Suspected Midwestern Serial Killer Arrested, Linked To Six Murders And Multiple Shootings

A suspected serial killer linked to six murders has been arrested and charged with two of the killings he’s suspected of committing. 

The FBI arrested Perez Reed, 25, as he was getting off a train in Independence, Missouri on Friday, a press release from the FBI states. He was allegedly carrying a .40 caliber handgun at the time of his arrest, which has been linked to a number of shootings, six of which were fatal. 

He was charged on Saturday with two counts of murder in the first degree, one count of first-degree assault, and three counts of armed criminal action, according to a press release from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

The first incident that officials linked him to occurred on Sept. 12, when they say he shot a male victim in St. Louis County multiple times in the chest. According to a federal complaint, obtained by Oxygen.com, the victim was waiting at a bus stop when he was ambushed with gunfire from behind and without warning. The victim survived but “sustained serious physical injuries and permanent disability,” according to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. 

The prosecuting attorney’s office states that they have “probable cause to believe” that Reed then shot and killed victim Marnay Haynes the next day. They noted that she was killed in a “distinctive manner.” Haynes was just 16 years old, St. Louis Today reported in September. 

Three days later, on the evening of Sept. 16, a female victim was “shot in the rear” at a BP gas station. She was “conscious and breathing but unable to provide a statement” when first responders arrived, according to the complaint. She was transported to the hospital where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Within an hour of that shooting, another victim was murdered in St. Louis, just one-half mile from the gas station. She had been shot in the head.

On Sept. 19, yet another victim was found dead in a vacant lot with gunshot wounds to the head and body. They had “been deceased for an extended period due to the fact apparent blood appeared dry,” according to the complaint. Police believe this victim was shot one day prior. The victim’s gender is unclear and their name has not been released.

Then, on Sept. 26, Reed allegedly fatally shot victim Lester Robinson in St. Louis County “at least two times in the same distinctive manner” as Haynes. Shell casings at all six shootings in St. Louis county allegedly match the suspect's gun.

On or around the first of November, police in Kansas City, Kansas police found a male victim who had been shot to death inside his apartment, according to the federal complaint. His name has not been released. Investigators learned that Reed allegedly traveled from St. Louis to Kansas City on Oct. 28 by Amtrak. Surveillance video from the apartment building allegedly shows the victim holding the door open for Reed as they both entered the building. Footage from inside the building also allegedly shows the two entering the victim’s unit together. Investigators believe that Reed transported his gun over state lines for this murder.

On or about Nov. 2, the naked body of another suspected victim was discovered inside her Kansas apartment. She died from gunshot wounds to her head and upper back, according to the complaint. Her phone and wallet were missing from her apartment. Security staff at her building told investigators that on Oct. 29, she entered the building with a man who had a Missouri driver’s license that identified him as Reed. They also noted the man had a crescent moon tattoo on his head.

During a press conference held on Monday afternoon, investigators told reporters that there were no connections between any of the victims. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell called the killings "random acts."

Reporters also asked Bell about a 2016 arson fire that Reed was connected to. Reed allegedly tried to set an apartment in Ferguson on fire while several of his relatives were inside. While he was initially charged with first-degree arson, the case was dismissed in 2019, KSDK reports. Bell noted on Monday that his family members had refused to cooperate and testify against him. 

Reed has denied hurting anyone, according to the complaint. His 26th birthday is Wednesday, Chris King, public information officer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, told Oxygen.com over email on Monday. He is being held on a cash-only bond of $2 million. Investigators are expected to give a press conference on Monday in St. Louis about the case.