of a woman in
675:. October 18, 2018.
200:Texas Killing Fields
1101:American kidnappers
176:William Lewis Reece
113:Span of crimes
23:William Lewis Reece
938:. April 21, 2017.
574:. April 16, 2016.
263:Anadarko, Oklahoma
196:sentenced to death
156:Imprisoned at
1061:. March 9, 2022.
908:. July 28, 2016.
878:. July 25, 2016.
853:. 20 January 2023
777:. April 5, 2016.
427:COVID-19 pandemic
329:Bethany, Oklahoma
204:life imprisonment
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90:Life imprisonment
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74:Criminal penalty
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60:Conviction(s)
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41:(age 65)
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1067:. Retrieved
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1037:. Retrieved
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186:to the 1997
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85:
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39:July 1, 1959
1091:1959 births
442:Texas trial
364:Friendswood
351:Confessions
1085:Categories
857:2023-01-20
473:References
325:Dodge Neon
314:Ellis Unit
69:Kidnapping
35:1959-07-01
432:acquittal
273:, Texas.
210:Biography
206:in 2022.
188:cold case
78:Oklahoma:
1069:June 21,
1063:Archived
1039:June 21,
1033:Archived
1008:June 21,
1002:Archived
977:June 21,
971:Archived
946:June 21,
940:Archived
916:June 21,
910:Archived
886:June 21,
880:Archived
831:June 21,
825:Archived
785:June 21,
779:Archived
752:June 21,
746:Archived
716:June 21,
710:Archived
683:June 21,
677:Archived
653:June 21,
647:Archived
622:June 21,
616:Archived
582:June 21,
576:Archived
547:June 21,
541:Archived
505:June 30,
499:Archived
451:See also
419:asbestos
341:Brazoria
295:hypnosis
224:Anadarko
216:Oklahoma
192:Oklahoma
140:Oklahoma
131:State(s)
46:Oklahoma
1059:KTRK-TV
998:KOTV-DT
967:KOTV-DT
936:KOTV-DT
906:KOTV-DT
876:KOTV-DT
775:KOTV-DT
741:KOTV-DT
706:KOTV-DT
673:KOTV-DT
643:KPRC-TV
612:KTRK-TV
571:KTRK-TV
495:KPRC-TV
283:Webster
271:Houston
122:Country
104:Victims
99:Details
396:Trials
371:Denton
240:Crimes
86:Texas:
66:Murder
48:, U.S.
318:CODIS
220:Yukon
164:Texas
136:Texas
82:Death
1071:2022
1041:2022
1010:2022
979:2022
948:2022
918:2022
888:2022
833:2022
787:2022
754:2022
718:2022
685:2022
655:2022
624:2022
584:2022
549:2022
507:2022
343:and
333:I-40
291:I-45
252:bail
222:and
151:1997
29:Born
184:DNA
1087::
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493:.
481:^
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