A Collinsville man convicted in the killing a former girlfriend and severely injuring another person on Thanksgiving Day 2021 was sentenced to 85 years behind bars on July 1.
Robert "Bobby" Tarr, 51, shot to death Leslie J. Reeves, 45, of Troy and critically injured Christopher Smith, 50, at Smith's home in Farmersville in Montgomery County, about 25 miles south of Springfield.
Fourth Judicial Circuit Associate Judge Christopher W. Matoush pronounced the sentence. A motion for a new trial filed by Tarr's attorneys, Daniel Fultz and Mark Wykoff of Springfield, was denied by the judge.
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Defense attorneys filed a motion for a reconsideration of Tarr's sentencing on July 2. A hearing was set for Aug. 9.
Reeves was the owner of All You Studio and Party Place in the Metro East area. She was also a self-defense instructor and public speaker on women’s safety.
Reeves and Smith had just recently met.
Tarr was arrested the day after Reeves and Smith were located. Family members of both had become concerned when they didn't show up for separate Thanksgiving gatherings.
Following the trial, Montgomery County State's Attorney Andrew Affrunti told The State Journal-Register that a number of factors worked in favor of the conviction, including the recovery of the murder weapon at Tarr's home and a timeline of Tarr's whereabouts around the time of the murder.
He added that the Illinois State Police and Springfield Police provided key forensic evidence on Tarr's cell phone and evidence from the cell tower.
Tarr was sentenced to 25 years in prison for Reeves' murder and 10 years for the attempted murder of Smith. Both crimes carried 25-year firearm enhancements.
In 2022, a Montgomery County grand jury indicted Tarr for soliciting someone to kill Smith and also a Montgomery County sheriff's deputy investigating the case. Tarr hasn't gone to trial on those charges.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie .
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Southern Illinois man sentenced to 85 years for murder, attempted murder in 2021 case
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