The Partlow man who shot his 13-year-old daughter in the back of the head on the family's front porch last year, will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Earl Wayne "Butch" Reynolds, 45, testified during his sentencing hearing yesterday that he doesn't remember the argument leading up to his daughter's death or the moment when he fatally shot Kayla Reynolds.
"I don't remember any of that. That's what hurts so bad. I wouldn't do that," Earl Reynolds said through tears.
At points during yesterday's hearing in Spotsylvania Circuit Court, those speaking had to pause because Reynolds was sobbing uncontrollably.
Judge David H. Beck gave Reynolds a life sentence on the first-degree murder conviction, as well as three years on a firearms conviction and 20 years with 10 suspended on a conviction of malicious wounding for shooting his stepdaughter, Amber Barnett, in the neck.
"The court does not find you to be a demon," Beck said just before announcing the sentence, acknowledging Reynolds' sincerity in apologizing for his crimes. "But what you did was demonic and horrific."
Reynolds was charged last Aug. 21 after Kayla was shot in the back of the head on the porch of the mobile home where the family lived.
Barnett was shot just before Kayla and testified yesterday that after the bullet hit her in the early hours of the morning, she dropped to the porch and played dead.
Just after she was hit, she said, she heard Kayla's last three words: "No Daddy, no."
Then she heard a gunshot and Kayla fell to the ground as Reynolds ran from the yard, she said.
Barnett testified that she and Kayla had been arguing with their father about his drug and alcohol abuse and that angered him.
Reynolds said yesterday that he had been drinking all day until around 10 or 11 p.m. Aug. 20, when Barnett said the argument began.
He said he doesn't remember any of the fight or shooting the two girls at about 1 a.m.
He turned himself in to the police soon after they responded to the home that morning, Spotsylvania Detective Twyla DeMoranville testified yesterday.
She said Kayla died instantly from the single shot to her head.
DeMoranville told the court that she went to Kayla's autopsy, where she observed a girl who had apparent bad hygiene and scars from self-mutilation.
Those things, along with the poor living conditions and lack of personal belongings, were pointed to by Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney John Bowers as proof that Reynolds was a father who was not providing adequate care for his teenage daughter.
Reynolds instead spent his money on drugs and alcohol, Bowers said.
Reynolds' defense attorney, Mark Gardner, asked Beck for leniency though.
Gardner said, "He is not a horrible human being. He can be salvaged."
He said Reynolds was deeply remorseful for his actions and loved his daughter.
"Kayla in particular was the one thing left in his life," Gardner said of Reynolds' struggle with money, drugs and alcohol.
Bowers though, asked Beck not to accept Reynolds' abuse of drugs and alcohol as an excuse for his actions.
"This is just about as horrible an act as a man, as a father can do," he said.
Reynolds apologized to Barnett as he ended his testimony yesterday about his life's struggles and his disbelief in what he had done.
"I have to live with this, too, Amber. Don't a minute go by that I don't. It doesn't matter about me anymore," he said looking at his stepdaughter. "I'm sorry, and you know in your heart I do love you."
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Email: ebiltz@freelancestar.com