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‘No Known Connection’: Police Seek Driver of Rav4 Parked Near Crime Scene

By Cassidy Jensen
THE CONCORD MONITOR
Concord Police want to locate and speak with the driver of a Toyota Rav4 that was parked near the trails where Steve and Wendy Reid were killed.

The Reids, an outdoorsy retired couple, left their Alton Woods apartment for an afternoon walk at the nearby Broken Ground trails in Concord on April 18. They never returned.

Their bodies were found on April 21 in a wooded area off the Marsh Loop Trail after worried family members reported them missing. Police said they died of multiple gunshot wounds.

“I think the community should be confident that we are making this the highest priority. We have a core group of investigators that have solely devoted all of their efforts on this particular case,” Chief Brad Osgood said.

Specifically, Concord police want to contact the owner or operator of a dark green Toyota RAV4, with a model year between 2006-2012 that was parked at the Marsh Loop trailhead on April 18.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoff Ward said Thursday that the images of the SUV came from dashboard cameras of school buses and private cars. The license plate is not clearly visible in the pictures, but Ward said that the Attorney General’s Office has started contacting drivers with RAV4s registered in New Hampshire. Other vehicles have been identified from similar footage.

Ward said that detectives are also seeking to speak with anyone walking on any of the Broken Ground trails anytime on April 18, including the Marsh Loop trail where the Reids were found.

“They want to speak to anyone who was out there regardless of whether they believe they saw anything unusual or out of the ordinary,” he said. “Even individuals who were out on the trails and did not see or encounter any other individuals while on the trails still should contact the police, speak with a Concord Police detective, as they could have important information about routes that were taken, or even routes that were not taken by the suspect in this matter.”

It’s been six weeks since the double murder and no arrests have been made.

Last month, investigators released a sketch of a man they called a person of interest in the case. The man depicted in the sketch was described as 5-feet, 10-inches tall, with brown hair and a medium build in his early 20s to early 30s. He was seen carrying a black backpack and wearing khaki-colored pants and a dark blue jacket, which may have had a hood. Ward described the backpack as a school bag and not a large hiking backpack.

Ward said Thursday that the person of interest has not yet been identified but has “no known connection” to the green Toyota RAV4.

The Concord Regional Crimeline reward for information leading to an arrest increased to $33,500 last month. The bulk of that reward, $20,000, will be paid for tips leading to an arrest or indictment within 60 days, so before mid-July. Concord Police have so far received more than 200 tips related to the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Criminal Investigations Division of the Concord Police Department at (603) 225-8600.

Concord Police have increased patrols on the city’s trails following the double homicide, which will continue into the summer and fall.

A memorial service for Steve and Wendy Reid will be held on June 24 in Derry. Family members wrote that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to PCI Media and Doctors Without Borders.

An obituary for the couple noted their many humanitarian contributions and detailed their love story. Quiet Steve invited Wendy, who was then studying for her undergraduate degree in Washington, D.C., to play tennis. She was impressed by his command of French and the West African language Hausa. The two married in Senegal in 1984, and their two children Brian and Lindsay were born in Concord.

“Forming a remarkable team throughout their married and professional lives, Steve and Wendy lived and died next to each other, united for better or worse, when their lives were cruelly taken on April 18th,” the family wrote.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.

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