United States of America

REED
Todd Alan

Active in 1999 in Portland, Oregon

DID YOU KNOW...

Damning Fact

2 suspected victims were last seen alive in the company of Reed's then-girlfriend

THE DISPATCH

The Beginning

By age 14, Todd Alan Reed was already in a residential program after committing a crime, and was a convicted sex offender. Authorities at the time did not consider him dangerous. He never travelled far to commit his crimes, staying in his home town of Portland, Oregon. He eventually became known as the Forest Park Serial Killer.

The Murders

representation of the area where the body of Jennifer Tchir was found
Jennifer Lynn Tchir

On July 3, 1987, Jennifer Lynn Tchir went missing. The 16-year-old was last seen in the company of Reed’s girlfriend and future wife, Gail Bennett. Tchir was found more than a year later, about 3 miles from another possible victim in Greshan, Multnomah County.

Her body was identified through X-ray/medical procedures. She had been strangled.

 She was 16 years old. Reed was never charged with her murder.

Mindi Colleen Thomas

12-year-old Mindi Colleen Thomas disappeared from her Portland  apartment complex on August 3, 1987. She was last seen with Reed’s girlfriend. 

She was found October 24, 1987, in a wooded area near a hiking trail at Mount Hood Community College. She was a few miles away from Tchir.

Thomas had been strangled. Her body was identified through dental, clothing, and  jewelry.

Thomas was just 12 years old. Reed was never charged with her murder.

Reed Arrested for Robbery

Todd Alan Reed is arrested for burglary and assault. He is given a 12 year sentence.

He served 2 1/2 years.

Lilla Faye Moler

Lilla Faye Moler was originally from Eugene, Oregon. A child of an alcoholic, Moler started drinking early. By 16, she was using cocaine and heroin. Despite repeated attempts to get clean, the mother of one kept returning to drugs. 

Moler was manic depressive. She had convictions for prostitute and drugs, and was homeless when Reed met her.

On May 7, 1999, Lilla Faye Moler’s body was found covered with tree branches and leaves in the woods of Forest Park, Oregon. She was sexually assaulted and strangled. She may have been dead since early April. A condom was found 28 feet from her body. It contained DNA.

Moler was 28 years old.

Stephanie Lynn Russell

Stephanie Lynn Russell was  an exotic dancer, cleaner and factory worker. She was addicted to drugs, and had just finished a detox program when she met Reed.

Russell was also homeless when Reed killed her. She had been dead only a few days. Police recovered DNA from Russell’s body.

Russell was 26 years old.

Alexandria Nicole Ison

Alexandria Nicole Ison was a Portland native whose troubled life led her to drugs and alcohol at an early age. She became a prostitute to support her drug habit. 

On June 2, 1999, a hiker in Forest Park found the body of Ison off a trail. She was down a steep hill, about 1/4 mile away from one of the other victims. The area had not been searched the previous month when the other bodies were found. Police confirmed they believed there was a pattern to the deaths of the three homeless women. She had been missing since May.

She had been abducted, sexually assaulted and strangled by Reed. 

Ison was 17 years old.

Amatha Saenz

Amatha Saenz was a Portland prostitute who went missing in June. Police later suspected Reed of her murder. Her body has not been found and no charges  have been laid. As of June 2021 she remains missing.

Saenz was 19 years old. 

Investigation & Arrest

Reed Arrested, Indicted for 3 Murders

On July 7, a police decoy, similar-looking to the victims, posed as prostitute. Reed began to “stalk” the officer, bringing himself to their attention. Thankfully, one of the keeners of the police taskforce recognized Reed from the 1993 sexual assault case.

On July 18, 1999, Reed was arrested for aggravated murder in the deaths of Moler, Russell and Ison. Police were able to match DNA from the crime scenes of Moler and Russell.

He was indicted on July 27 on 7 criminal counts related to 3 homicides. 

The Trial

Reed Pleads Guilty

On February 23, 2001, Todd Alan Reed pled guilty to his “spree” of aggravated murders in a Multnomah County court room. The plea deal took the death penalty off the table.

Reed was given 3 consecutive life terms, one each for the murders of Moler, Ison and Russell.

As of June 2020, he was in prison. As of June 2021, he was no longer listed as an inmate and may be dead.

SIMILAR SERIAL KILLERS

Richard Lawrence Marquette

Richard Lawrence Marquette was also born in Portland

Carlton Michael Gary

Carlton Michael Gary also had 2 children

Cary Anthony Stayner

Like Reed, Cary Anthony Stayner was arrested in July, 1999

WHERE IT HAPPENED

A non-interactive map of where things happened

Ma of victim locations of Todd Alan Reed

BOOKS

Books about or including Todd Alan Reed

Crime Reconstruction by W. Jerry Chisum, Brent E. Turvey

Publisher : Academic Press; 2 edition (July 13 2011)
Language : English
Hardcover : 704 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-0123864604

Crime Reconstruction, Second Edition is an updated guide to the interpretation of physical evidence, written for the advanced student of forensic science, the practicing forensic generalist and those with multiple forensic specialists. It is designed to assist reconstructionists with understanding their role in the justice system; the development and refinement of case theory’ and the limits of physical evidence interpretation. Chisum and Turvey begin with chapters on the history and ethics of crime reconstruction and then shift to the more applied subjects of reconstruction methodology and practice standards. The volume concludes with chapters on courtroom conduct and evidence admissibility to prepare forensic reconstructionists for what awaits them when they take the witness stand.

Crime Reconstruction, Second Edition, remains an unparalleled watershed collaborative effort by internationally known, qualified, and respected forensic science practitioner holding generations of case experience among them. Forensic pioneer such as W. Jerry Chisum, John D. DeHaan, John I. Thorton, and Brent E. Turvey contribute chapters on crime scene investigation, arson reconstruction, trace evidence interpretation, advanced bloodstain interpretation, and ethics. Other chapters cover the subjects of shooting incident reconstruction, interpreting digital evidence, staged crime scenes, and examiner bias. Rarely have so many forensic giants collaborated, and never before have the natural limits of physical evidence been made so clear.

Rape Investigation Handbook edited by John O. Savino, Brent E. Turvey

Publisher : Academic Press; 2 edition (July 25 2011)
Language : English
Hardcover : 584 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-0123860293

Rape Investigation Handbook details specific investigative and forensic processes related to sex crimes casework invaluable to those in law enforcement, the legal community, and the private sector. It takes the reader through these processes in a logical sequence, showing how investigations of rape and sexual assault can and should be conducted from start to finish. The second edition is reorganized to flow from the alleged assault to a courtroom trial. Section heads have been introduced and it includes six new chapters on sex crimes, sex trafficking, forensic victimology, eyewitness reports, rape trauma syndrome and rapist motivations. The remaining 12 chapters are entirely overhauled and in some cases completely rewritten by new, highly qualified contributors, such as “Sexual Assault Examination and Reconstruction” by Brent E. Turvey and Charla Jamerson and “Rapist Motivations” by Brent E. Turvey and Jodi Freeman. An additional appendix was added to provide current case studies.

VIDEOS & PODCASTS

Portland Police produced this video about Todd Alan Reed . 

Karen and Georgia cover the Missoula Mauler and the Forest Park Killer.

The story of Alexandria Nicole Ison, known on the streets of Portland Oregon as Tomorrow. 

The Forest Park Killer (S1.E1) by Darklands. 37 minute podcast.

THE STATS

Reed's age in 1999
0
Thomas's age
0
Number of children
10

Todd Alan Reed in a Historical Timeline

Serial Killer Todd Alan Reed in a historical timeline

Statistics table for Todd Alan Reed

Killer NameReed, Todd Alan
Killer AKAForest Park Serial Killer
GenderM
CountryUSA
Arrest DateJuly 18, 1999
Conviction DateFebruary 23, 2001
SentencePleaded guilty on three counts and received three consecutive life terms
Birth LocationPortland, Oregon USA
Birth DateMay 22, 1967
StatusAlive or Unknown
SuicideNo
Killed in PrisonNo
Orphan/Adoptedadopted by step-father
Family Eventparents divorced, mom/step dad divorced
Age at Family Event4, 12
Dad's JobUS Marine
Military ServiceUS National Guard
Marital StatusStraight
Number of ChildrenDivorced/Separated
Drug AbuseTerritorial
Institutionalizedyes
Psych Diagnosisyes
comment2Prime suspect in sexual assaults and murders of one teenage girl and one child 12 years earlier
Victims (Suspected)5
Victims (Confessed)2
Victims (Claimed)3
Victim Type12, 16, 17, 26, 28
Victim Type 2Drug addict, homeless, prostitute

Killer Rating

5/5

RESOURCES