Teen with IQ of 66 went to jail for murder in 1997. New evidence means he’ll get a new trial
In 1996, police interviewed a 14-year-old boy with an IQ estimated at 66, questioning him about a cab driver beaten to death in the Sanford streets. Utaris Reid had no parent or lawyer present, court records said, and a police detective prepared a statement for him to sign. That piece of paper became the key piece of evidence that sent Reid to prison for life, convicted of first-degree murder.
But after 22 years behind bars, Reid will soon get a new trial. Superior Court Judge C. Winston Gilchrist gave the order on Nov. 30 after work on Reid’s behalf by N.C. Prisoner Legal Services. New evidence suggests a different set of Sanford youths attacked the victim, records said, offering testimony that might have cleared Reid at the time.
