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New York Post
Murder-suicide victim Marisa Galloway seen smiling with ex in social media pics years before his mom killed her on NYC street
By Matthew Sedacca, Georgia Worrell,
2024-08-03
A date-night photograph shows special-ed teacher Marisa Galloway and her ex, Zachariah Reed, in romantic bliss – four years before Reed’s mother fatally gunned down Galloway and took her own life amid a bitter custody dispute.
The image – exclusively obtained by The Post from Galloway’s now-scrubbed, private Instagram account – shows the smiling couple on a rooftop overlooking the Empire State Building. It was posted Sept. 3, 2019, along with the caption “Highlights of Summer.”
Just two years later, the pair were engaged in a brutal court battle over custody of their now 4-year-old daughter, Lili.
A date-night photograph shows special-ed teacher Marisa Galloway and her ex, Zachariah Reed, in romantic bliss. Obtained by The New York Post
On July 26, Reed’s mother, Kathleen Leigh, 65 — a terminally ill, retired probation cop from Chicago – fatally shot Galloway, 45, twice before turning the gun on herself on East 88th Street around 9 a.m.
The gruesome scene unfolded as Galloway was putting her other daughter, 1-year-old Mariel , inside her car on the tree-lined street just a half block away from Gracie Mansion. Lili was with Reed, 45, at the time.
The source who provided the happy photo told The Post it was taken before Lili was born.
“It appears she scrubbed her Instagram of photos with him” at some point, the source said. “I remember there being more photos than there are now.”
Reed’s mother fatally gunned down Galloway. Facebook
Kathleen Distro, who lives across the street from Galloway’s parents in Wildwood, NJ, said she has known the family for 51 years and had also heard that the relationship had been contentious.
Although Distro never saw Reed with Galloway on weekend trips to visit her family in her native Wildwood, she said, she believes they started dating around 2018, and called it quits soon before the custody dispute started in August 2021.
Reed’s mother fatally gunned down Galloway and took her own life amid a bitter custody dispute. James Messerschmidt / New York Post
Between July 2021 and November, authorities took five domestic incident reports involving the exes, law enforcement sources said .
In two of them, Reed alleged Galloway had been abusing their daughter, claiming at least once that he saw bruises on Lili’s shin, according to law enforcement sources. City children’s services investigators deemed the allegations unfounded, the sources said.
The custody fight is what sent Leigh over the edge, cops believe.
On July 26, Reed’s mother, Kathleen Leigh, 65 — a terminally ill, retired probation cop from Chicago – fatally shot Galloway, 45, twice before turning the gun on herself on East 88th Street around 9 a.m. Pix11 The custody fight is what sent Leigh over the edge, cops believe. Pix11
In a seven-page note left “For Police,” Leigh, 65, lamented no one believed her and Reed’s contentions that Galloway abused the child – a claim many of Galloway’s friends and acquaintances have blasted as unthinkable.
“The notion she would abuse a child is absolutely f–king insane. The idea that she would even hurt a child is insane,” said the source.
Lili is now in Reed’s custody as the NYPD continues to investigate the murder-suicide, while Mariel is with Galloway’s parents in New Jersey, according to police sources.
Stephen McSweeney, an attorney for Reed, declined to comment.
Additional reporting by Tina Moore
For the latest metro stories, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/metro/
how sick the mother and son. .the fatger should not have the girl . both children to the grandparents
CLV16
18d ago
Mind your own business!Now look at what you have done No mother now, you blew the poor baby’s mother away, right in front of this childNow the father will have full custody for good Gotcha way popsYour mother didn’t care bc she was dying alreadyRich pukes 🤢
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