By Meghan McCormick
A Midwest City man will stand trial for allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend's daughter earlier this year.
Cleveland County Special District Judge Michael Tupper ruled at a preliminary hearing Wednesday that enough evidence existed to try Donald Michael Reeser, 29, for first-degree murder.
Prosecutors allege Reeser drowned 2-year-old Allie Croom at Lake Stanley Draper in south Oklahoma City. The toddler died at Midwest City Regional Hospital June 18, just a few hours after she visited the lake with Reeser, her mother, sister and another child.
Reeser was charged June 26 with first-degree murder, court records show. He is being held at the Cleveland County Detention Center on $1 million bond.
Assistant District Attorneys Susan Caswell and Christy Miller are prosecuting Reeser. Norman attorney Elton Jenkins represents Reeser.
Reeser's 6-year-old son, Brady Reeser, and Allie's mother, Amber Croom, were the only witnesses who testified Wednesday at the hearing.
Brady was the first witness called to testify.
Caswell questioned Brady about the events that happened at Lake Stanley Draper before Allie's death.
"You understand, you can only say what is true?" Caswell asked Brady.
"Yeah," he said.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the charges, police interviewed Reeser's son and Croom's 4-year-old child about Allie's death. Reeser's son described how Reeser pulled Allie into the water and continued to put her under water numerous times.
Reeser told his son not to talk about what happened to Allie, the affidavit stated.
"What did you do when you were at the lake?" Caswell asked.
"I played with my daddy," Brady replied.
Brady testified that he, Reeser and Allie were in the lake together at one point during the trip.
He told Caswell that his father put Allie under water.
"He only done it two times," Brady said.
"Was Allie happy, mad or anything else?" Caswell asked.
"Sad," Brady said.
Brady said when it was time to leave the lake, Allie walked up to the car holding Reeser's hand. Nothing appeared to be wrong with her, until she was in her car seat.
"Was something wrong with Allie?" Caswell asked.
"Her eyes started rolling back in her head," Brady said.
"Did it scare you?" Caswell said.
"Yeah," he replied.
Brady told Caswell that Reeser was mad and Croom appeared sad when Allie became ill.
After Caswell finished questioning Brady, Jenkins cross-examined him.
"What do you think drowning is?" Jenkins asked Brady.
"It means she is under water," Brady said.
Jenkins questioned Brady if Reeser carried Allie to Croom's vehicle once it was time to leave.
"How did Allie get from the water up to the car?" Jenkins asked.
"He held her hand and she walked," Brady said.
"Did anyone have to carry Allie to the car?" Jenkins asked.
"No," Brady said.
Brady testified for about 30 minutes during Wednesday's hearing.
Croom took the witness stand next. She told Miller that she and Reeser decided to take Allie, Brady and Croom's 4-year-old daughter to Lake Stanley Draper June 18 for a picnic. The group spent between four and five hours at the lake that day, arriving around 2 p.m.
"Did Allie have any issues with water?" Miller asked.
"She didn't like deep water," Croom said.
"What would she do in deep water?" Miller asked.
"She would cry hysterically, scream, kick her legs," Croom explained.
Croom said Reeser knew about Allie's fear concerning deep water.
"We had a lot of conversations," she said, "She was scared of the water."
Croom testified during the lake outing, Allie tripped and fell into shallow water. Afterward, Allie appeared to be fine.
Croom said she stayed with the group, but left Reeser with the children about three times to clean up the picnic table, get a cookie for Allie and grab a diaper for the child. Allie was sitting near the water.
As they were leaving the lake, Croom said she began to believe something wasn't right with Allie.
"What was it that made you think something was wrong,? Miller asked.
"Her breathing," Croom said.
Croom said she told Reeser that Allie didn't seem well.
"She nodded her head a little bit," Croom said.
"The defendant picked her up?" Miller asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Croom replied.
Croom told Reeser she wanted to carry Allie to the car.
"I asked him why she was breathing weird. I asked to carry her. He wouldn't give her to me," Croom said.
Croom said she and Reeser argued walking to the car. Reeser gave Allie to Croom to hold.
"I opened the passenger side door and put her diaper on her," she said.
Croom said Reeser accused her of overreacting.
"What happened after you put Allie in the car seat?" Miller asked.
"He was yelling at me, grabbing my face and slammed my head into the passenger windshield," Croom said.
She said Brady began to cry. Allie started to vomit as they left the lake.
"What did you do when you saw her throw up?" Miller asked.
"I took her out of her car seat because I knew something was wrong," Croom said as she cried on the witness stand.
Croom said blood poured out of Allie's nose and she continued to vomit. Croom performed CPR and used a cell phone to call for help.
She said she asked Reeser to drive to a hospital. Reeser agreed, but wanted to stop by their apartment on the way.
Croom recalled pulling up to Midwest City Regional Hospital.
"We pulled up to the emergency room. Her cheeks were turning purple," Croom said as she sobbed. "They took her back to a room and wouldn't let me to back with her."
Croom said she called her ex-husband who is her children's father to let him know about Allie's condition. She later learned that Allie died.
Under cross examination, Jenkins questioned Croom about her conversation with detectives after Allie's death.
"When was the first time you talked to law enforcement?" Jenkins asked.
"It was probably 1 1/2 to two hours," Croom said.
Jenkins asked Croom about the incident earlier in the day, when Allie tripped in the lake.
"Did she cough up any water or do anything to make you think she was in distress?" Jenkins asked.
"No," she said.
Croom said she didn't see Reeser pull Allie under water as she walked to her vehicle to get a diaper for Allie.
"Do you have any first-hand knowledge of Allie's mouth or nose being under water?" Jenkins asked.
"No," Croom replied.
After Croom completed her testimony, Jenkins asked Tupper to dismiss charges against Reeser.
"Evidence shows the time that Allie took on water that led to her death has nothing to do with my client," Jenkins said. "There is no evidence today that my client had any malice aforethought."
Caswell disagreed with Jenkins.
She said Allie's death was ruled a homicide. She drowned at the hands of another human.
"It wasn't an accidental drowning," Caswell said.
Tupper agreed that prosecutors presented evidence a crime was possibly committed.
Reeser will next appear in court for his formal arraignment. No court date was given Wednesday.
Meghan McCormick
366-3539
mmccormick@normantranscript.com
