TROY, Ill. (KMOX) - A Metro East woman known as a champion for victims of domestic violence was allegedly "executed" by her ex-boyfriend while she was on a date with another man.
Authorities say Leslie J. Reeves, 45, of Troy, Illinois, was shot in the head and killed by Robert J. Tarr, 48, while she was on a date, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Montgomery County state’s attorney Andrew Affrunti believes she was "executed" by Tarr.
She was found dead on Thanksgiving day inside the home of, Christopher J. Smith, 48, who survived a gunshot wound to the head and was listed in critical condition. They were found around 12:40 p.m. on Thursday inside the home in Farmersville, Illinois. Police say they were found after a wellness check was requested by friends and family were unable to reach either Reeves or Smith.
Reeves was known as a businesswoman who opened All You Studio & Party Place in Troy which offered yoga classes, fitness training, chair dancing and self-defense training. Executive Director of the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce, Dawn Mushill, says Reeves was "powerful, lovable, strong (inside and out), gracious, vulnerable and funny."
"Many people were not aware of all that Leslie did, and, for a good reason. Confidentiality often meant life or death for her clients," Mushill says. "She would move her classes to different locations so that only those who were invited knew where the class was for that event."
Reeves has two middle-school-aged children and St. John Neumann Catholic School set up an online funding page as a tuition fund for her kids.
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Investigators are still working to piece together what happened at Smith's home. But witnesses say Tarr showed up at home looking disheveled and upset sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. He told police he didn't know where the home was, but the prosecuting attorney says texts prove otherwise.
Smith was unable to call for help due to the severity of his gunshot wound and was rushed to a hospital in Springfield, Illinois after being found. Reeves was pronounced dead at the scene.
She didn't have a restraining order against Tarr, but did apply for another man she accused of stalking her in 2019, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Tarr made his first court appearance on Tuesday and is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. His bail was set a $3 million.
His attorney described Tarr as someone who “looks to be a very law-abiding citizen.” He works construction and was put on probation in 1992 for a burglary in Madison County, Illinois, the Post-Dispatch reports.
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