Suspects in Bloomfield murders make first court appearance
CENTER – The couple charged in connection with a February double homicide at Bloomfield’s bowling alley appeared in Knox County Court on March 7.
Alias V. Reed, 25, has been charged with two counts of firstdegree murder – Class 1 felonies – and two counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony – Class 1C felonies – in the deaths of Curtis “Curt” Strom, 77, Bloomfield, and William Reffett, 49, Center.
Reed’s wife, 27-year-old Kaylynn M. Sweazy, has been charged with tampering with physical evidence, a Class 2 felony.
Reed is being represented by defense attorneys with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy. He was informed of the charges against him during his court appearance.
Judge Donna Taylor set a preliminary hearing in Reed’s case for 1 p.m. March 20 in county court. She also ordered Reed to be held without bond at the Knox County Jail in Center to ensure public safety and his future court appearances.
Sweazy appeared in county court right after Reed and was informed of the charge against her. She was represented by Knox County Public Defender Rod Smith.
Judge Taylor had Sweazy’s case bound over to district court after Sweazy waived her right to a preliminary hearing. Sweazy’s next court appearance is an arraignment at 9 a.m. March 26.
Sweazy is being held at the Antelope County Jail in Neligh on 10 percent of a $100,000 bond. She also was ordered to have no contact with Reed.
Deputy Knox County Attorney Hanna Knox Jensen objected to any bond reduction for Sweazy, which Taylor agreed with.
At about 9:32 a.m. Feb. 20, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a shooting that had occurred at Curt’s Lanes and Dining – of which Strom had been the owner of since 1973 – located at 112 W. Grant St. in Bloomfield.
At the bowling alley, the sheriff’s office and Bloomfield Police Department located two deceased men, each with apparent gunshot wounds.
The police department requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident.
During the preliminary part of the investigation, the State Patrol identified Reed as a person of interest. Reed was located a short time later and taken into custody.
According to court documents, Reed walked into the bowling alley the morning of Feb. 20 – his third time visiting the business that day – with a shotgun concealed inside a cardboard box, initiated an argument with Reffett, an employee of Strom’s, and then allegedly shot Reffett. Moments later, Reed allegedly shot Strom.
During an interview with law enforcement officials, Reed allegedly said he went to the bowling alley with the intention to kill Reffett and Strom, according to court documents, and he intended to return to Mississippi and do the same to another person.
It has not been made clear whether Reed is originally from Mississippi or not.
Strom was not involved with the altercation between Reed and Reffett, according to the State Patrol, and the context and substance of the argument are still under investigation.
No other people were reported to be at the bowling alley at the time of the shooting.
Law enforcement officials located Reed and Sweazy at her parents’ house not long after Reed left the bowling alley.
According to court documents, Sweazy allegedly admitted during an interview with law enforcement officials that she traveled with Reed to help dispose of the shotgun he allegedly used at the bowling alley.
Based on information from Sweazy, law enforcement officials later located the firearm believed to be used in the fatal shootings – in a ditch by a rural county road near Center.
According to court documents, when law enforcement officials asked Reed about the significance of where the shotgun was found, he told them that spot was where he had proposed to Sweazy.