James Reed, 42, was sentenced to 166 months in federal prison—nearly 14 years—on Monday for his involvement in a gruesome triple murder and subsequent cover-up. The case gained notoriety for the tragic circumstances surrounding a 3-year-old who was left alone in a minivan with his dead parents.
Reed's day began innocuously on September 15th, 2019, as he drove a cab attempting to distance himself from the drug trade that had defined much of his life. However, by late afternoon, he found himself at the center of a violent crime scene at 4 Roebling Ave. in the Schiller Park neighborhood. Reed had intended to simply count money related to a drug deal involving his brother, Jariel Cobb, and Deandre Wilson, who were expecting a shipment of cocaine from Florida.
The situation escalated when Wilson fatally shot Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred in the kitchen. He then stepped outside and shot Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and his wife, Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, who were waiting in a minivan with their son, Noelvin. Reed claimed he had no foreknowledge of the impending violence, stating, "I'm not a saint, but I'm not a violent person. I didn't have no insight into what was going to happen."
In the aftermath of the murders, Reed and Cobb moved Roman-Audiffred's body to the basement, where Cobb dismembered it using an ax and other tools. They placed the body parts into trash bags and later burned them in a fire pit at a different location. Reed expressed remorse during the sentencing, apologizing to the victims' families for their loss and the trauma experienced by the young child.
Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, who presided over the case, acknowledged Reed's lack of intent to commit violence but emphasized the gravity of his actions.
"I have a hard time wrapping my head around how you could participate in that," she remarked, while also recognizing that Reed was not the one who committed the murders.
Reed became the last of seven defendants to be sentenced in this case. His plea agreement initially suggested a potential 25-year sentence, but Wolford ultimately imposed a lesser sentence crediting Reed for his role in persuading his brother to accept a plea deal.
Reed's attorney, Rodney Personius, described his client's life as "sad and depressing," noting that Reed had once been an elected president of his eighth-grade class before falling into a life of crime.
Earlier this year, Cobb was sentenced to 20 years in prison while Wilson received three consecutive life sentences plus an additional 30 years for his role in the murders.
Information based on independent reporting anf the Buffalo News
Man Sentenced to Nearly 14 Years for Role in Triple Murder as he Burned Dismembered Body