Leonard Reed, 47, faces up to life in prison if he’s convicted of murder, attempted murder of a police officer, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and five counts of criminal contempt. Reed is accused of killing his wife, Diane Reed, in her Hempstead home on Nov. 7, 2013.
“This case boils down to a phrase we’ve all heard before … ‘If I can’t have you, nobody will,’”Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Michael Walsh told jurors during an opening statement at Reed’s trial on Thursday. “Those are the words he uttered to his wife on Feb. 7 when he began to take her life.”
Walsh said Diane Reed had sought an order of protection after her husband allegedly beat and pistol-whipped her during an incident in April 2011 – about eight months after their wedding. Although Diane Reed obtained an order of protection, Walsh said “it didn’t work.” He detailed an array of domestic incidents until Diane Reed moved out – relocating to a safe house – in late 2012.
Reed then allegedly confronted his step-daughter at her job – demanding to know where Diane Reed had moved to – and she too obtained an order of protection – one that ordered Leonard Reed to stay away from her and their home, Walsh said.
When Diane Reed moved back to her home on Feb. 3, 2013, her husband allegedly came into the house and the police are called, but he was not arrested. Four days later, Leonard Reed allegedly returned to the home with a loaded semi-automatic handgun and killed his wife, prosecutors said.
“He decided if I can’t have you, no one will,” Walsh said of Reed. He said another woman who lived in the home heard two gunshots and rushed upstairs to the kitchen. “Diane Reed was lying face down in basically a fetal position and Leonard Reed was standing by the sink pointing a gun at her,” Walsh said. “He utters the words, ‘If I can’t have you, nobody will,’ and then bang, another shot.”
A few minutes later, a Hempstead police officer rushed into the home and Reed allegedly fired two gunshots at him, Walsh said. The officer was not hit and retreated outside until backup arrived. Walsh said Reed was involved in a stand-off and firefight with police that lasted about ten minutes.
But during that time, Reed left the front door – where he had been allegedly shooting at the cops – and went back to the kitchen. Inside, he was heard shouting, “B– you’re not dead yet,” and then allegedly shot his wife again before stabbing her in the back 10 times, Walsh said. He later returned to the doorway and surrendered.
“There’s no doubt Mr. Reed is responsible here,” his lawyer, Toni Marie Angeli told jurors. “The question is to what degree and to what charge …This is not an intentional act of homicide but manslaughter,” she said.
Angeli said the couple’s rocky relationship caused Leonard Reed stress. The defense attorney, who described the incident as “brutal, senseless and tragic” told jurors they will need to consider whether Diane Reed’s killing was a “calculated act” or if her client suffered “extreme emotional disturbance” because he was “operating such intense and overwhelming duress.”
Testimony in the case is expected to continue Thursday afternoon at the Nassau County Court in Mineola.