Tarius Reed, 42, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Tuesday for fatally shooting his cousin, Mario Vines, at a major Oklahoma City hotel in 2021.
Reed, who was charged with first- or second-degree murder, made an unusual decision to enter a blind guilty plea after the jury was seated Monday morning.
A blind plea indicates that there was no prior agreement struck between him and the state on a suggested sentence, leaving his sentencing up to the judge. The first-degree murder accusation was dismissed, and Reed was found guilty of second-degree murder. Oklahoma County District Judge Kathryn Savage sentenced him to 25 years on Tuesday.
The fatal shooting occurred early on February 28, 2021, inside a Holiday Inn Express near Bricktown. Prosecutors claim Reed shot Vines during an altercation following a night out celebrating his birthday. The cousins, originally from Alabama, had been working in Oklahoma City for a week before the event.
According to court records, Reed sought amnesty under Oklahoma’s Stand Your Ground statute in 2024, claiming he acted in self-defense due to fear for his life, citing Vines’ criminal background and an alleged physical altercation.
According to the record, “When asked what happened after being thrown onto the bed with Vines on top of him, Reed answered, “I reached in my pocket and got my—grabbed my gun, and it shot.”
Reed also testified that, with Vines’ hands around his neck, he believed his cousin was going to kill him.
However, Judge Savage denied his request, citing contradictions in Reed’s testimony and his admission of drinking while carrying a pistol. Reed appealed the decision to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (OCCA), arguing inadequate proof that he was under the influence when defending himself.
According to the lawsuit, “Reed’s unrefuted testimony was that he had three beers and a shot over the course of a six-hour night out”; therefore, he was “defending himself in his temporary home.”
The OCCA reviewed and upheld the lower court ruling. Reed says he acted in self-defense.