PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A 24-year-old Port Arthur woman may soon face trial for her alleged involvement in a shooting that claimed the life of a man.
A Jefferson County grand jury handed down a murder indictment to Lace Skyler Christian. Christian is accused of shooting and killing 71-year-old Russell Vernon Reado in May 2022.
Christian is currently being held in the Jefferson County jail on bonds totaling more than $1 million.
Police found Reado's body was found inside his residence on May 10, 2022. Port Arthur Police Officers responded to the 1600 block of Maple Street after receiving a call about a shooting.
Officers spoke with Christian who claimed she found Reado, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Christian told the officers she was at Reado's residence to borrow his car and check on him. Officers said Christian told them that Reado called her to tell her he was not feeling well.
Phone records did not show Reado had called Christian, according to the affidavit.
Officers said Christian told them she had only been to the residence twice. However, security camera footage showed Christian's black Toyota Camry near the residence four times, and Christian was wearing a GPS tracking device that showed she had been there four times, according to the affidavit.
Officers said Christian told them that Reado had been shot, according to the affidavit. However, officers believe that from her point of view, seen from the security video, she would not have known this.
Officers believe Christian was inside Reado's residence when he was killed.
Christian admitted to going to the residence on May 9, 2022 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to the affidavit. Christian said the second time she went to the residence she did not try to contact Reado.
However, the GPS tracker showed Christian was inside Reado's residence for approximately one minute, according to the affidavit.
Security video showed that Christian left the Reado's residence at May 10, 2022 at midnight. The video also showed that no one else went to the residence after she left.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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From a probable cause affidavit:
On 5/10/2022 at approximately 1700 hours Officers were dispatched to 1649 Maple St in reference to a shooting. They responded and located a male inside the residence who was deceased, he was later identified as Russell Vernon Reado.
Officers spoke with Lace Skyler Christian who stated that she found Reado.
She stated that she was there to borrow his car and later advised that she was just checking on his welfare.
She claimed that he called her to let her know that he wasn't feeling well but phone records show that he did not call her.
Christian stated that Reado was shot but from her vantage point, seen from the security video, it was impossible for her to determine this. Security video shows Christian's black Toyota Camry at or near the residence four times although she only claimed to be there two times.
Through GPS tracking device that was being worn by Christian, I was able to confirm that she was there four times. Christian was inside Reado's residence during the estimated time that I believe Reado was killed. I was able to use his phone records to obtain this time frame.
During an interview, she admitted to going to the residence on 5/9/2022 at approximately 8:00PM -10:00 PM. She claimed that she came to the residence twice, the second time she claimed that she didn't contact Reado. However, the GPS tracker shows her inside the residence for approximately one minute.
Security video shows that no other person or vehicle go to Reado's residence after she left at on 5/10/2922 at approximately 12:00 AM until she returns and finds him deceased on 5/10/2022 at approximately 5:00PM.
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