Deadly First Date

Summary

48 Hours: "Deadly First Date" — Detailed Summary

Episode Title: Deadly First Date
Release Date: July 7, 2025
Host: Erin Moriarty, CBS News
Featured Correspondent: Bobby Tarr

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Deadly First Date," CBS News' award-winning correspondents delve into a tragic and complex case that underscores the volatile intersection of online dating and personal relationships. Host Erin Moriarty guides listeners through the harrowing events that unfolded during what was supposed to be a simple first date, leading to the untimely deaths of two individuals and the subsequent investigation that captivated a community.

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The Crime Unfolds

Date and Location:
The afternoon of Thanksgiving Day, 2021, in the small farming community of Farmersville, Illinois.

Victims:

• Leslie Reeves: A divorced mother of two, passionate about teaching Pilates and self-defense classes for women.
• Chris Smith: A 48-year-old divorced father, known for his community involvement and as the lead singer of a local rock band.

The Tragic Event:
Leslie Reeves met Chris Smith online and decided to meet him for a first date the night before Thanksgiving. On the evening of their meeting, the bar they frequented was crowded, and the two appeared to be enjoying each other's company. However, Leslie later expressed unease via text:

"I feel like something's a little bit off or something. I'm not sure what I meant."
— Leslie Reeves [00:48]

The following morning, Leslie never responded to further communications, prompting her friend Nanette Stiber to initiate a welfare check, leading to the discovery of Leslie's lifeless body and Chris being critically injured.

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Victims' Background and Community Impact

Chris Smith:
Described by friends and community members as a friendly and generous individual, Chris was beloved for his contributions, such as donating pumpkins for Halloween decorations and nurturing banana trees. His family was devastated by the attack:

"Chris is a stay-home person that literally would just work in his backyard."
— Chris's Sister, Ashley Holcomb [08:30]

Leslie Reeves:
Leslie was dedicated to empowering women through self-defense classes and had faced her own personal struggles, including concerns about a former boyfriend, Robert Tarr, also known as Bobby Tarr.

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The Investigation

Initial Response:
Nanette Stiber contacted the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office after Chris was found barely conscious. Crime scene investigator Josh Easton arrived at the scene, noting signs of a violent struggle:

"I noticed the side door of the house. The glass in the door has been broken out. The refrigerator was pulled away from the wall. The kitchen table was pushed. The chairs were knocked over."
— Josh Easton [06:49]

The absence of a weapon suggested a possible third party involvement. Bullet casings and other forensic evidence pointed towards a 9mm gun as the weapon used.

Identifying the Suspect:
Investigators quickly focused on Bobby Tarr, Leslie's former police boyfriend, after Leslie had previously expressed fears about him:

"I could be killed by him someday if I don't cut all contact."
— Leslie Reeves to Amy Steinhauer [10:35]

Authorities discovered Tarr's inconsistent alibis and deceptive behavior:

"You told the police you only left the house once. That wasn't true."
— Erin Moriarty [21:12]

Forensic evidence initially seemed to link Tarr to the crime, including his possession of a Glock pistol and the discovery of the murder weapon in his yard.

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The Arrest and Charges

Charges:
Bobby Tarr was indicted on two counts of solicitation of murder based on allegations that he had orchestrated the killings to silence Chris Smith, the sole eyewitness. The prosecution's case hinged on:

• Phone Activity:
  Tarr had searched for Chris Smith's contact information and attempted to mask his phone's location services.

• Inconsistent Statements:
  Tarr provided conflicting accounts of his whereabouts on the night of the crime, which were later contradicted by his daughter Shelby's testimony.

"I like the army green. My daughter knows about it."
— Bobby Tarr about the Glock pistol [16:56]

Despite the evidence, Tarr maintained his innocence, asserting that he was being framed and that Leslie Reeves had owned the murder weapon.

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The Trial

Prosecution's Argument:
Prosecutor Andrew Affroni presented a case built on the following points:

• Intent:
  Evidence suggested Tarr followed Leslie to Farmersville with the intent to harm both her and Chris Smith.

• Inconsistencies:
  Tarr's lies regarding his alibi and the absence of physical evidence directly linking him to the crime scene were emphasized.

• Surveillance and Forensics:
  Surveillance footage placed Tarr near the crime scene post-midnight, and forensic analysis found Leslie's DNA on the murder weapon.

Defense's Standpoint:
Tarr's attorney, Dan Fultz, countered by highlighting the lack of concrete evidence:

"There is simply no evidence that that's what happened. There's no evidence that Leslie pushed the refrigerator. There's no fingerprints and blood on the refrigerator of Leslie's."
— Dan Fultz [40:44]

Fultz argued that the physical evidence did not definitively place Tarr at the scene and pointed out that Leslie could not have carried Laurie his gun.

Key Testimonies:

• Aaron Bolton, Firearm Instructor:
  Verified that Leslie did not own or use the Hellcat pistol found at Tarr's residence.

• Chris Smith:
  While in a coma, Chris had no recollection of the events, limiting his ability to provide testimony.

Despite the defense's efforts to create reasonable doubt, the jury found Tarr guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder after three hours of deliberation.

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Sentencing and Aftermath

Sentencing:
In April 2024, Tarr was sentenced to 85 years in prison. During sentencing, Chris Smith and Leslie's friends shared the profound impact of the crime:

"She was a light of a lot of people's lives. She was always smiling. She was a very good mother, lived for her kids, and was an advocate and champion of women, especially women that were abused."
— Leslie Reeves' Friend [43:45]

Chris Smith's Recovery:
Chris battled immense physical and emotional trauma following the attack. Despite significant memory gaps, he has shown remarkable resilience, engaging in physical therapy and rebuilding his life:

"I've got to do over. Good Lord, give me a do over. Not many people get a second chance in life."
— Chris Smith [44:42]

He remains determined to move forward, finding love and striving to reconnect with his daughter, despite the challenges posed by his injuries.

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Conclusion

"Deadly First Date" serves as a poignant exploration of how quickly a promising new relationship can turn tragic. Through meticulous reporting and in-depth analysis, CBS News' "48 Hours" sheds light on the complexities of the case against Bobby Tarr, the loss endured by the victims' families, and the enduring spirit of survival exhibited by Chris Smith. This episode underscores the importance of thorough investigations and the pursuit of justice in the aftermath of senseless violence.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Leslie Reeves:
  "I feel like something's a little bit off or something. I'm not sure what I meant."
  [00:48]

• Josh Easton (Crime Scene Investigator):
  "I noticed the side door of the house. The glass in the door has been broken out. The refrigerator was pulled away from the wall. The kitchen table was pushed. The chairs were knocked over."
  [06:49]

• Bobby Tarr (Accused):
  "You told the police you only left the house once. That wasn't true."
  [21:12]

• Dan Fultz (Defense Attorney):
  "There is simply no evidence that that's what happened. There's no evidence that Leslie pushed the refrigerator. There's no fingerprints and blood on the refrigerator of Leslie's."
  [40:44]

• Leslie Reeves' Friend:
  "She was a light of a lot of people's lives. She was always smiling. She was a very good mother, lived for her kids, and was an advocate and champion of women, especially women that were abused."
  [43:45]

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the tragic events surrounding the "Deadly First Date" case, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of the circumstances, investigation, and legal proceedings that followed.

Transcript

[Erin Moriarty]

You know that one friend who somehow.

[Bobby Tarr]

Knows everything about money? Yeah.

[Erin Moriarty]

Now imagine they live in your phone.

[Bobby Tarr]

Say hey to Experian, your big financial friend. It's the app that helps you check your FICO score, find ways to save, and basically feel like a financial genius. And guess what?

[Erin Moriarty]

It's totally free.

[Bobby Tarr]

So go on, download the Experian app. Trust me, having a BFF like this is a total game changer.

[Erin Moriarty]

Sixteen years from today, Greg Gerstner will finally land the perfect cannonball. Epic splash.

[Bobby Tarr]

Unsuspecting friends.

[Erin Moriarty]

A work of art. Only possible because Greg is already meeting.

[Bobby Tarr]

All these same people at AARP volunteer.

[Erin Moriarty]

And community events that keep him active and involved and help make sure his happiness lives as long as he does. That's why the younger you are, the more you need AARP. Learn more at aarp.org local this wasn't just a crime scene, was it?

[Bobby Tarr]

No, it was not. This one was bad. Two innocent people that were on their first date had their lives destroyed. For what reason?

[Erin Moriarty]

How well did Leslie Reeves know Chris Smith?

[Bobby Tarr]

First date? Chris was in a band and a singer, and they had connected and he asked her out the night before Thanksgiving. They decided just to meet up, go to the bar. He lived 65 miles away in a really small farming community. The bar that night was very busy. The place was packed, wall to wall. Chris and Leslie were talking a lot, laughing, getting along with everyone around them. She texted me around 10 and she said everything's going okay. She did then text a second text that said, I feel like something's a little bit off or something. I'm not sure what she meant.

[Erin Moriarty]

Was that text the last time you heard from Leslie Reeves?

[Bobby Tarr]

Mm. Yes, it was.

[Erin Moriarty]

Did you try texting her in the morning?

[Bobby Tarr]

Mm.

[Erin Moriarty]

And did she respond?

[Bobby Tarr]

No. I just started driving towards Farmersville. Cause I had the address and called the police department in that area. Montgomery County Sheriff's office. This is Jeff. Hi. I'm greatly concerned about my friend. Can someone do a welfare check?

[Erin Moriarty]

What are you feeling at this point, Nana?

[Bobby Tarr]

A lot of anxiety because I don't know what I'm going to walk into going up there to this house. I pulled up in front of the.

[Erin Moriarty]

Address and then who came while you're sitting there?

[Bobby Tarr]

While I'm sitting there, who's this woman parked? I said, well, maybe I'll roll my window down and talk to her. I asked her if she was checking on Chris and she said she was checking on her friend. And that's when I went up to the door. I saw the back door Was broken. And then I saw Chris laying there. Then I ran back to my car and called 911. Nobody's answering the door. And the back window shattered. And there's a body, and there's a foot I saw on the floor. I'm only 16. I can't deal with this. I was in shock, I think. Sheriff's office. Jeff. Yeah. Give me some help. I got one alive and one dead. I just remember them bringing Chris out on the stretcher to the ambulance. I remember there being a sheet over him. So it made me panic a little bit. I got a call from our command center in Springfield.

[Erin Moriarty]

So you are the lead crime scene investigator?

[Bobby Tarr]

Yes.

[Erin Moriarty]

Were you really prepared for what you faced when you walked into that house?

[Bobby Tarr]

I was not. Why would somebody do this to him? Why would they try to hurt my baby? That's all I kept thinking. He's my baby. Someone hurt him. Going on a first date and they both end up getting shot is insane. Erin Moriarty reports fatal first date.

[Erin Moriarty]

Afternoon of Thanksgiving Day, 2021. Nanette Stiber sat in her car and watched anxiously as EMTs and Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies descended on a house in the tiny village of Farmersville, Illinois.

[Bobby Tarr]

I was quite upset and kind of going crazy in the car.

[Erin Moriarty]

Nanette had been unable to reach her good friend Leslie Reeves. Nanette knew Leslie had gone to that house the night before to go on a first date with Chris Smith, a man she had met online.

[Bobby Tarr]

She was very excited. She thought, oh, this. This might be a really good connection.

[Erin Moriarty]

But now Nanette was worried. She'd seen Chris get taken away in an ambulance, but there was no sign of Leslie.

[Bobby Tarr]

I kept hoping, you know, okay, bring Leslie out, please.

[Erin Moriarty]

Finally, a detective approached and asked Nanette for a photo of Leslie. She showed him her phone, and he gave her the horrible news.

[Bobby Tarr]

I'm so sorry to have to tell you this. Your friend has been murdered. You know, shot. He said he didn't tell me where, but he did say, I want you to know that she went very quickly.

[Erin Moriarty]

EMTs have found Chris barely conscious and unable to say anything about the shooting. They rushed him to the hospital, and deputies searched the house. Later that day, crime scene investigator Josh Easton of the Illinois State Police was called to the scene, and he began cataloging the mayhem inside. What do you see when you first approach the door?

[Bobby Tarr]

I noticed the side door of the house. The glass in the door has been broken out. The refrigerator was pulled away from the wall. The kitchen table was pushed. The chairs were knocked over.

[Erin Moriarty]

No weapon was found. Leading investigators to suspect that a third person was involved. Eason took note of every detail, including the burnt pizza in the oven.

[Bobby Tarr]

I assumed that maybe they were cooking a pizza for the night and the suspect shows up at the door. They both tried to fight him off. And when Chris was shot, Leslie went to the living room to try to hide.

[Erin Moriarty]

How many times was she shot?

[Bobby Tarr]

She was only shot one time.

[Erin Moriarty]

In the head.

[Bobby Tarr]

In the head.

[Erin Moriarty]

Leslie's body was in the living room while Chris had been found in the kitchen. Easton said of the 1,800 crime scenes he had been to, this was one of the most horrific.

[Bobby Tarr]

There was blood everywhere. The cabinets, the refrigerator, the countertop. There was blood from corner to corner.

[Erin Moriarty]

In the kitchen, Easton spotted two silver colored bullet casings from a 9 millimeter gun. One in the kitchen and the other near Leslie's body. As Easton processed the scene, detectives began learning about the victims. Chris smith was a 48 year old divorced father who worked for a pool contractor.

[Bobby Tarr]

Chris was a nice guy. He would hang out here frequently, was friends with most people in town. Everybody knew him.

[Erin Moriarty]

Bartender Deena Legrand says Chris was well known in town as the guy who grew banana trees and giant pumpkins.

[Bobby Tarr]

I remember one Halloween, he donated hundreds of pumpkins for decorations for any of the kids to paint. He gave back to his community.

[Erin Moriarty]

Did either one of you ever worry about Chris?

[Bobby Tarr]

No. No.

[Erin Moriarty]

Sharon Costanza is Chris's mother. Ashley Holcomb his sister.

[Bobby Tarr]

Chris is a stay home person that literally would just work in his backyard.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris lived with a dog named Tiki. And an EMT told the family that Tiki may have helped Chris make it through the night by huddling with him for the roughly 12 hours that Chris was bleeding before being rescued.

[Bobby Tarr]

I think Tiki protected Chris. I think she probably laid right next to him.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris's close knit family could not imagine anyone wanting to kill him.

[Bobby Tarr]

It was like, no way.

[Erin Moriarty]

How?

[Bobby Tarr]

Why? Like who? Yeah, who would have done that?

[Erin Moriarty]

Investigators had the same questions about Leslie and learned that she was a divorced mother of two children who lived in Troy, about an hour south of Farmersville. Although Leslie had a master's degree in engineering, she chose instead to teach Pilates and to promote self defense classes for women.

[Bobby Tarr]

Hi, I'm Leslie from All youl Studio.

[Erin Moriarty]

Leslie posted this video to her YouTube channel to advertise one of her classes.

[Bobby Tarr]

Empower yourself against aggression and assault as we teach you easy to learn self defense techniques. Power up.

[Erin Moriarty]

Leslie tried to help women in abusive relationships, but friends say she had her own troubles. Nanette told deputies. She was worried about a former boyfriend, a contractor by the name of Robert Tarr, known as Bobby.

[Bobby Tarr]

She said, I am going to completely block Bobby from email, texts, phone calls. I have to go. No contact.

[Erin Moriarty]

Later that evening, news of Leslie's murder began circulating and reached another close friend, Amy Steinhauer. She had met Tar, a divorced father of three, and did not have a good impression of him.

[Bobby Tarr]

But you never see someone and think that they can kill my friend.

[Erin Moriarty]

Amy called the sheriff's office that night to give them Tar's name. By then, detectives had already set out to find Bobby Tarr. While 85 miles to the north, surgeons were fighting to try to save the life of Chris Smith, a bullet still lodged in his brain.

[Bobby Tarr]

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[Erin Moriarty]

After learning that Chris had been shot in the head, his family rushed to the hospital in Springfield, Illinois, two hours from their home.

[Bobby Tarr]

I was on the phone to everyone I could think of because I just needed prayers from everybody.

[Erin Moriarty]

Doctors removed part of Chris skull and some bullet fragments in his brain before putting him in a medically induced coma. His family, struggling to piece together what had happened, learned that he had been out with a woman named Leslie Reeves. Had you ever heard the name Leslie Reeves before?

[Bobby Tarr]

No. I looked her up and then I tried to reach out to her friends. And then I found my best friend, Nanette.

[Erin Moriarty]

Nanette told them the same thing she had told investigators. She suspected Leslie's ex police boyfriend, Bobby Tarr. That night, sheriff's deputies went to Tarr's home in Collinsville, an hour south of the crime scene. Authorities say he never asked why? They wanted to talk to him. And he agreed to go to the police station without a lawyer.

[Bobby Tarr]

T a r R ker.

[Erin Moriarty]

Although her friend said the couple had broken up, Tarr told investigators that he and Leslie were still together.

[Bobby Tarr]

Do you and Leslie have a lot of problems? I wouldn't say no worse than any average couple.

[Erin Moriarty]

It was Leslie that detectives wanted to talk about.

[Bobby Tarr]

I want you to dig down deeper and be as honest with me as you can. Okay? Leslie is dead. What? Can you help me shed some light on this? How did she die? She was murdered. What happened? That's why we're here with you. You help me believe that you're not involved in this. I'm not involved in anything.

[Erin Moriarty]

Investigators asked Tar about Farmersville, the scene of the crime.

[Bobby Tarr]

You know where Farmersville is? Farmersville? No, I can't say that I do. Never been there. I've never heard of it.

[Erin Moriarty]

And they asked Tar where he had been the night before Thanksgiving.

[Bobby Tarr]

I went to a buddy of mine's house. He left and let me some money out of his shop and go pick it up.

[Erin Moriarty]

The friend lived a short distance from Tar's home when it looks like he came back.

[Bobby Tarr]

Yeah, it wasn't that long. Maybe 6:30ish, something like that.

[Erin Moriarty]

Investigators believe the shooting took place sometime early on Thanksgiving morning after 1am TAR said after he got back, he was home all night.

[Bobby Tarr]

You can talk to my daughter about me being home.

[Erin Moriarty]

That's exactly what they did. Detectives brought Tar's 17 year old daughter Shelby to a different room at the police station. And she told them that her father actually left home twice that night.

[Bobby Tarr]

So first time he left was roughly 6:30. Right. And then he came home about a half hour later and I said he had to go back. Right. And then it was 9:15ish when he got back home. Yeah.

[Erin Moriarty]

Shelby said he had been gone for more than two hours. And when he got home he was upset.

[Bobby Tarr]

He gets home, he was crying, he was sobbing. He said he missed wasn't.

[Erin Moriarty]

Shelby said she went to sleep around 9:30 and was awakened by her father around 2:45am he started laundry.

[Bobby Tarr]

He was pacing, walking around and he was like, I can't sleep.

[Erin Moriarty]

Detectives went back to TAR and told him Shelby's story did not match his. Tar then changed his story and said he had gone to his friend's house twice but still insisted he was home by 8. As TAR sat at the police station, detectives searched his house and found his phone and a Glock pistol. Shelby had told them her father had a different gun. But they didn't find it.

[Bobby Tarr]

It's little. It's like this big. I like a white cream, like the army green.

[Erin Moriarty]

Shelby told investigators she had seen it the day before Thanksgiving in her father's sock drawer.

[Bobby Tarr]

Yesterday morning, actually, I went to get soft and it was there. No, it's not there. Was there yesterday, gone today. Okay.

[Erin Moriarty]

Bobby Tarr sat at the police station overnight while authorities continued to investigate. They had already learned that his car had been captured by license plate reader cameras just after midnight the night of the shooting. The cameras were near a gas station, and investigators discovered that Tar had bought gas there just after midnight. Back at the police station, they confronted him with a gas station receipt.

[Bobby Tarr]

So you're liar. Cause I don't remember doing that. You don't remember being out after midnight when you have told us you are.

[Erin Moriarty]

100% positive the gas station is here in Troy?

[Bobby Tarr]

Yes.

[Erin Moriarty]

And the murder occurred here in Farmersville?

[Bobby Tarr]

Correct.

[Erin Moriarty]

The gas station was near Tar's home an hour from the crime scene. Andrew Affronte is the Montgomery County State's Attorney. He has dystonia, a condition that causes muscle tics and tremors. So why is it significant? Because. So he went out and got some gas.

[Bobby Tarr]

It was significant to us because why would he lie about it? So I got fuel. What does that prove?

[Erin Moriarty]

Investigators believed it was proof Tar was lying about his whereabouts that night. They placed him under arrest.

[Bobby Tarr]

You're under arrest for murder.

[Erin Moriarty]

Afronzi says they arrested Tar immediately because they feared Chris life was in danger and they hadn't found the murder weapon.

[Bobby Tarr]

If he was out of custody, could he take further steps to dispose of the evidence?

[Erin Moriarty]

Just one day after Leslie Reeves was killed and Chris Smith was left fighting for his life, investigators believe they had the man responsible in custody. I'm Erin Moriarty.

[Bobby Tarr]

Bobby Tarr.

[Erin Moriarty]

But in his only media interview, Bobby Tarr tells 48 Hours they got the wrong guy.

[Bobby Tarr]

There is so many things untold that will prove my innocence. On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast. Your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Now streaming. Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver.

[Erin Moriarty]

I'm Elspeth Tasioni.

[Bobby Tarr]

I work with the police. It's on the case.

[Erin Moriarty]

I like my outlandish things theories with.

[Bobby Tarr]

A heavy dose of evidence and ready to go toe to toe with a cavalcade of guest stars. Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation?

[Erin Moriarty]

It's starting to look that way.

[Bobby Tarr]

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[Erin Moriarty]

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[Bobby Tarr]

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[Erin Moriarty]

Bobby Tarr, charged with the murder of Leslie Reeves and the attempted murder of Chris Smith is nothing if not unflappable. Did you kill Leslie Reeves?

[Bobby Tarr]

No.

[Erin Moriarty]

Did you shoot Chris Smith?

[Bobby Tarr]

No.

[Erin Moriarty]

He kept his cool even when confronted with a litany of lies he told investigators. You told the police you only left the house once. That wasn't true.

[Bobby Tarr]

Correct.

[Erin Moriarty]

You told the police you had no idea where Farmersville is. That was a lie. You lied about getting gas in your car that night when he spoke with us, Tarr admitted he was at Chris Smith's house the night before Thanksgiving, placing himself at the scene of the crime. He says the night began when he met Leslie at her part time job at this loft store.

[Bobby Tarr]

She had said she was gonna go meet some friends because one of their friends was playing in a band. She asked me if I wanted to go and I said, well, you know, I would go, but I have my youngest daughter staying with me for a week.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tarr says that when he declined the invitation, Leslie asked if he would follow her to Farmersville because her van was unreliable. And so he did. That makes no sense to Leslie's friend, Amy Steinhauer.

[Bobby Tarr]

She was terrified of him. Rightfully so.

[Erin Moriarty]

Just a few weeks earlier, Amy says Leslie told her that Tar had shown up while she was on a first date with a different guy. After that incident, Leslie told Amy she was frightened by Tar and texted Amy, I could be killed by him someday if I don't cut all contact. So you're Telling me now that this woman who was scared of you, who had actually texted a friend that she thought you might kill her, asked you to follow her to another man's house. Does that make any sense? No.

[Bobby Tarr]

I understand. So I don't understand that text in general.

[Erin Moriarty]

Why did she think you might kill her?

[Bobby Tarr]

I don't know. I've got no clue.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar says Leslie lied to her friends about their relationship. He insists she asked him to follow her north to Farmersville.

[Bobby Tarr]

So I went with her up there. I think we arrived there around 7:30. I parked in front of her van in front of his house. That's as far as I went. I left. I never went back to Farmersville again.

[Erin Moriarty]

If he had an innocent explanation for why he was in Farmersville, why did he lie to detectives?

[Bobby Tarr]

My daughter, her and Leslie, there was a little bit of tension between both them. I did not want her to know that I was going to meet Leslie that night.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar claims that after he lied to his daughter Shelby about seeing Leslie, he stuck to that lie at the police station because he was afraid they would tell her. And he never corrected those lies, even when detectives arrested him. Why not just say, look, between you and me, I lied to my daughter, so let me tell you the truth, but let's just not share that with her. Why wouldn't you do that?

[Bobby Tarr]

I should have done that.

[Erin Moriarty]

He's quick to point out the lack of physical evidence connecting him to the bloody crime scene. Investigators searched his white Jetta, but did not find any shards of glass or blood stains.

[Bobby Tarr]

Two tests by the state police were done on my car. Zero blood found in my car. There's zero DNA of mine at the crime scene. Anything from the crime scene in my car or on me or any of my clothing or my shoes? Zero.

[Erin Moriarty]

Prosecutor Affronti has to concede that point. Was any of Tar's DNA found inside the house?

[Bobby Tarr]

No.

[Erin Moriarty]

Were any of his fingerprints found inside the house?

[Bobby Tarr]

No.

[Erin Moriarty]

And authorities still had not found the murder weapon. But a week after the shooting, they got a phone call from Tar's friend Billy Adams. Adams said Tar had called him from jail. That call was recorded.

[Bobby Tarr]

What's your day look like today? Because I need 10 minutes of your time.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar asked Adams to go to his house and look for some deck brackets.

[Bobby Tarr]

I got some special aluminum brackets that I need you to get because they're for another job that I didn't tell dad about yet. So don't say nothing to him.

[Erin Moriarty]

Instead, Adams contacted the sheriff's office. Deputies suspected Tar knew the phone call was Being recorded and was speaking to his friend in code about something other than deck brackets.

[Bobby Tarr]

They're losing. Yeah, get them and get rid of them. They thought that was suspicious, which was why they went over and searched.

[Erin Moriarty]

Investigators were on their hands and knees in Tar's yard looking for a gun. Dan Fultz is Tar's defense attorney.

[Bobby Tarr]

They searched that area thoroughly. No gun. You know what they did find? Deck brackets.

[Erin Moriarty]

A few days later, they got another phone call, this time from Tar's brother, asking them to come back to the house. Tar's family gave deputies a Ziploc bag they said they had found in the same yard that had been searched just days earlier. Inside a Springfield Hellcat 9 millimeter pistol and silver colored ammunition. The Illinois State Police determined the gun was the murder weapon and the ammunition matched the casings found at the crime scene.

[Bobby Tarr]

We still to this day don't know how that ended up there specifically in the spot that they searched.

[Erin Moriarty]

Are you saying you were set up? Someone was framing you? Yes, but if someone was framing Tariff, he or she would have to be pretty detail oriented. The state police say Tar's fingerprint was on the Ziploc bag.

[Bobby Tarr]

He is adamant that he would not have been dumb enough that he would have carried it all the way back to his home and said, hmm, where would I put this gun on my one acre lot? I think I'll put it next to the front door.

[Erin Moriarty]

And Tar points out neither his prints nor DNA or were found on the gun itself.

[Bobby Tarr]

Nothing on the firearm, no DNA, no prints of mine on the firearm. What I think what happened is that the gun was cleaned and Mr. Tar just missed a spot.

[Erin Moriarty]

That spot was Leslie's DNA, say police found on the guide rod of the gun. Tar's explanation? The gun wasn't his. It belonged to Leslie.

[Bobby Tarr]

I purchased the Hellcat and Leslie purchased it from me.

[Erin Moriarty]

As investigators continued to build a case against Bobby Tarr, they say he was hatching a plan to silence the only eyewitness. Did you ask a inmate to shoot Chris Smith?

[Bobby Tarr]

What do you make of Bobby Tarr's story? Chat now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and X. Leslie accompanied me here on several occasions.

[Erin Moriarty]

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

[Bobby Tarr]

When I would hold classes, she would actually shoot with us. Leslie was becoming a very good shot.

[Erin Moriarty]

Bolton says Leslie had organized a class called Girls with Guns not long before she was murdered.

[Bobby Tarr]

We put the girls through their paces. They would move and fire. They would Go forward and fire, they would come back and fire. And Leslie did very, very well at that.

[Erin Moriarty]

Bobby Tarr insisted to us that Leslie owned the Hellcat that was used in to kill her. But Howard says he never saw her use it.

[Bobby Tarr]

Leslie never brought a Springfield, let alone a Hellcat, to class.

[Erin Moriarty]

So then how did Leslie's DNA get on the guide rod of the murder weapon? Howard believes that Leslie's DNA could only be on that guide rod if the gun was fired at her at close range.

[Bobby Tarr]

So when he shot her, wherever it was he shot her would have contaminated that part of the gun.

[Erin Moriarty]

In fact, Howard says Leslie owned a different gun. Her friends say they wish she had taken it with her the night she was killed.

[Bobby Tarr]

Had Leslie taken the gun with her, I assure you, the outcome would have been different.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar declared his innocence, but the case against them could hinge on what crime Chris Smith, the only survivor remembers. Would he be able to identify him? That was the question. As Chris remained in a coma.

[Bobby Tarr]

We were talking to him, singing to him, and I was always holding his hand. Hallelujah.

[Erin Moriarty]

While Chris Smith lay helpless, authorities say Tar was plotting to silence him forever. A grand jury indicted Tar on two counts of solicitation of murder. Those charges are based on allegations by an inmate who says tar paid him $10,000 to shoot and kill the lead detective and Chris. Did you ask a inmate to shoot Chris Smith?

[Bobby Tarr]

No, ma'. Am.

[Erin Moriarty]

And to kill Detective Roach?

[Bobby Tarr]

No, ma'. Am.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar says the alleged plot was a lie concocted by a former cellmate. Tar says he loaned that cellmate $10,000 for his bond and that it had nothing to do with Chris Smith. Were you worried he was going to testify and point to you as the shooter?

[Bobby Tarr]

No, I was not worried one iota.

[Erin Moriarty]

The truth was that no one knew what Chris Smith remembered. The first time he regained consciousness was in early January 2022, about two months after the shooting. Like Egg Foo Young.

[Bobby Tarr]

Egg Foo Young.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris's voice was so weak in those early days.

[Bobby Tarr]

It's already done over there.

[Erin Moriarty]

That is old friend Mark Reardon, a talk show host in St. Louis.

[Bobby Tarr]

5:22. 97.1 FM Talk.

[Erin Moriarty]

Barely recognized Chris on the phone.

[Bobby Tarr]

I could not believe that I was hearing from this guy, and I cried. He cried. Just talking about that moment really brings me chills because I just thought he was never going to be someone that was in my life ever again.

[Erin Moriarty]

What did Chris tell you?

[Bobby Tarr]

Well, when Chris came out of this, I was pretty sensitive to ask him about what had happened that night, because I think I Was a little afraid of even having those conversations. So most of the conversations that we had were really focused on, hey, how are you? Are you going to be okay?

[Erin Moriarty]

After intense physical therapy, he's made incredible strides. He's much stronger than when he awoke from a coma. But he discovered there are gaps in his memory. What does he remember from that terrible night?

[Bobby Tarr]

I wish to God I could remember something. I mean, even just a smidgen of something. But I remember nothing.

[Erin Moriarty]

He remembers nothing of the shooting or Leslie Reeves?

[Bobby Tarr]

I said, who the heck's Leslie? I don't know.

[Erin Moriarty]

Leslie, you had no idea?

[Bobby Tarr]

No, Nothing, Nothing, nothing.

[Erin Moriarty]

Is Chris the same person who used to come on your show before he was shot?

[Bobby Tarr]

Yeah. I think at the core he's still the same guy that I knew. He's still the smart ass. He's still the guy that's going to talk about how good he is and how good he was and how much he could lift weights.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris works. Chris starts out at the gym most mornings, trying to regain muscle so that someday he'll be able to walk without assistance. Strength and curve. He's even back to being the lead singer in his rock and roll band.

[Bobby Tarr]

I don't know how he did make it. I don't understand how he did. He's a miracle.

[Erin Moriarty]

But Chris is aware his life is very different from what it once was.

[Bobby Tarr]

So I'm half the man I used to be. But I'm trying to get it back as hard as I can. And then my left leg is partially paralyzed from my hip to my knee. Then from my knee to my toes, completely paralyzed. So if there's any neurosurgeons out there, any researchers out there, please get ahold of me. I'll be your guinea pig. Just make me normal and give me my life back, please.

[Erin Moriarty]

It's tough, isn't it, Chris?

[Bobby Tarr]

It's tough. Doesn't even describe it. Doesn't even describe it.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris is resigned to living with part of that hollow point bullet in his brain. Doctors say it's in a spot that makes it too dangerous to remove. So that's where you got shot.

[Bobby Tarr]

Yeah, right here. You still feel it in my skull right there.

[Erin Moriarty]

After decades on his own, Chris had to move back into his mother's house.

[Bobby Tarr]

I thank my blessings daily that he's here with us. I just wish that this guy didn't take everything away from him.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris visits with his loyal dog Tiki, but no longer lives with her. And he'd love to see his 12 year old daughter more often, but he can't drive. And he's living in St. Louis, almost two hours away from his daughter and ex wife.

[Bobby Tarr]

I miss her. She was my little pea pod. I mean we did everything together.

[Erin Moriarty]

The trial of Robert Tarr was set for April 2024, but Chris would not be there. He told the prosecutor he was too angry to attend. You didn't think you'd be able to just sit there?

[Bobby Tarr]

Oh no, no way. I know myself. There's no way. No.

[Erin Moriarty]

But Chris alleged shooter Bobby Tarr will be there and he said he was eager to tell the jury that he's not a violent man. But on this one night, early morning, did you snap?

[Bobby Tarr]

No, that's not my nature. I don't lose it. Snap. Follow along with Chris remarkable story@ 48hours.com. This message is sponsored by Greenlight. With school out, summer is the perfect time to teach our kids real world money skills they'll use forever. Greenlight is a debit card and the number one family finance and safety app used by millions of families helping kids learn how to save, invest and spend wisely. Parents can send their kids money and track their spending and saving while kids build money, confidence and skills in fun ways. Start your risk free Greenlight trial [e-mail] Spotify that's greenlight.com Spotify this episode is.

[Erin Moriarty]

Brought to you by Rakuten. If you're shopping while working, eating or even listening to this podcast, then you know and love the thrill of the hunt. But are you getting the thrill of the best deals? Rakuten shoppers do. They get the brands they love with the most savings and cash back and you can get it too. Start getting cash back at your favorite stores like Samsung, Expedia and Sephora, and even stack sales on top of cash back. It's easy to use and you get your cash back through PayPal or check. The idea is simple. Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers and Rakuten shares the money with you as cash back. Download the free Rakuten app and never miss a deal or go to rakuten.com to start getting the most bang for your buck. That's R A K U T E N When Bobby Tarr went on trial in April 2018, 2024, prosecutors told the jury that he killed Leslie Reeves rather than allow her to live the life she wanted, a life without him.

[Bobby Tarr]

Mr. Tarr couldn't deal with the fact that Leslie was seeing somebody else and he had to go and take care of it.

[Erin Moriarty]

Andrew Effronti says Tar secretly followed Leslie to Farmersville early that evening. And shortly afterwards, his phone began showing some interesting activity.

[Bobby Tarr]

He had actually searched Chris Smith on his phone, had tried to find his Facebook profile.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar headed home and texted his friend Billy Adams. I don't feel like she would drive that far for a party or go out with a girlfriend. I think it's for a dude. He also searched whether police could could track his phone if he was using a vpn, a virtual private network he.

[Bobby Tarr]

Was researching to determine whether or not that would mask where his location was while he was using the phone.

[Erin Moriarty]

Authorities say around midnight, Tar left home, stopping at that gas station. And then, according to Affronti, surveillance videos and cell tower records show that Tarr drove back to Farmersville. You believe he intended to kill both Chris and Leslie?

[Bobby Tarr]

I 100% believe that he went up there with the intent to do serious harm to both of them.

[Erin Moriarty]

With one victim dead and the other with no memory, it's difficult to say with certainty what happened. But the prosecution argued that stuff. Sometime after 1am Bobby Tarr tried to enter through the back door of Christmas House. Leslie and Chris tried to keep him out.

[Bobby Tarr]

There was some kind of altercation or struggle, and that's when the glass was broken.

[Erin Moriarty]

Crime scene investigator Josh Easton told the jury what he had observed inside the kitchen.

[Bobby Tarr]

The refrigerator was pulled away from the wall, where it appeared it normally was.

[Erin Moriarty]

Prosecutors believe Leslie was trying to use the refrigerator to block the door. And based on where Chris was shot in his head, they think he was crouching down to help Leslie.

[Bobby Tarr]

I think that while Chris was crouched down trying to hold the door shut, Bobby shot through the door and struck Chris.

[Erin Moriarty]

With Chris incapacitated, Affronti says Leslie hid in the living room. Tar tracked her down, shot and killed her.

[Bobby Tarr]

I strongly believe that he walked in and executed her.

[Erin Moriarty]

Defense attorney Dan Foltz disputes all of that.

[Bobby Tarr]

There is simply no evidence that that's what happened. There's no evidence that Leslie pushed the refrigerator. There's no fingerprints and blood on the refrigerator of Leslie's.

[Erin Moriarty]

Folt says evidence of a fight in the kitchen tells a different story.

[Bobby Tarr]

The amount of blood in that kitchen was astonishing.

[Erin Moriarty]

From looking at that crime scene, do you believe that Christopher Smith had to fight his assailant in the kitchen?

[Bobby Tarr]

It would appear to me that there was some significant struggle in that kitchen between him and someone else.

[Erin Moriarty]

And he says the assailant could not have been Bobby Tarr because he would have been covered in blood.

[Bobby Tarr]

They did not identify a single piece of DNA in his car. They didn't identify A bloody fingerprint. They did not identify anything tying him to that crime scene.

[Erin Moriarty]

But prosecutors argued the house wasn't bloody when Tarr left. They said Chris bled heavily in the 12 hours it took for help to arrive. And while the prosecution did not have a lot of forensic evidence linking Tar to the crime scene, Affronte says his phone activity, his lies to investigators, and the evidence found on the Hellcat all prove his guilt.

[Bobby Tarr]

When you put all that together, that's when you get the clear picture of what happened.

[Erin Moriarty]

When it was the defense's turn, Tarr says he wanted to tell his story to the jury, but he chose not to testify. Why didn't you just decide you were going to talk to the jury and tell this story if, in fact, you have a story to tell?

[Bobby Tarr]

I should have. I very well should have. We made a strategic decision because it may have opened the door for a whole lot of other more damaging evidence to be used to cross examine him.

[Erin Moriarty]

The defense didn't put on any. Any witnesses and counted on the jury to find reasonable doubt in the lack of physical evidence. After three hours, the jury found Bobby Tarr guilty of first degree murder and attempted murder.

[Bobby Tarr]

Everyone clapped, and Bobby just sat there shaking his head.

[Erin Moriarty]

Two months later, Tar was back in court for sentencing, and this time, so was Chris to tell the judge how the shooting impacted him and his family. Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom.

[Bobby Tarr]

Lost my house, lost my truck. I've literally lost my life without being killed.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tar also spoke and denied shooting Leslie and Chris. The judge sentenced him to 85 years.

[Bobby Tarr]

I hope the rest of his time on this earth is hell.

[Erin Moriarty]

Leslie Reeve's friends are focused on keeping her memory alive.

[Bobby Tarr]

She was a light of a lot of people's lives. She was always smiling. She was a very good mother, lived for her kids, and was an advocate and champion of women, women's rights, and especially women that were abused. If it can happen to her, it could happen to anyone. So we all need to be careful.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris Smith says he never expected he'd be a victim of domestic violence and cautions other men to take a hard look at their behavior.

[Bobby Tarr]

If guys you feel like that you want to hurt a woman, get help.

[Erin Moriarty]

While Chris mourns his old life, he's writing a book about his experiences and says he's working to make what he calls poor man's margaritas out of the lemons and limes he's been handed.

[Bobby Tarr]

I've got to do over. Good Lord, give me a do over. Not many people get a second chance in life.

[Erin Moriarty]

Chris has found love with Michelle Albrecht.

[Bobby Tarr]

She's an angel, loving me and accepting me the way that I am.

[Erin Moriarty]

He proposed to her on stage.

[Bobby Tarr]

I just asked her if she'd marry me. Guys.

[Erin Moriarty]

What'S the most important lesson out of all of this?

[Bobby Tarr]

Don't ever give up on anything, ever. No matter how bad things are, don't ever give up. Leslie's two children are being raised by their father. Bobby Tarr is still awaiting trial on solicitation of Mary murder charges. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom Mirror Murder. Wherever you get your podcasts, I'm erin.

[Erin Moriarty]

Moriarty of 48 Hours, and of all the cases I've covered, this is the one that troubles me most. Listen. Listen to Murder in the Orange Grove, the trouble case against Crosley Greene. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bobby Tarr]

Somewhere on the south side of Chicago is heating up. You planning revenge on here?

[Erin Moriarty]

The shy's back on Paramount.

[Bobby Tarr]

It's the season of the women. Women, this is our chance. It's time to get to work.

[Erin Moriarty]

But the men aren't giving up without a fight.

[Bobby Tarr]

Street's always gonna have a villain. No one is backing down. In the Showtime original series from Emmy award winner Lena Waithe. Why do black women always have to save the day? If we don't do it, who else will? Don't miss the shy new season. Now streaming on the Paramount premium plan. Now streaming on Paramount. The suspect is trying to evade us. You're walking into the unknown. We had somebody out there starting fires for the heck of it. It's dark. There's no road signs. We need the help of Air1. When there's chaos below, he's bailing on foot. This individual did not want to be caught. They go high, the helicopter sees you. He never realized we were above watching him the whole time. An all new season of Chopper Cops, now streaming on Paramount. Plus.