MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jurors in the mercy phase of the Shaundarius Reeder proceedings will continue deliberations on Monday after spending six hours Friday discussing if the Fairmont man should be eligible for mercy.
A Monongalia County jury found Reeder guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the death of 21-year-old Eric Smith. Reeder and Terrell Linear, 22, were charged following the February 2020 shooting at a Morgantown apartment complex.
Reeder’s father told jurors his son had a promising future before accidentally shooting his friend when he was 16 years old. Fairmont police, who conducted the investigation, said Reeder and others did not cooperate during the initial stages of the investigation. Reeder wanted to tell the victim’s parents about the incident before talking to investigators.
Jurors also learned Reeder did seek counseling after his mother died and he began misusing drugs.
Linear previously pleaded guity to first-degree murder and will be sentenced to life in prison at a later date.