ALABAMA
Fox 10
By Bob Grip, FOX10 News Anchor
MOBILE, AL (WALA) –
Reginald Michael Reed, the suspect in the kidnapping of a 17-year-old boy who had been shot and stabbed and left in a car in the parking lot of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, was not required to undergo background checks before being hired to perform janitorial work at that church.
“Mr. Reed is an independent contractor,” explained Msgr. Michael Farmer, Vicar General of the Mobile Archdiocese.
Reed was not a short-term, temporary employee. In an e-mail sent to parents of children at Corpus Christi School, principal Joan McMullen wrote about Reed, “He has worked as the church’s maintenance person for many years. Recently, he has been helping with maintenance at the school.”
Reed, who is 55 years old, was arrested on December 28, 2015. Metro Jail records show Reed has an arrest record in Mobile County dating back to 1995 for crimes that include cocaine possession, marijuana possession, possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license and improper tag.
In a statement sent to FOX10 News anchor Bob Grip, Msgr. Farmer wrote, “In accordance with archdiocesan policy, background checks and safe environment training are required of all employees and of volunteers who have substantial contact with minors.”
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