LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Detective James Royal testified in Laurel County District Court on Tuesday and revealed that David Reed admitted to having killed his girlfriend, Rachel Carder.
“He said they got into a physical altercation and at some point, he put his arms around her neck area,” Detective Royal explained. “He actually advised that he caused her death,” Det. Royal said in response to a similar question.
Reed, who was living in West Virginia with Ms. Carder, had been traveling with her corpse in the car she had recently purchased. Friends of Carder say she took out a Protective Order against Reed at one point, only to have it dropped soon after. One friend said that Carder would literally look over her shoulder, concerned that Reed would be following her.
In addition to the murder charge, Reed is facing charges of abuse of a corpse, evading police, and wanton endangerment in the first degree. (The wanton endangerment charge was elevated during Tuesday’s hearing).
Police attempted to pick up Reed in Madison County last Wednesday, but he was able to get away and led them on a chase down I-75 into Laurel County, roughly 60 miles away.
“I would consider it a high-speed pursuit,” Detective Royal testified. “Speeds reached approximately 120 MPH,” he continued, before noting that Reed smashed his vehicle into “at least four Kentucky State Police cars.”
Reed was bound over to a grand jury, which will now make a decision on whether or not to indict. He’ll continue to be held on a $1 million bond.
