A couple's first date ended in horror after both were shot; only one survived.

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On nan day of Thanksgiving Day 2021, Nanette Stuiber sat successful her car and watched anxiously arsenic EMTs and Montgomery County Sheriff Deputies descended connected a location successful nan mini colony of Farmersville, Illinois.

Nanette Stuiber: I was rather upset and kinda going crazy successful nan car.

Stuiber had been incapable to scope her bully friend Leslie Reeves. Stuiber knew Leslie had gone to that location nan nighttime earlier to spell connected a first day pinch Chris Smith, a man she had met online.

Nanette Stuiber: She was highly excited. She thought it mightiness beryllium a really bully relationship …

But now Stuiber was worried. She had called 911 to petition a use check. She'd seen Smith get taken distant successful an ambulance but location was nary motion of Reeves.

Nanette Stuiber: I kept hoping … bring Leslie out, please …

Finally, a detective approached and asked Stuiber for a photograph of Reeves. She showed him her telephone and he gave her nan horrible news.

Nanette Stuiber: "I'm sorry to person to show you this … your friend has, um, been murdered," you know, shot, he said. He didn't show maine where, but he did say, "I want you to cognize that she went very quickly."

EMTs had recovered Smith hardly conscious and incapable to opportunity thing astir nan shooting. They rushed him to nan infirmary and deputies searched nan house. Later that day, crime segment interrogator Josh Easton of nan Illinois State Police was called to nan segment and he began cataloging nan mayhem inside.

Erin Moriarty: What do you spot erstwhile you first attack nan door?

Josh Easton: I announcement that nan … broadside doorway of nan location … nan solid successful nan doorway has been surgery out.

Josh Easton: The refrigerator was pulled distant from nan wall … room array was pushed … nan — nan chairs were knocked complete …

No limb was found, starring investigators to fishy that a 3rd personification was involved. Easton took statement of each detail, including nan burnt pizza successful nan oven.

Josh Easton: I presume that possibly they were cooking … a pizza for nan nighttime and nan fishy shows up astatine nan doorway … they some tried to conflict him disconnected and erstwhile Chris was shot, Leslie went to nan surviving room … to effort to effort to hide.

Erin Moriarty: How galore times was she shot?

Josh Easton: She was only changeable 1 time.

Erin Moriarty: In nan head.

Josh Easton: In nan head.

Reeves' assemblage was successful nan surviving room while Smith had been recovered successful nan kitchen. Easton said, of nan 1,800 crime scenes he'd been to, this was 1 of nan astir horrific.

Josh Easton: There was humor everyplace … The cabinets, nan refrigerator, nan countertop, location was humor from area to area successful nan kitchen.

Easton spotted 2 silver-colored slug casings from a 9 mm weapon — 1 successful nan room and nan different adjacent Reeves' body.

A DEADLY FIRST DATE

As Easton processed nan scene, detectives began learning astir nan victims. Smith was a 48-year-old divided begetter who worked for a excavation contractor.

Dena LeGrand: Chris was a bully guy. He would bent retired present frequently, was friends pinch astir of nan group successful town. Everybody knew him.

Bartender Dena LeGrand says Smith was good known successful municipality arsenic nan feline who grew banana trees and elephantine pumpkins.

Dena LeGrand: I retrieve 1 Halloween … he donated hundreds of pumpkins for decorations for immoderate of nan kids to overgarment … he gave backmost to his community.

Sharon Costanza is Smith's mother. Ashli Holcomb is his sister.

Erin Moriarty: Did either 1 of you ever interest astir Chris?

Ashli Holcomb: No.

Sharon Costanza: No.

Ashli Holcomb: Chris is simply a enactment location person, that virtually would conscionable activity successful his backyard.

Smith lived pinch a canine named Tiki. An EMT told nan family that Tiki whitethorn person helped Smith make it done nan night by huddling pinch him for nan astir 12 hours that he was bleeding earlier being rescued.

Sharon Costanza: I deliberation Tiki protected Chris … I deliberation she astir apt laid correct adjacent to him …

Smith's close-knit family could not ideate anyone wanting to termination him.

Ashli Holcomb: It was like, nary way. How? Why?

Sharon Costanza: Who? Yeah. Who would've done that?

Investigators had nan aforesaid questions astir Reeves and learned that she was a divided mother of 2 children who lived successful Troy, astir an hr southbound of Farmersville. Although Reeves had a master's grade successful engineering, she chose alternatively to thatch Pilates and to beforehand self-defense classes for women.

Reeves posted a video to her YouTube transmission to advertise 1 of her classes: … empower yourself against aggression and battle arsenic we thatch you easy to study self-defense techniques…. Power up!!

Reeves tried to thief women successful abusive relationships, but friends opportunity she had her ain troubles. Stuiber told deputies she was worried astir a erstwhile boyfriend, a contractor by nan sanction of Robert Tarr, known arsenic Bobby.

Nanette Stuiber: She said … I americium going to wholly artifact Bobby from email, texts, telephone calls. I — I person to spell nary contact.

Later that evening, news of Reeves' execution began circulating and reached different adjacent friend, Amy Steinhauer. She had met Tarr, a divided begetter of three, and did not person a bully belief of him, but —

Amy Steinhauer: You ne'er spot personification and deliberation that — they tin termination my friend.

Steinhauer called nan Sheriff's Office that nighttime to springiness them Tarr's name. By then, detectives had already group retired to find Bobby Tarr while, 85 miles to nan north, surgeons were fighting to effort to prevention nan life of Chris Smith — a slug still lodged successful his brain.

PIECING TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED

After learning that Smith had been changeable successful nan head, his family rushed to nan infirmary successful Springfield, Illinois, 2 hours from their home.

Sharon Costanza : I was connected nan telephone … to everyone I could deliberation of … 'cause I conscionable needed prayers from everybody.

Doctors removed portion of Smith's skull and immoderate slug fragments successful his encephalon earlier putting him successful a medically induced coma. His family, struggling to portion together what had happened, learned that he had been retired pinch a female named Leslie Reeves.

Erin Moriarty: Had you ever heard nan sanction Leslie Reeves before?

Ashli Holcomb: No. … I looked her up and past … I tried to scope retired to her friends and past I recovered … her champion friend, Nanette.

Nanette Stuiber told them nan aforesaid point she had told investigators: she suspected Reeves' ex-boyfriend Bobby Tarr. That night, sheriff's deputies went to Tarr's location successful Collinsville, an hr southbound of nan crime scene. Authorities opportunity he ne'er asked why they wanted to talk to him, and he agreed to spell to nan constabulary position without a lawyer.

Though her friends said nan mates had surgery up, Tarr told investigators that he and Reeves were still together.

DET. ROACH: Do you and Leslie person a batch of problems?

BOBBY TARR: I wouldn't opportunity -- nary worse than immoderate mean couple.

It was Reeves that detectives wanted to talk about.

DET. ROACH: I want you to — to excavation down heavy here, beryllium arsenic honorable pinch maine arsenic you can. OK. Uh, Leslie, is dead.

BOBBY TARR: What?

DET. ROACH: … Can you thief maine shed immoderate ray connected this?

BOBBY TARR: How did she die?

DET. ROACH: She was murdered ...

BOBBY TARR: What happened?

DET. ROACH: That's why we're present pinch you. … You thief maine judge that you're not progressive successful this.

BOBBY TARR: I'm not progressive successful thing ...

Investigators asked Tarr astir Farmersville, nan segment of nan crime.

DET. ROACH: Uh, cognize wherever Farmersville, Illinois is?

BOBBY TARR: Farmersville. No, I can't opportunity that I do. … Never been there. … I've ne'er heard of it.

And they asked Tarr wherever he had been nan nighttime earlier Thanksgiving.

BOBBY TARR: I went to a buddy of mine's house. He near and near maine immoderate money retired of his shop and spell prime it up.

The friend lived a short region from Tarr's home.

DET. ROACH: OK. Do you retrieve what clip you came back?

BOBBY TARR: Um, yeah, it wasn't that long. Um, possibly 6:30-ish, thing for illustration that.

Investigators judge nan shooting took spot sometime early connected Thanksgiving morning, aft 1 a.m. Tarr said aft he sewage back, he was location each night.

BOBBY TARR: You tin talk to my girl astir maine being home.

That's precisely what they did. Detectives brought Tarr's 17-year-old girl Shelby to a different room astatine nan constabulary station. And she told them that her begetter really near location doubly that night.

DET. TYSON HOLSHOUSER: So nan first clip he near was astir 6:30?

SHELBY TARR: Right.

DET. TYSON HOLSHOUSER: And past he — he came location astir a half hr later –

SHELBY TARR: Right.

DET. TYSON HOLSHOUSER: and he said he had to spell back?

SHELBY TARR: Right.

DET. TYSON HOLSHOUSER: And past it was 9:15-ish erstwhile he sewage backmost location …

SHELBY TARR: Yeah.

Shelby said he had been gone for much than 2 hours, and erstwhile he sewage home, he was upset.

SHELBY TARR: He gets home, he was crying. He was sobbing. … He said he missed Leslie.

Shelby said she went slumber astir 9:30 p.m. and was awakened by her begetter astir 2:45 a.m.

SHELBY TARR: He started laundry, he was pacing, stepping astir … And he was like, I can't sleep.

Detectives went backmost to Tarr and told him Shelby's communicative didn't lucifer his. Tarr past changed his communicative and said he had gone to his friend's location twice, but still insisted he was location by 8 p.m. As Tarr sat astatine nan constabulary station, detectives searched his location and recovered his telephone and a Glock pistol. Shelby had told them her begetter had a different gun, but they did not find it.

SHELBY TARR: It's little, it's for illustration this big. … Not for illustration a ray green, but for illustration a — nan Army green.

Shelby told investigators she had seen it nan time earlier Thanksgiving – successful her father's sock drawer.

SHELBY TARR: Yesterday morning, actually, I went to get socks and it was there. And now it's not there.

DET. TYSON HOLSHOUSER: Was location yesterday, gone today?

SHELBY TARR: Yeah.

Bobby Tarr sat astatine nan constabulary position overnight while authorities continued to investigate. They had already learned his car had been captured by licence sheet scholar cameras conscionable aft midnight nan nighttime of nan shooting. The cameras were adjacent a state station, and investigators discovered that Tarr had bought state location conscionable aft midnight. Back astatine nan constabulary station, they confronted him pinch nan state position receipt.

DETECTIVE. #2: So you're a liar.

BOBBY TARR: 'Cause I don't retrieve doing that?

DET. ROACH: You don't retrieve being retired aft midnight erstwhile you person told america you are 100% positive.

Erin Moriarty (showing Affrunti a representation connected an iPad): The state position is present successful Troy.

Andrew Affrunti: Yes.

Erin Moriarty: And nan execution occurred present successful Farmersville.

Andrew Affrunti: Correct.

The state position was adjacent Tarr's home, an hr from nan crime scene. Andrew Affrunti is nan Montgomery County State's Attorney.

Erin Moriarty: So, why is it significant? … So, he went retired and sewage immoderate gas?

Andrew Affrunti: It was important to america because why would he dishonesty astir it?

BOBBY TARR (police questioning): So I sewage fuel. What does that prove?

Investigators believed it was impervious Tarr was lying astir his whereabouts that night. They placed him nether arrest.

Affrunti says they arrested Tarr instantly because they feared Smith's life was successful danger, and they hadn't recovered nan execution weapon.

Andrew Affrunti: If he was retired of custody, could he return further steps to dispose of nan evidence?

Just 1 time aft Leslie Reeves was killed and Chris Smith was near fighting for his life, investigators believed they had nan man responsible successful custody.

But successful his only media interview, Tarr tells "48 Hours" they sewage nan incorrect guy.

Bobby Tarr: There is truthful galore things untold … that will beryllium my innocence.

SUSPECT PLACES HIMSELF AT THE CRIME SCENE

Bobby Tarr, charged pinch nan execution of Leslie Reeves and nan attempted execution of Chris Smith, is thing if not unflappable.

Erin Moriarty: Did you termination Leslie Reeves?

Bobby Tarr: No.

Erin Moriarty: Did you sprout … Chris Smith?

Bobby Tarr: No.

He kept his cool — moreover erstwhile confronted pinch a litany of lies he told investigators.

Erin Moriarty: You told nan constabulary you only near nan location once.

Bobby Tarr: Mm.

Erin Moriarty: That wasn't true.

Bobby Tarr: Correct.

Erin Moriarty: You told nan constabulary you had nary thought wherever Farmersville is.

Bobby Tarr: Mm-hmm.

Erin Moriarty: That was a lie.

Bobby Tarr: Mm-hmm.

Erin Moriarty: You lied astir getting state successful your car that night.

Bobby Tarr: Mm-hmm.

When he said pinch "48 Hours," Tarr admitted he was astatine Smith's location nan nighttime earlier Thanksgiving, placing himself astatine nan segment of nan crime. He says nan nighttime began erstwhile he met Reeve sat her part-time occupation astatine a Loft store.

Bobby Tarr: She had said she was gonna spell meet immoderate friends because 1 of their friends … was playing successful a set … And she asked maine if I wanted to go. And I said, well, you know, I would spell but I person my youngest girl staying pinch maine for a week.

Tarr says that erstwhile he declined nan invitation, Reeves asked if he would travel her to Farmersville, because her van was unreliable. And truthful he did. That makes nary consciousness to Reeves' friend Amy Steinhauer.

Amy Steinhauer: She was terrified of him, rightfully so.

Just a fewer weeks earlier, Steinhauer says, Reeves told her that Tarr had shown up while she was connected a first day pinch a different guy. After that incident, Reeves told Steinhauer she was frightened by Tarr and texted Steinhauer: "I could beryllium killed by him someday if I don't trim each contact.

Erin Moriarty: So, you're telling maine now that this female who was frightened of you, who had really texted a friend that she thought you mightiness termination her, asked you to travel her to different man's house?

Bobby Tarr: Mm-hmm.

Erin Moriarty: Does that make consciousness Bobby?

Bobby Tarr: No, I understand. Um, truthful I don't understand that matter successful general.

Erin Moriarty: Why did she deliberation you mightiness termination her?

Bobby Tarr: I don't know. I've sewage nary clue.

Tarr says Reeves lied to her friends astir their relationship. He insists she asked him to travel her northbound to Farmersville.

Bobby Tarr: So, I went pinch her up location … I deliberation we arrived location astir 7:30. I parked — parked successful beforehand of her van, successful beforehand of his house. … That's arsenic acold arsenic I went. … I left; I ne'er went backmost to Farmersville again.

If he had an guiltless mentation for why he was successful Farmersville, why did he dishonesty to detectives?

Bobby Tarr: My girl … her and Leslie, location was a small spot of hostility betwixt some of them. …I did not want her to cognize that I was going to meet Leslie that night.

Tarr claims that aft he lied to his girl Shelby astir seeing Reeves, he stuck to that dishonesty astatine nan constabulary position because he was acrophobic they would show her. And he ne'er corrected those lies, moreover erstwhile detectives arrested him.

Erin Moriarty: Why not conscionable say, 'look, betwixt you and maine … I lied to my daughter. So fto maine show you nan truth, but let's conscionable not stock that pinch her.' Why wouldn't you do that?

Bobby Tarr: I should person done that.

Tarr is speedy to constituent retired nan deficiency of beingness grounds connecting him to nan bloody crime scene. Investigators searched his achromatic Jetta but did not find immoderate shards of solid aliases humor stains.

Bobby Tarr: Two … tests by nan authorities constabulary were done connected my car. Zero humor recovered successful my car. … There's zero DNA of excavation astatine nan crime scene. Anything from nan crime scene, successful my car aliases connected maine aliases immoderate of my clothing aliases my shoes, zero.

Prosecutor Affrunti has to concede that point.

Erin Moriarty: Was immoderate of Tarr's DNA recovered wrong nan house?

Andrew Affrunti: No.

Erin Moriarty: Were immoderate of his fingerprints recovered wrong nan house?

Andrew Affrunti: No.

And authorities still had not recovered nan execution weapon. But a week aft nan shooting, they sewage a telephone telephone from Tarr's friend Billy Adams. Adams said Tarr had called him from jail. That telephone was recorded.

BOBBY TARR (jail call): What's your time look like? 'Cause I request 10 minutes of your time.

Tarr asked Adams to spell to his location and look for immoderate platform brackets.

BOBBY TARR (jail call): I sewage immoderate typical aluminum brackets and — that I request you to get because they're for different occupation that I didn't show Dad astir yet. … So don't opportunity thing to him.

Instead, Adams contacted nan sheriff's office. Deputies suspected Tarr knew nan telephone telephone was being recorded and was speaking to his friend successful codification –- astir thing different than platform brackets.

BILLY ADAMS (jail call): They're aluminum?

BOBBY TARR: Yeah, get 'em and get free of 'em.

Bobby Tarr: They thought that was suspicious which was why they went complete and searched.

Investigators were connected their hands and knees successful Tarr's yard, looking for a gun. Dan Fultz is Tarr's defense attorney.

Dan Fultz: They searched that area thoroughly. … No gun. You cognize what they did find? Deck brackets.

A fewer days later they sewage different telephone call. This clip from Tarr's brother, asking them to travel backmost to nan house. Tarr's family gave deputies a Ziploc container they said they had recovered successful nan aforesaid gait that had been searched conscionable days earlier. Inside — a Springfield Hellcat 9 mm pistol and silver-colored ammunition. The Illinois State Police wished nan weapon was nan execution limb and nan ammunition matched nan casings recovered astatine nan crime scene.

Bobby Tarr: We still, to this day, don't cognize really that ended up there, specifically successful nan spot that they searched …

Erin Moriarty: Are you saying you were group up? Someone was framing you?

Bobby Tarr: Yes.

But if personification was framing Tarr, he aliases she would person to beryllium beautiful item oriented. The authorities constabulary opportunity Tarr's fingerprint was connected nan Ziploc bag.

Dan Fultz: He is adamant that he would not person been dumb capable … that he would've carried it each nan measurement backmost to his location … and said, hmm, wherever would I put this weapon connected my one-acre lot? … I deliberation I'll put it adjacent to nan beforehand door.

And Tarr points retired neither his prints nor DNA were recovered connected nan weapon itself.

Bobby Tarr Nothing connected nan firearm, nary DNA, nary prints of excavation connected nan firearm.

Andrew Affrunti: What I deliberation is, what happened is, is that nan weapon was cleaned. And that Mr. Tarr conscionable missed a spot.

That spot was Reeves' DNA, opportunity police, recovered connected nan guideline rod of nan gun. Tarr's explanation: nan weapon wasn't his – it belonged to Reeves.

Bobby Tarr: I purchased nan Hellcat and Leslie purchased it from me.

As investigators continued to build a lawsuit against Bobby Tarr, they opportunity he was hatching a scheme to soundlessness nan only eyewitness.

COULD CHRIS SMITH ID HIS ATTACKER?

If there's anyone who knew what guns Leslie Reeves owned, it's Howard Bolton, her adjacent friend and firearm instructor.

Howard Bolton (at weapon range): Leslie accompanied maine present connected respective occasions. … When I would clasp classes, she would really sprout pinch us.

Howard Bolton (at weapon range): Leslie was becoming a very bully shot.

Bolton says Reeves had organized a people called "Girls pinch Guns" not agelong earlier she was murdered.

Howard Bolton (at weapon range): We put nan girls done their paces … They would move guardant and fire. They would travel backmost and occurrence …And Leslie did very, very good astatine that.

Bobby Tarr insisted to "48 Hours" that Reeves owned nan Hellcat that was utilized to termination her, but Howard says he ne'er saw her usage it.

Howard Bolton: Leslie ne'er brought, uh, a Springfield … let unsocial a Hellcat — to class.

So past really did Reeves' DNA get connected nan guideline rod of nan execution weapon? Howard believes that Reeves' DNA could only beryllium connected that guideline rod if nan weapon was fired astatine her astatine adjacent range.

Howard Bolton: So erstwhile he changeable her, wherever it was he changeable her … would person contaminated that portion of nan gun.

In fact, Howard says Reeves owned a different gun. Her friends opportunity they wish she had taken it pinch her nan nighttime she was killed.

Howard Bolton(at weapon range): Had Leslie taken nan weapon pinch her, I guarantee you nan result would've been different.

Tarr declared his innocence but nan lawsuit against him could hinge connected what Chris Smith — nan only subsister — remembers. Would he beryllium capable to place him? That was nan mobility arsenic Smith remained successful a coma.

Sharon Costanza: We were talking to him, singing to him … And I was … ever holding his hand.

While Chris Smith laic helpless, authorities opportunity Tarr was plotting to soundlessness him forever.

A expansive assemblage indicted Tarr connected 2 counts of inducement of murder. Those charges are based connected allegations by an inmate who says Tarr paid him $10,000 to sprout and termination nan lead detective and Smith.

Erin Moriarty: Did you inquire an inmate to sprout Chris Smith —

Bobby Tarr: No, ma'am.

Erin Moriarty:— and to termination Detective Roach?

Bobby Tarr: No, ma'am.

Tarr says nan alleged crippled was a dishonesty concocted by a erstwhile cellmate. Tarr says he loaned that cellmate $10,000 for his enslaved and that it had thing to do pinch Smith.

Erin Moriarty: Were you worried he was going to attest and constituent to you arsenic nan shooter?

Bobby Tarr: No. … I was not worried 1 iota.

The truth was that nary 1 knew what Chris Smith remembered. The first clip he regained consciousness was successful early January 2022, astir 2 months aft nan shooting.

Smith's sound was truthful anemic successful those early days, that his aged friend Mark Reardon, a talk show big successful St. Louis, hardly recognized Chris connected nan phone.

Mark Reardon: I could not judge that I was proceeding from this guy. And I cried, he cried … conscionable talking astir that infinitesimal really brings maine chills because I conscionable thought he was ne'er gonna beryllium personification that was successful my life ever again.

Erin Moriarty: What did Chris show you?

Mark Reardon: Well … erstwhile Chris came retired of this … I was beautiful delicate to inquire him astir what had happened that nighttime … because I deliberation I was a small acrophobic of moreover having those conversations. So … astir of nan conversations that we had were really focused on, hey, really are you? you gonna beryllium OK.

After aggravated beingness therapy, Smith has made unthinkable strides. He's overmuch stronger than erstwhile he awoke from a coma, but he discovered location are gaps successful his memory. What does he retrieve from that unspeakable night?

Chris Smith: I wish to God I could retrieve thing … moreover conscionable a — a smidgen of something. But I retrieve nothing.

He remembers thing of nan shooting aliases Leslie Reeves.

Chris Smith: I said, "who nan heck's Leslie? … I don't cognize Leslie."

Erin Moriarty: You had nary idea.

Chris Smith: No. Nothing, nothing.

Erin Moriarty: Is Chris nan aforesaid personification who utilized to travel connected your show earlier he was shot?

Mark Reardon: Yeah … I deliberation astatine nan core, he's still nan aforesaid feline that I knew. … He's still nan smart ass, he's still nan feline that's gonna talk astir really bully he is, and really bully he was, and really overmuch he could assistance weights.

Smith useful retired astatine nan gym astir mornings trying to regain musculus truthful that someday he'll beryllium capable to locomotion without assistance.

PHOTOS: Shooting subsister defies nan likelihood aft taking slug to nan brain

He's moreover backmost to being nan lead vocalist successful his stone and rotation band.

Sharon Costanza: I don't cognize really he did make it. I don't understand really he did. He's a miracle.

But Smith is alert that his life is very different from what it erstwhile was.

Chris Smith: I'm half nan man I utilized to be, but I'm trying to get it backmost arsenic difficult arsenic I can.

Chris Smith: My near limb is, uh, partially paralyzed from my hep to my knee, past from my knee to my toes, wholly paralyzed, truthful if there's immoderate neurosurgeons retired location … immoderate researchers retired there, please get a clasp of me. I'll beryllium your guinea pig. Just make maine normal and springiness my life backmost please (crying).

Erin Moriarty: It's tough, isn't it, Chris?

Chris Smith: Tough doesn't moreover picture it. Doesn't moreover picture it.

Smith is resigned to surviving pinch portion of that hollow-point slug successful his brain; doctors opportunity it's successful a spot that makes it excessively vulnerable to remove.

Erin Moriarty: So that's wherever you sewage shot?

Chris Smith (points to nan apical of his caput wherever slug went in): Yep. Right present … yeah, still consciousness it connected my skull correct there.

After decades connected his own, Smith had to move backmost into his mother's house.

Sharon Costanza: I convey my blessings regular that he's present pinch us. I conscionable wish that this feline didn't return everything distant from him.

Smith visits pinch his loyal canine Tiki, but nary longer lives pinch her. And he'd emotion to spot his 12-year-old girl much often, but he can't thrust and he's surviving successful St. Louis almost 2 hours distant from his girl and ex-wife.

Chris Smith: I miss her … I — I mean, she was my small pea successful a pod. I mean, we did everything together.

The proceedings of Robert Tarr was group for April 2024, but Smith would not beryllium there. He told nan charismatic he was excessively angry to attend.

Erin Moriarty: You didn't deliberation you'd beryllium capable to conscionable beryllium there?

Chris Smith: Oh no. No way. I — I cognize myself. … I — there's nary way. No.

But Smith's alleged shooter Bobby Tarr will beryllium location and he said he was eager to show nan assemblage that he's not a convulsive man.

Erin Moriarty: But connected this 1 night, early morning, did you snap?

Bobby Tarr: No, that's not my nature. I don't suffer it and snap.

THE CASE AGAINST BOBBY TARR

When Bobby Tarr went connected proceedings successful April 2024, prosecutors told nan assemblage that he killed Leslie Reeves alternatively than let her to unrecorded nan life she wanted; a life without him.

Andrew Affrunti: Mr. Tarr … couldn't woody pinch nan truth that Leslie was seeing personification other and … he had to spell and return attraction of it.

Andrew Affrunti says Tarr secretly followed Reeves to Farmersville early that evening, and soon afterwards his telephone began showing immoderate absorbing activity.

Andrew Affrunti: He had really searched Chris Smith connected his phone, had tried to find his Facebook profile.

Tarr headed location and texted his friend Billy Adams, "I don't consciousness for illustration she would thrust that acold for a statement aliases spell retired pinch a girlfriend. I deliberation it's for a dude." He besides searched whether constabulary could way his telephone if he was utilizing a VPN – a virtual backstage network.

Andrew Affrunti: He was researching to find whether aliases not that would disguise wherever his location was while he was utilizing nan phone.

Authorities opportunity astir midnight, Tarr near home, stopping astatine that state station. And then, according to Affrunti, surveillance videos and compartment building records show that Tarr drove backmost to Farmersville.

Erin Moriarty: You judge he intended to termination some Chris and Leslie?

Andrew Affrunti: I 100% judge that he went up location pinch nan intent to do superior harm to some of them.

With 1 unfortunate dormant and nan different pinch nary memory, it's difficult to opportunity pinch certainty what happened. But nan prosecution based on that sometime aft 1 a.m., Tarr tried to participate done nan backmost doorway of Smith's house. Reeves and Smith tried to support him out.

Josh Easton: There was immoderate benignant of altercation aliases struggle …And that's erstwhile nan solid was broken.

Crime segment interrogator Josh Easton told nan assemblage what he'd observed wrong nan kitchen.

Josh Easton: The refrigerator was pulled distant from nan wall from wherever it appeared it usually was.

Prosecutors judge Reeves was trying to usage nan refrigerator to artifact nan door. And based connected wherever Smith was changeable successful his head, they deliberation he was crouching down to thief Reeves.

Andrew Affrunti: I deliberation that … while Chris was crouched down trying to clasp nan doorway shut, uh, Bobby changeable done nan doorway and struck Chris.

With Smith incapacitated, Affrunti says Reeves hid successful nan surviving room. Tarr tracked her down, changeable and killed her.

Andrew Affrunti: I powerfully judge that … he walked successful and executed her.

Defense lawyer Dan Fultz disputes each of that.

Dan Fultz: There is simply nary grounds … that that's what happened. There's nary grounds that Leslie pushed nan refrigerator. There's nary fingerprints and humor … connected nan refrigerator of Leslie's.

Fultz says grounds of a conflict successful nan room tells a different story.

Dan Fultz: The magnitude of humor successful that room was astonishing.

Erin Moriarty: From looking astatine that crime scene, do you judge that Christopher Smith had to conflict his -- his assailant … successful nan kitchen?

Dan Fultz: It would look to maine that location was … immoderate important struggle successful that room betwixt him and personification else.

And he says nan assailant could not person been Tarr because he would person been covered successful blood.

Dan Fultz: They did not place a azygous portion of DNA successful his car, they didn't place a bloody fingerprint, they did not place thing tying him to that crime scene.

But prosecutors based on nan location wasn't bloody erstwhile Tarr left. They said Chris bled heavy successful nan 12 hours it took for thief to arrive. And while nan prosecution did not person a batch of forensic grounds linking Tarr to nan crime scene, Affrunti says his telephone activity, his lies to investigators, and nan grounds recovered connected nan Hellcat each beryllium his guilt.

Andrew Affrunti: When you put each of that together, that's erstwhile you get nan clear image of what happened.

When it was nan defense's turn, Tarr says he wanted to show his communicative to nan jury. But he chose not to testify.

Erin Moriarty: Why didn't you conscionable determine you were gonna talk to nan assemblage and show this story, if successful truth you person a communicative to tell?

Bobby Tarr: I should have, I very good should have.

Dan Fultz: We made a strategical determination … because it whitethorn person opened nan doorway for a full batch of different much damaging grounds to beryllium used, to transverse analyse him.

The defense didn't put connected immoderate witnesses and counted connected nan assemblage to find reasonable uncertainty successful nan deficiency of beingness evidence. After 3 hours, nan assemblage recovered Bobby Tarr blameworthy of first-degree execution and attempted murder.

Two months later, Tarr was backmost successful tribunal for sentencing, and this time, truthful was Smith -- to show nan judge really nan shooting impacted him and his family. Cameras were not allowed successful nan courtroom.

Chris Smith (after sentencing) Lost my house, mislaid my motortruck … I mean, I've virtually mislaid my life without being killed.

While Smith was successful a coma, he says looters descended connected his location and stole his guitar and amps, moreover his supra crushed pool. Later, his location was sold astatine auction and past razed. All that's near is an quiet lot.

Tarr besides said astatine his sentencing and denied shooting Reeves and Smith. The judge sentenced him to 85 years.

Leslie Reeves' friends are focused connected keeping her representation alive.

Amy Steinhauer: I dream nan remainder of his clip connected this world is hell.

Howard Bolton: She was a ray of a batch of people's lives. … She was ever smiling. She was a very bully mother, lived for her kids … And was an advocator and champion of women -- women's authorities and particularly women that were abused.

Nanette Stuiber: If it tin hap to her, it could hap to anyone. So we each request to beryllium careful.

Smith says he ne'er expected he'd beryllium a unfortunate of home unit and cautions different men to return a difficult look astatine their behavior.

Chris Smith: If guys you consciousness for illustration that, if you wanna wounded a woman, get help.

While Smith mourns his aged life, he is penning a book astir his experiences, and says he's moving to make what he calls mediocre man's margaritas retired of nan lemons and limes he's been handed.

Chris Smith: I've sewage a do-over. Good Lord gimme a do-over. Not galore group get a 2nd chance successful life.

Smith has recovered emotion pinch Michelle Albrecht.

Chris Smith: She's an angel. … Loving maine and accepting maine nan measurement that I am.

He projected to her connected stage.

Erin Moriarty: What's nan astir important instruction retired of each of this?

Chris Smith: Don't ever springiness up connected thing ever, ever… No matter really bad things are. Don't ever springiness up.

Leslie Reeves' 2 children are being raised by their father.

Bobby Tarr is still awaiting proceedings connected inducement of execution charges.

If you aliases personification you cognize is simply a unfortunate of home violence, interaction nan National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 1-800-799-7233.

Produced by Paul La Rosa and Dena Goldstein Marc Goldbaum is nan improvement producer. Grayce Arlotta-Berner and Marcus Balsam are nan editors. Peter Schweitzer is nan elder producer. Nancy Kramer is nan executive communicative editor. Judy Tygard is nan executive producer.