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January 17, 2013

Man sentenced to life

Reed pleads guilty to first-degree murder

By Jessica Bruha The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — A Norman man, charged with first-degree murder in the death of an 80-year-old resident in southwest Norman, pleaded guilty and received a life prison sentence on Wednesday in Cleveland County District Court.

Brandon Ke Reed, 20, was convicted of killing Norman resident Clair Owen Pollard, 80, on Nov. 20, 2011, conjointly with Billy Battenfield, 59. A trial for Reed was not set before he made his guilty plea. District Judge Lori Walkley sentenced Reed.

Battenfield was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole in September. Prosecutors originally sought the death penalty for Battenfield because of his criminal history.

He was convicted of three murders in the late 1970s and has served time in New Mexico and Texas. Battenfield was living in Oklahoma after he was released from prison and was on parole out of Texas when Pollard was killed.

Reed waived his right to a preliminary hearing and jury trial in June, making a deal with prosecutors to testify against Battenfield. Battenfield’s preliminary hearing in July was stopped short when Reed admitted to “hallucinating” during testimony.

During cross examination, Reed told Battenfield’s attorney that his alter ego, “Max,” was an entity in which he is “constantly arguing.” He compared “Max” to a cartoon devil, which Reed said “never has anything good to say.”

Reed also admitted that “Max” was waiting for him at home the night he and Battenfield killed Pollard. Pollard, who had befriended Reed several years before the incident, died of multiple stab wounds in his southwest Norman home.

In August, Reed had a hearing to review his mental health and was found fit to stand trial.

Jessica Bruha

366-3540

jbruha@normantranscript.com

 

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