2/19/2022- 1:27 p.m.
The man accused of murdering his girlfriend and then brutally attacking another man in an unrelated situation appeared in court Friday.
The judge held all charges against Montel Reed following two back-to-back preliminary hearings, which included gruesome testimony
Investigators believe the murder happened two days after Christmas of last year, weeks after Reed was arrested for allegedly assaulting Leschner.
Shortly after that, on New Year’s Day, Reed allegedly stabbed another man multiple times within the same unit.
That victim testified Friday, telling the court that he went to the Reifert Street address planning to purchase a PlayStation console that had been advertised on Craigslist. The gaming system was intended to be a gift for his daughter.
The victim stated that he walked into the residence and “immediately I was attacked.” The victim stated he was in “complete shock,” telling the court that Reed was “viciously stabbing me with a kitchen knife.”
The victim ultimately was able to fight back and get away, but sustained multiple stab wounds.
Prosecutors added an attempted homicide charge ahead of the hearing, though Reed’s defense attorney, Angela Carsia, later argued for the judge to drop both that charge and a robbery charge.
Carsia had no comment to Channel 11 following the hearings, nor did Reed’s mother, who sat in during both.
Leschner’s parents were also present within the courtroom, joined by multiple loved ones.
During the hearings, testimony indicated that Leschner’s body had been hidden within a hole in the wall of the residence at the time Reed allegedly attacked the second victim.
Reed is accused of later wrapping her body in plastic, placing her within a suitcase, and hiding it within a shed.
In court, a detective testified that Reed admitted to killing her during a recorded police interview.
The judge, after holding all charges, called the case “extremely disturbing.”
