48 Hours - Mystery on Twin Peaks Drive

Episode Date: December 14, 2023

On December 16, 1998, Ronda Reynolds' husband found her lifeless body with a gunshot wound to the head in her home on Twin Peaks Drive in Toledo, Washington. The death was quickly ruled a suicide. Refusing to accept the findings, Ronda’s mother, Barb Thompson, launched her own investigation. She enlisted the help of world-famous true crime writer Ann Rule, who eventually wrote the bestseller “In the Still of the Night”, about the case. Their investigation led Washington State authorities to revisit the case. “48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 12/22/2012. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. For the last 13 years, I've been looking for the truth to what happened to my daughter. It gets easier. Hey, sweetie. Time heals.

Way to go, girl. But it never goes away. We have pictures of her still in diapers sitting right in front of me on a horse and her holding the reins with a big grin on her face. She just always believed one person could make a difference. Tough. This gal was so tough. Rhonda was the youngest female trooper ever hired in the state of Washington. Rhonda was a beautiful lady. I loved her a lot. With Ron Reynolds, she had found

the love of her life. But she had a lot of things going on under the surface, so she would go into kind of a depressive state. There were some days where I saw her where she had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. December 16th, 1998, my life was changed. It's forever changed with one fleeting moment, one gunshot. Forever changed. I pushed the door open enough to get my arm in,

and at that point I found her, and it was just the biggest shock of my life. I saw that she had shot herself in the head. I saw that she had shot herself in the head. The official ruling of the coroner was suicide. I had so many questions that had remained unanswered. The first time I heard about Rhonda Reynolds' death, I felt a tingling at the back of my neck. Something wasn't right. My name is Ann Rule.

I've written over 30 true crime books. As I have often written, there is indeed such a thing as the perfect murder. She never saw danger coming. I believe beyond any reasonable doubt that someone in that house killed my daughter. I loved her right up to the end. I won't stop until I know the truth. I'm Peter Van Sant.

Tonight on 48 Hours, Mystery on Twin Peaks Drive. It was 1989 in Titusville, Florida. Kim Halleck said she and her ex-boyfriend Chip Flynn were kidnapped and attacked at gunpoint. Kim fled the scene, but Chip didn't make it out alive. Did you kill Chip Quinn? No, ma'am. Crosley Green has lived more than half his life behind bars for a crime he says he didn't commit. I'm Erin Moriarty of 48 Hours, and of all the cases I've covered, this is the one that troubles me most, involving an eyewitness account that doesn't quite make sense.

A sister testified against a brother. They always say lies. You can't remember lies. A lack of physical evidence and questions about whether Crosley Green was accused, arrested, and convicted because he's black. Just because a white female says a black man has committed a crime, we take that as gospel. Listen to Murder in the Orange Grove, the Trouble Case Against Crosley Green, early and ad-free with a 48-hours-plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. As a kid growing up in Chicago,

there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. The scary cult classic was set in the Chicago housing project. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. Candyman. Candyman? Now, we all know chanting a name

won't make a killer magically appear, but did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. We're going to talk to the people who were there, and we're also going to uncover the larger story. My architect was shocked when he saw how this was created.

Literally shocked. And we'll look at what the story tells us about injustice in America. If you really believed in tough on crime, then you wouldn't make it easy to crawl into medicine cabinets and kill our women. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, wherever you get your podcasts. Easy. Easy. Easy.

Barb Thompson has lived on this farm in Spokane, Washington, breeding horses for more than 30 years. She was just 19 when Rhonda was born. Barb's husband left three years later, leaving the newly single mom with an energetic little girl to raise. We got her a pony. She was just hell on wheels. Then she went to the bigger horses and jumping. It's a place where Barb draws strength. But one she's had to leave over and over as she tries to unravel the mystery of her daughter's death. December 16, 1998, Toledo, Washington.

Rhonda Reynolds, then 33 years old, was discovered in her home on Twin Peaks Drive, dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was ruled a suicide, but one person wasn't buying it. It was suicide from the beginning. They already had it labeled. But there's something inside of you that says something's wrong. I was going to find the truth, whatever that truth was.

On this particular day in October 2011, Barb is stopping in Seattle to pick up an old friend. Here we go again. You're going to drive? Best-selling true crime writer Ann Rule. They're an unlikely duo who never would have met had it not been for Rhonda's troubling death. I remember hearing on the radio that December in 1998, and it just hit me wrong then. I thought, uh-uh, this isn't quite right. And then Barb called me in the first year. Just called you out of the blue? Oh, yeah, yeah.

Barb convinced the world-famous author to join her in investigating Rhonda's death. Yeah, I feel like an attorney. It took 10 years of intense legal wrangling. like an attorney. It took 10 years of intense legal wrangling. But finally, in 2011, a coroner's inquest was launched. Madam clerk, would you please call the next witness? To decide once and for all if Rhonda's death

was a suicide or a homicide. or a homicide. Barb says the daughter she raised could never have taken her own life. I know my child. I know her zest for life. Rhonda's zest for life would end up leading her down an unusual path. She must have been four or five years old when I realized that her one dream in life was law enforcement. Rhonda was just 22 when she achieved her dream, becoming a state patrol trooper.

when she achieved her dream, becoming a State Patrol Trooper. Just a year after joining, Rhonda married ex-Marine and fellow Trooper, Mark Liberdi. Mark was a single parent with three children, and she fell in love with these three children. But in 1994, Rhonda Reynolds' life suddenly began to unravel. Injured on the job, Rhonda was accused of taking both disability and her regular pay. Rhonda claimed it was all an innocent mistake. But sadly it left a black mark on her name.

She eventually resigned her dream job. During this time, her marriage was going downhill with Mark Liberty. Rhonda and Mark sought counseling through their Jehovah's Witness church, where the elder was none other than Ron Reynolds. And is it true you were a marriage counselor to them at one point? That's true. Ron and his own wife, Catherine, were splitting up. And in the most unlikely of twists, counselor and counselee started their own romance.

Rhonda just called me up one day telling me that she really liked me and she wanted to see me, and so from then on we started a relationship. You fell in love with her? Mm-hmm, absolutely. And in January 1998, just five weeks after her divorce from Mark was finalized, Rhonda and Ron were married. With her new husband came five stepsons. Two of Ron's boys were full-blown teenagers, including 16-year-old Jonathan.

I mean, it was a new mom in our house and everything, and there wasn't a lot of lovey-dovey stuff going on, but she was really friendly with us. The family settled into a new home with spectacular views of the Twin Peaks, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens. Ron was principal of the local elementary school. St. Helens. Ron was principal of the local elementary school. But just months after marrying, the relationship started to strain. She was running up a credit card bill over $20,000, probably around $25,000. She'd used your credit card without your knowledge. She took out the credit cards in my name without my knowledge.

So it was actually a case of forgery. Feeling betrayed, Rhonda demanded a divorce. But Rhonda told her mom an entirely different story. Six or seven months into the new marriage that he was back seeing and having an affair with his ex-wife. Is that true? Along about November, I did see Catherine a couple times.

By mid-December 1998, after just 11 months of marriage, Ron and Rhonda were through. after just 11 months of marriage, Ron and Rhonda were through. Rhonda packed up her belongings and made plans to fly home to Spokane. Let's go. What were her last words to you? I love you. See you tomorrow. But the next day, instead of a visit from her daughter, Barb received a chilling message to call the Lewis County Coroner's Office.

She said, I need to inform you that your daughter has committed suicide. So sadly, you put yourself in a mode of what you have to do. Stunned by the news, Barb raced to Ron's house in Toledo. He started out telling me that Ronda was a very sadistic, cruel person. Was he devastated by Ronda's death? No, no. He's not showing any remorse to you? Are there any tears? No.

And then, out of the bedroom, walked Ron's ex-wife in a bathrobe. She spent the night with Rhonda's husband in Rhonda's bed 12 feet away from where her body laid. You'd been told it was a suicide. What do you think to yourself at that moment? At that point, I knew he had killed my child. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark,

host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island.

It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reached the age of 10 that was still a virgin. It just happens to all of them. I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years, I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn.

When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Starting almost from the moment she learned of her daughter's death,

Barb Thompson set out on a mission. I had to become my own detective. I had to meet with attorneys, to meet with members of the sheriff's department, looking for anything and everything to force them to reopen Rhonda's case. And helping her is Ann Rule, who has written a best-selling book about Rhonda's case. And helping her is Anne Rule, who has written a best-selling book about Rhonda's case. Today, they're arriving together at the site of the inquest, Chehalis, Washington.

We were like a slightly older Cagney and Lacey. CSI Chehalis, right? Yeah, yeah, CSI Chehalis, yep. Was this suicide or homicide? It was homicide. Absolutely homicide. Given Ron's troubled marriage to Rhonda and the cheating he admits to with his ex-wife...

This is the pistol and the holster that Rhonda killed herself with. I think it's a.32 caliber. Both Ann and Barb believe Ron Reynolds and his son Jonathan are hiding something. Did you murder your wife, Rhonda Reynolds? Absolutely not. Did you put a gun to her head while she was sleeping,

pull the trigger? Absolutely not. There's no evidence for these wild accusations. I want people to know that we're innocent, and we've been hurt by a suicide in our family. Ron says that on the morning Ronda was due to move out for good, he awakened in their bed alone. I saw she wasn't there beside me.

He searched the house, making his way to a walk-in closet off the master bathroom. And I found her, and it was just the biggest shock of my life. What did you see? Well, I picked the pillow up and looked, and I saw that she had shot herself in the head. Ron Reynolds had called 911 that morning and advised them that his wife had committed suicide. Detective Jerry Berry of the Lewis County Sheriff's Department was one of the first to see the unusual death scene. She was lying on her left side with her hands kind of pulled up like this in what appeared to be a natural sleeping position. It was what I call a semi-fetal position. Her legs,

her knees were pulled up slightly, and she was covered with an electric blanket. It appeared that at some point during the night, Rhonda had gone off to sleep in the closet, something she would do, her mother says, when she was upset. I noticed that the bed appeared to have been slept in only on one side. And I went into the bathroom, and then right to the right there was a large mirror, and I observed a message written in lipstick that said, I love you, please call me. That doesn't sound like a note that would be left by someone who's about to blow their brains out.

That's absolutely not a suicide note at all. But Ron Reynolds says Rhonda was depressed that night. He told me that he stayed awake and he tried to keep her awake so she wouldn't commit suicide. Exhausted, Ron told Detective Berry he fell asleep around 5 in the morning and never heard a gunshot. Ron, you know a lot of people simply do not believe you, that you didn't hear that gunshot. Well, I'm not sure even what time I went to sleep,

but I know I'd had a very long, trying day, and when I went to sleep, I probably slept hard. Detective Berry noticed that the gun was positioned near Rhonda's left hand. On a hunch, he had a deputy ask Ron if Rhonda was right or left-handed. He came back and he said he got really nervous when I asked him that question and he said he didn't know. In fact, Rhonda was right-handed. I never had noticed for sure.

You understand that's really odd. Yeah, I understand that's odd. But to tell you the truth, I was afraid to say the wrong thing. I was being made to feel like I was a big suspect. Jonathan Reynolds was 17 years old when Rhonda died. Barb says the two had a stormy relationship. Rhonda caught Jonathan coming into the bathroom while she was showering, pulling open the curtain to look at her naked in the shower.

About the third time he did that, she just came out of the shower naked, took him down and took him in front of his father and said, this has got to stop. Jonathan was extremely angry and threatening and threatened to kill her at that point. Yeah, that's lies. All of it. The shower incident never happened? The shower incident never, never happened. It's ridiculous. Jonathan and his two younger brothers lived with Ron and Rhonda.

They all say they learned of Rhonda's death when they woke up that morning. Police sent all three to their mother's house a short time later without questioning them. How would you describe the investigation done after Rhonda Reynolds' body was discovered? Probably the worst crime scene investigation I know about, that, you know, I really looked into. It was terrible, quite frankly. Detective Sergeant Glade Austin was Jerry Berry's boss at the time, and surprisingly agrees with Ann Rule's assessment. There was no video taken of this. The next step would normally be to do a full diagram.

That wasn't done. Even worse, one of the first policemen on the scene made an enormous mistake, moving the gun before any photos were taken. mistake, moving the gun before any photos were taken. Still, Barry says that doesn't change what he observed. It was most likely a staged crime scene. That is, it had been murder.

It had been made to look like a suicide by someone. As for Ron Reynolds... Throughout the investigation, I never saw him display any emotions. I attended the funeral service. As for Ron Reynolds... Throughout the investigation, I never saw him display any emotions. I attended the funeral service he sat with his ex-wife at the funeral service. No emotions, none whatsoever. A divide was now growing between Barry, who believed it was a murder, and his boss, Glade Austin, who says Reynolds' demeanor wasn't strange at all. I picture that he might not have been as emotionally involved in that relationship at that point to show a lot of reaction.

In spite of the mistakes made during the investigation, Austin says the final decision to close the case as a suicide was correct. I can only tell you what my instincts, my training, and my years of experience tell me. Now, the mystery of Rhonda's death is finally going before a jury. Barb called me and said, there's going to be a coroner's inquest,

and she was so excited, and I was excited. And Barb's questions will be answered once and for all. Ladies and gentlemen on the jury, you have been summoned here to inquire into the death of Ronald Reynolds. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing the best idea yet. A brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk takers who brought them to life.

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The purpose of any hearing, fact finding orinding, or investigation is one thing, and that is the truth. In the 13 long years since her daughter's death, Barb Thompson had dedicated her life for this day. What are your hopes as this is about to begin? That the jury gets to hear the evidence that's out there. They get to hear everything and the truth, and they come to an honest verdict. The standard of beyond a reasonable doubt that is required in criminal courts

does not apply here in this inquest. Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod presides over an inquest to determine, if possible, whether Rhonda Reynolds' death was suicide or homicide. There may be testimony that would be considered hearsay in a criminal proceeding, but will be allowed on a limited basis in this inquest. A coroner's inquest is not a trial. There's no judge, no attorneys.

The coroner presents evidence and questions the witnesses. A five-person jury then decides the manner of death, and if it's homicide, they can name who's responsible. An arrest warrant is then issued. You will hear from an array of expert witnesses that examined evidence collected from the scene. But there are some key witnesses the jury won't be hearing from. Ron and his three youngest sons have refused to testify. A person has a right to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights

without having the jury see that as a sign of guilt. We talked considerably about what her plans would be and how she felt. Barb testifies that on December 15, 1998, the final day of her daughter's life, she spoke with Rhonda just hours after Ron Reynolds had declared that their marriage was over. She was upbeat.

She was ready to go on with her life. Did she at all mention to you that she was suicidal? No. But Ron's mother, Laura, disagrees, testifying that Rhonda was despondent. She called me three times that day. What did she tell you when she talked to you? She just told me she could not go on living without him.

Raise your right hand, please. Testimony about Rhonda's state of mind goes back and forth. Police officer and friend Dave Bell says she did not appear depressed that night when he helped pack up her things, but he recalls Rhonda did do one thing that was unusual. Rhonda handed me a holstered blue steel revolver and said here take this. When Bell asked why, Rhonda didn't answer. What did you do with the weapon then? I removed it from the holster,

removed the ammunition that was in the cylinder, and asked her where she wanted me to put it. She indicated she wanted it put in a drawer. I placed it in a drawer by the bed. Those who believe a homicide took place in the home that night, look at that passing of the gun to Dave Bell as Rhonda fearing that that gun might be used against her. In my mind, I think she might have been fearing

she was going to use it on herself. On that fatal night, Ron insists he spent hours with Rhonda trying to calm her. She was emotional and depressed. She was saying she didn't want to break up the marriage. Ron did more than console his wife on the night they'd agreed to break up. Autopsy testimony revealed they made love. Was that at her urging? Was this desperation sex?

It was probably just, you know, I don't know, desperation's not the right word. Maybe saying goodbye sex. I don't know. Shortly after midnight, Rhonda made one last phone call to her friend, Dave Bell. I asked her if everything was okay down there where she was, and she says, yeah, she'd gotten some things resolved and was going to get some sleep and was fairly happy with what

was going on. Investigators admit they will never know who fired this gun. Neither Ron nor Jonathan was ever given a gunshot residue test. Was there gunshot residue on Rhonda's hand? There was. But there was not enough for the test to be conclusive. I received a.32 caliber S&W long handgun. What's more, fingerprint expert Jill Arwine testifies she found no prints on the gun.

But that doesn't necessarily mean the gun was wiped clean. It's common to touch something and not leave a print. While no photos were taken at the crime scene before the gun was moved, Detective Dave Neeser was among the first on the scene, and his recollection is clear. Plainly visible, there was a gun resting on her right temple. But that would be impossible, says firearms expert Marty Hayes, if Rhonda shot herself. Hayes demonstrates for the jury that the recoil from the shot would have made the gun land away from Rhonda's head. It basically recoiled away from the head like this, and it didn't recoil forward.

And that's not all. There, that's about how the shot was fired, about like that. how the shot was fired, about like that. Hayes believes that given the trajectory of the bullet, it would have been very difficult for Rhonda to have held the gun herself. Okay, this is very awkward, okay, but this is the only possible way that a person could shoot themselves with a right hand.

His conclusion? This wound is much more consistent with someone committing a murder than it is someone committing suicide. The inquest also focuses on Ron Reynolds' behavior after Rhonda's death. I asked him if I could take her body back to Spokane, if I could have her cremated,

and he said he didn't care as long as he didn't have to pay for it. I never said that and I did pay for it. But a friend of Rhonda's, Lori Hull, turns the inquest's attention to a different suspect. My opinion would have been Jonathan. He wasn't a very nice kid and threatened to stab her. Barb says Rhonda told her about another problem with Jonathan. She had told me she knew that Jonathan had a problem

with controlled substances. Ann Ruhle believes the incident when Rhonda caught Jonathan spying on her in the shower truly happened, humiliating him and giving him a motive. She told girlfriends that he'd threatened to kill her. She told her mother he'd threatened to kill her. And you don't have any doubt that he did that? No.

And if today he says he never did? I don't believe him. Did you walk into that closet with a gun in your hand, with your father's gun? No. Shoot her in the side of the head? That is, no. I did not.

We are inquiring into the death of Rhonda Reynolds. The jury hears from Ron's ex-wife, Catherine Hudala, who admitted she did more than just comfort her sons after Rhonda was discovered dead. And when you were in the house, where did you sleep? Which room? In Ron's room. Okay.

With Ron? Yeah. Okay. The night that Rhonda is over at the morgue, you're in bed with your ex-wife? No. is over at the morgue, you're in bed with your ex-wife? No. Your ex-wife did say to authorities that she had slept in the same bed with you that night.

She didn't sleep in the same bed with me that night, I don't think. If she did, there wasn't anything going on. I don't think she did, but maybe she remembers it different. In all, more than 40 witnesses take the stand. The jury would take 11 hours... All rise. ...before announcing its dramatic decision.

We, the jury, find that the manner of death of the subject of this inquest was homicide. After 13 long years, Barb Thompson had her victory. Oh, my. Good for you. But even more drama is about to unfold. Somebody out there is responsible for my daughter's death. At some point, they will be held accountable. You are now asked to see if you can determine who is responsible for the death.

If this jury names somebody, an arrest warrant will be issued by the coroner. That's my understanding. my understanding. Okay, I've got... What would you tell Rhonda about your fight for the last 13 years? I hope you're proud of me. We did it.

Barb Thompson now waits to see if the jurors take the next critical step and name who is responsible for her daughter's murder. In less than an hour, a stunning announcement. We, the jury, have determined that the decedent died at the hand of the following person or persons. Ronald A. Reynolds, Jonathan A. Reynolds. The jury's decision was representative of the citizens. They expect me to follow through with their decision.

Coroner Warren McLeod issues an arrest warrant for Ron and Jonathan Reynolds. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. It's overwhelming. But Barb's joy is short-lived when Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer holds a sudden news conference. He announces he will not prosecute the Reynolds men. My decision is to not charge either Ron or Jonathan Reynolds with murder at this time. Why?

is to not charge either Ron or Jonathan Reynolds with murder at this time. Why? Because most of the evidence was destroyed after Rhonda's death was first ruled a suicide. And some investigators who'd be called to testify still believe Rhonda killed herself. But the coroner issues the arrest warrants anyway. Please rise.

Within hours, father and son turn themselves in and are brought before a judge. Is Ronald A. Reynolds your correct name? Yes, sir. All right. Is Jonathan A. Reynolds your correct name? Yes. What was that like to be brought into that courthouse to walk in front of the television cameras? It was the most demeaning thing I've ever, ever experienced.

The whole thing was unreal to me. The prosecutor then makes good on his promise. Your Honor, at this time we are asking the court to sign orders directing the release of Jonathan Reynolds and Ronald Reynolds. Neither Ron or Jonathan will be prosecuted. So then my question is, why did they put us through that? Barb Thompson, in my estimation, has made a Jerry Springer show out of this whole thing.

I'm going to order that both of the Reynolds be released. In less than three minutes, an investigation and inquest, which spanned 13 years, is over. The Reynolds men are released. As quickly as they came in, they left and were free to go. Does that trouble you? No, because they'll never forget that brief moment and neither will I. Barbara Thompson is a disturbed lady, that's all I can say. She doesn't know me. She doesn't know my boys. She doesn't know our motivations,

what kind of people we are. There's no way that any of us could ever do anything like we're accused of. The case remains an open investigation. But to Barb and Ann Rule, it's clear who's responsible. Who do you think pulled the trigger? Jonathan. Are you a killer, Jonathan?

Absolutely not. It's ridiculous that that is even being said. And why would Jonathan kill Rhonda when she was about to walk out of his life forever? Jonathan has very deep hatred for Rhonda. Barb and Ann Rule think they have the answer. So this was a drug-fueled... I think it was a drug-fueled...

I think it was spur-of-the-moment. It was stupid. It was cruel. But I think that's what happened. Barb says her daughter told her that Jonathan was using drugs at the time. At that point, his drug of choice was meth. Crystal meth? Crystal meth. A highly addictive drug known to fuel irrational behavior. It's been suggested in the news media that you were a drug user at the time,

that you were a crystal meth user. Is that true? I wasn't at the time. I did do some after. Jonathan admits he did turn to drugs, but only because of Rhonda's suicide. All this stuff happened and I kind of lost my head and I went down a bad road. The Reynolds family is determined not to let Barb Thompson or Ann Rule have the last word in this story. They step from the shadows and hold a press conference. What's happened so far is in no way justice.

It is easier to reach a conclusion that Rhonda was murdered than it is to prove who killed her. To tell you the truth, I haven't read the book and I haven't read a lot of the trash in the newspapers because my psyche can't stand that. And I know the truth and I don't need to read all the lies. Why did you wait so long to speak up? 13 years. Well, from the very beginning, I started feeling like there were people trying to frame me for something I didn't do. And any information that did get out, it seemed like it was twisted. And so we were in a self-preservation mode.

And you felt silence was better than standing up in front of people and saying, I'm an innocent man, because there's always the notion that if you are innocent, you want to shout that from the mountaintop. But the problem with that is sometimes when a person shouts that too loud, it gives the impression that you're guilty too. Family, Father, we just thank you for this time to come together. In fact, Ron says his family is the real victim in Rhonda's death, fighting accusations in the media by Barb Thompson and in Ann Rule's book. They've done nothing but just try to hurt us

and try to put us into jail over something that we didn't do. Ron's sons and his fourth wife, Linda, are combating what they say is a smear campaign against them. Oldest brother, Cy. They raised some legitimate questions, are combating what they say is a smear campaign against them. Oldest brother, Cy. They raised some legitimate questions, but those questions turned into a crusade and a witch hunt that's all based on hearsay, rumors, and lies.

Lies that, by design, make my family out to be monsters. Josh is the youngest son. I would just like to try to clear our name because this has been really hard to deal with. It's been a tragedy. It reminds me of the good old days, spaghetti nights. While they try to get back to a new version of normal, it's clear this ordeal has taken a toll on the family.

After the inquest, Ron resigned from his job as elementary school principal in exchange for a buyout from the Toledo School District. Here I am, 60 years old, and now I'm unemployed, and with this over my head, I don't see how I can go back to my profession. Jonathan, then 30, and living with his girlfriend and her son, worried he'd become an outcast. I can't tell you how many times this has come up in the middle of the job interview, and then it's, oh, well, we'll give you a call.

Okay, sure. Ann Ruhle isn't swayed by the family's protests. She has released a new edition of her book that includes the inquest's findings. Based on your investigation and your belief, there's a killer out there right now. Yes. In my mind, with all my experience, there's no way that Rhonda Reynolds killed herself. So if she didn't kill herself, she wasn't struck down with a gun that dropped from heaven. Somebody shot her, and nobody's in jail for it. There is no clear ending to this story.

All that is left are shattered lives and the haunting realization that perhaps justice is beyond reach. We are here because Rhonda's mother cannot accept the fact that her daughter shot herself. Is there a possibility that maybe you didn't know your daughter as well as you did? Is there a possibility she went to some dark place that she couldn't get out of? There's always that possibility. Anything's possible. Is it probable? No. Barb is back tending to her horses.

It's been a long, painful journey. What do you want the world to know today about the death of Rhonda Reynolds? I want them to know that my daughter was murdered, but I also want them to know that our judicial system is only as good as we make it. We can make a difference. I grew up believing in law and order and that you're innocent until proven guilty. And I've learned that that's really not the case. You're guilty until proven innocent. There is one certainty after all of the confusion in this case. Rhonda Reynolds' death certificate now reads, Homicide.