1 of 2 brothers accused in Oso deaths will return to Washington

  • By Eric Stevick Herald Writer
  • Wednesday, May 18, 2016 4:07pm
  • Local NewsOso

EVERETT — Tony Clyde Reed, one of two brothers accused of killing an Arlington-area couple last month, soon will be heading back to Washington to face murder charges.

The Ellensburg man waived extradition in a hearing Wednesday morning in San Diego, California. Reed is expected to be arraigned Monday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Reed, who had fled to Mexico, surrendered to U.S. Marshals on Monday after arrangements were made for him to turn himself in on the U.S. side of the border.

Reed is suspected of helping his brother, John Blaine Reed, kill Oso residents Patrick Shunn and his wife, Monique Patenaude, in April. John Reed remains on the lam.

Bail has been set at $5 million for the brothers who are charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Ellensburg attorney James Kirkham is representing Tony Reed. He said he worked with prosecutors, detectives and U.S Marshals to figure out how his client could turn himself in without incident.

“I’m just glad he is safe,” Kirkham said.

Kirkham said there were questions he couldn’t answer, including when and why the brothers parted ways.

“As soon as he gets up there, I will be going to see him,” he said.

Detectives and prosecutors are hoping Tony Reed’s surrender could lead to information that will help them find the missing couple.

Despite an exhaustive search, their bodies haven’t been recovered. It’s unclear how they were killed. However, significant amounts of blood were found in their vehicles, in John Reed’s pickup truck and at his former property, according to court papers.

Snohomish County Search and Rescue teams searched for the bodies of Shunn, 45, and Patenaude, 46, over the weekend in the Oso area. John Reed had been a neighbor in the rural area off of Whitman Road and near the west side of the 2014 Oso mudslide that killed 43 people.

Both brothers have criminal records.

Detectives believe Tony Reed crossed the mountains to help his brother before the two fled south.

His state-issued Electronic Benefits Transfer food card was used at a 7-Eleven and Safeway in Arlington in the two days after the couple’s disappearance.

Snohomish County major crimes detectives plan to fly to San Diego to pick up Tony Reed later this week so he can be booked into the Snohomish County Jail.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@hearldnet.com

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