A husband who killed his wife by stabbing her multiple times and leaving her naked body in their backyard has been sentenced to life in prison. Legitte Reid, described as “jealous,” attacked Cynthia Turner when she tried to escape over a garden fence at their home in the Black Country. He chased her into the garden and stabbed her eight times with a kitchen knife. Despite the efforts of neighbors who heard her cries for help, she could not be saved. After the murder, Reid called his victim’s children and used her phone to contact her family in Jamaica.
Reid has been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years for the murder, which occurred on December 8 last year. The autopsy revealed that Ms. Turner had a total of 19 injuries, including eight stab wounds, with some reaching her heart and ribs.
The court heard that Ms. Turner met Reid during a trip to Jamaica, where her family lived. He moved to the UK to live with her, and they got married. However, their relationship quickly deteriorated, becoming unhappy and marked by Reid’s controlling and physically aggressive behavior. Ms. Turner had expressed her concerns to a GP and confided in a friend about her husband’s behavior.
Before her death, Reid sent voice memos to his wife implying he would harm himself and expressing his displeasure over her financial support of her children. During a holiday in Portugal just days before the murder, Ms. Turner revealed that Reid had threatened to kill her. She even attempted to film him as he tried to suffocate her but only managed to capture a photograph of the resulting bruise. She stated that she would leave him if his behavior continued.
On the day of the murder, Ms. Turner returned from her holiday and was picked up by Reid. Witnesses observed a commotion in the couple’s back garden, where Reid was seen chasing her and subsequently stabbing her. Despite the efforts of neighbors and emergency services, Ms. Turner could not be saved.
After the murder, Reid contacted his wife’s daughter and blamed Ms. Turner’s friend for her death. He was apprehended by the police sitting in a car outside the friend’s home. Although he appeared to have stabbed himself in the chest, it was later determined that the injuries were self-inflicted scratches using the murder weapon.
Reid had previous criminal convictions in the USA before being deported to Jamaica. His defense acknowledged the devastating impact of his actions on Ms. Turner’s family and described his behavior as deplorable and inexplicable. They stated that Reid would carry the guilt and regret for the rest of his life.
