Police in Columbus, Ohio, have charged a sex offender who had been released from prison only three months ago with the rape and murder of Ohio State University student Reagan Tokes.
The 21-year-old Reagan Tokes disappeared on February 8 on her way home from work at a brewery in the city’s Shore North area, according to the Washington Post.
The nude body of the woman, who was only three months away from graduation, was found near a park ten miles from the university. Police revealed she had been raped and shot to death.
Days later, authorities initially charged Brian Golsby, 29, with the crimes of aggravated murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. They have added a rape charge to the list.
In a February 11 press conference, Grove City Police Sgt. Chris White said the young woman was shot twice in the head, the Associated Press said.
Police reported that they based the charges against Golsby on his admissions during interrogation. They also found his DNA in the victim’s car, which they located, abandoned, six miles outside the campus.
“He gave us details of these events of that night that closely match what we’re finding,” Sgt. White noted.
Police said the crime was one of opportunity, as Golsby came upon the student while she was walking to her car. He reportedly grabbed her and forced her into the car, drove her to an ATM to withdraw money, then took her to an unrevealed location, where he assaulted and shot her.
According to state records, Golsby had only been released from prison in November after serving five years for robbery and attempted rape. The suspect is a registered sex offender in Franklin County, Ohio.
Golsby perpetrated a similar crime in 2010, when he pulled a knife on a woman in a parking lot in Grove City, Ohio, raped her in front of her six-year-old son, then forced her to drive to an ATM and take out money to give him. That was at least the second person he had robbed in the same parking lot, a report from 2010 said.
In a family statement, the victim’s uncle, Jeff McCrary, said, “We will always remember Reagan as a vibrant, loving young woman who embraced life. She made a positive impact on people, was enthusiastic about everything and brought laughter and joy to all who knew her.”
The family has also set up a GoFundMe page to raise $50,000 for a scholarship in Toke’s name. By February 13, the campaign had already raised more than the targeted amount.
The victim’s sister, Makenzie Tokes, posted a heartrending tweet mourning the loss:
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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