BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Monday, the landlord who confessed to murdering a Battle Creek couple was arraigned on charges of murder in court.
34-year-old Joseph Soule and 31-year-old Jaclyn Lepird of Battle Creek were last seen Wednesday, October 7th, but very little details about their disappearances were known at the time. The missing persons report was filed with police the following Monday.
“It was later the next day, Tuesday, October 13th, that as the information was coming in it looked like it may be more than just a typical missing person, it looked like there may have been some suspicious conditions to the missing person,” Detective Sergeant Joel Case said during a press briefing on Thursday.
Case explained that the two were living with their landlord at an apartment on Post Avenue in Battle Creek and had an “ongoing dispute.”
Around noon on Thursday, the landlord, 53-year-old Chad Reed, confessed to the murders, turned himself in, and told police that he hid their bodies.
On Monday, Reed was arraigned on two counts of open murder, three counts of using a firearm to commit a felony, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Battle Creek Enquirer also reported that Reed is being charged as a habitual offender and faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison.
Going forward, Reed will be back in court on November 9 for a preliminary examination. He is being held with no bond and has entered a plea of “not guilty” in the case.
In a related matter, fire crews in Battle Creek are continuing to investigate a fire that occurred at the Post Avenue residence Sunday. No injuries were reported in the fire, but the front of the house suffered damage. That fire has since been deemed suspicious by fire officials.
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