Plea deal reached in West End killing

Published 10:41 am Thursday, October 13, 2011

A man accused in a late-night West End killing was given one year in prison after a plea agreement.

Terry Parker’s legal representation reached an agreement with District Attorney Randall Houston’s office on Sept. 28, weeks before the case involving the death of Keino Reed was scheduled for trial.

Parker will serve time for criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors originally sought conviction of manslaughter, which would have carried a stiffer penalty.

Deputy District Attorney C.J. Robinson said he thought the agreement was fair.

“We felt it was appropriate in view of the evidence and the testimony that would have been offered by witnesses present at the time the crime occurred,” Robinson said.

Clanton Police Chief Brian Stilwell told The Clanton Advertiser in August 2010 that investigators determined Parker and Reed were in an altercation about 3:30 a.m. near the intersection of Liberty Street and First Avenue.

After punches were thrown, Parker came back and struck Reed with a chair, Stilwell said. Reed fell to the ground, hitting his head on the sidewalk.

“There was some uncertainty about whether witnesses on the scene moved the body before authorities got there,” Robinson said. “It kind of makes it difficult to prosecute the case if you’ve got a question of evidence being tampered with.”

Parker was to be tried in U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama, under Judge Mark Fuller.