Bobby Reed

David Cahill's Story

UPDATE: Murderer Bobby Reed died in prison on October 18, 2011 and murderer Thomas Waters died while on parole on July 12, 2012. Thank you to everyone who submitted a petition to oppose their paroles. Justice has been served.

A Legacy of Good

David Cahill understood the meaning of the word “hero.” His father, Robert Cahill, spent 11 years serving in the U.S. Marine Corps before becoming a Cleveland, Ohio Firefighter. David watched his older brother Rick dedicate his life to helping others by becoming a Columbus, Ohio Police Officer. Although he had not even come close to reaching his potential, at the age of 23, David was already a hero. A hero to his five younger sisters and one younger brother. David was especially a hero to his younger sister, Sue. Sue, like David, lived in Columbus, Ohio. She was pregnant with her first child. It wasn’t easy for Sue with most of her family living three hours away in Chardon, Ohio. David stepped up and did everything he could for Sue and the baby. He was always there for them any time, day or night. Sadly, David would never get to meet his neice. One month before the baby was born, David would die a hero in a Columbus, Ohio carryout.

Family Tradition

By December 1974, David Cahill was poised to become the next Cahill to help make the world a better place. He exemplified the Cahill family motto, “Work hard and give your very best in all that you do.” David was a few short months from graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in computer sciences. David also was determined to follow in his father’s military footsteps. After graduating from Ohio State, David was commissioned to become a second lieutenant in the Air Force and planned to go to flight training. His father gave him the nickname “Ace.”

Because the Cahill family was so large, David knew he had to help pay for his education. He earned that extra money through an ROTC scholarship and by working part time at a Stop-N-Go Food Store near campus. It was only two days before Christmas, and David wanted nothing more than to spend the Christmas holidays with his large and loving family. Since David was so close to graduation, he decided to stay in Columbus a little longer to make some extra money at the Stop-N-Go. That decision would cost him his life.

“Goodbye Ace”

On December 23, 1974, David Cahill was working behind the counter at the Stop-N-Go. He likely was thinking about getting off work and getting home to his family. At 12:25 a.m., two punks named Thomas Waters and Bobby Reed walked in the door. David had no idea that Waters and Reed had just finished robbing another Stop-N-Go on Columbus’ west side. Reed watched the door while Waters picked up a six-pack of beer. Waters placed the beer on the counter. When David Cahill reached for the beer, Thomas Waters pulled out a gun and shot David in the chest at point blank range. Waters did not say a word. Waters then turned and fired the gun at a female witness sitting in her car in the parking lot. Waters and Reed then grabbed $106 from the cash register and fled the scene.

Somehow, as he lay mortally wounded on the floor of the carryout, David Cahill managed to grab the phone and call the operator. David told the operator, “I need the police or someone.” He then told her, “Don’t leave me.” The operator stated that not one time did David cry or complain. The operator stated, “He concentrated more on staying conscious.” The operator also stated although David was dying, he was worried about the woman in the parking lot. She said it seemed “odd that he would even have thought about” someone else. Anyone who knew David knew that was not odd at all. The first Columbus Police Officer on the scene would be David’s older brother, Rick. He found David on the floor of the carry-out with the phone receiver still in his hand.

On the way to the hospital, David relayed as much information to his brother Rick as possible. He wanted to do everything he could to get Waters and Reed off the streets before they shot anyone else. Once they reached Riverside Hospital, and David was rushed into surgery, Rick had to make the call to his parents to tell them David had been shot. Mr. and Mrs. Cahill immediately began the drive from Chardon to Columbus so they could be by David’s side. They never made it. David died on the operating table at 3 a.m. the day before Christmas. He was buried on the day of Christmas Eve 1974. Almost four decades later, David’s younger sister Colleen, who was 14 years old at the time, remembers it like it was yesterday. She states, “I will never forget my father standing over David’s casket at the grave side, patting his hand on the casket and saying ‘Goodbye, Ace.’”

Arrested and Convicted

Waters and Reed spent several days on the run. Reed was an expert at running from the law by this time. The career criminal had been in trouble with the law since 1964. In that year, while being detained at the courthouse on an auto theft charge, the 19-year-old Reed fled the courthouse in handcuffs. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies wasted an entire day searching for Reed. A tipster turned him in to police, and the same thing would happen in 1974.

Thanks to the heroics of David Cahill and the witnesses at the scene, Thomas Waters was picked up after police sketches appeared in The Columbus Dispatch newspaper. Waters was on the run for just over two weeks. A short time later, Reed was located and taken into custody.

Both Waters and Reed were indicted on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault. While Reed did not pull the trigger, under Ohio law, he was as culpable as Waters. Considering Reed helped plan and carry out the robbery/murder, helped steal the $106.00 and then spent over two weeks on the run, he certainly deserved the same punishment. Both Waters and Reed were facing the death penalty and both knew they would get it. Rather than being men and taking their punishment, both cowards decided to take plea deals. Waters pled guilty to aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. Reed pled guilty to murder and aggravated robbery. Both received life sentences. Justice was served and the State of Ohio had done its job. Unfortunately, the Ohio Parole Board would fail to do theirs.

Back On The Streets

Although Waters and Reed received life sentences, they were both eligible for parole. Reed came up for parole in 1980 and Waters shortly thereafter. Initially they were denied parole; however, as time passed, the Ohio Parole Board changed and David Cahill became a forgotten statistic. The Ohio Parole Board never notfiied David’s family regarding the paroles over the years, so he never had a voice. The family had no idea Waters and Reed were up for parole. In 2007, the unthinkable happened. The parole board released Thomas Waters.

A Life of Crime

Bobby Reed is a dangerous career criminal who has been given multiple opportunities to turn his life around. His prison records consist of over 700 pages and spans 47 years. His adult crimes/releases are as follows:

• 5/29/1964: Bobby Reed, age 19, is found guilty of auto theft and sent to prison. He receives a 1-20 year sentence.
• 11/24/65: Reed is paroled after serving only 1.5 years.
• 1/6/66: Reed is brought back to prison for violating parole and is also convicted of a new armed robbery. He receives a sentence of 10-25 years in addition to his original 1-20 year sentence.
• 7/31/73: Reed is released off all supervision after serving nine years of a possible 45-year sentence.
• 12/23/74: A little over a year after being released, Reed and accomplice Thomas Waters kill 23-year-old Ohio State University student David Cahill. Reed receives a life sentence.



• 8/1/84: Reed is paroled after serving only 10.5 years of his life sentence.
• 11/18/87: Reed is brought back to prison for violating his parole.
• 11/23/88: Reed is released AGAIN on parole.
• 11/28/89: Reed is brought back to prison for violating parole and is also convicted of a NEW ROBBERY charge. Reed went into a bank and said he had a gun. He stole $855.00. He receives an additional 4-15 years in prison.
• 6/2/2000: Reed is paroled AGAIN. On 3/26/2002, he goes on the run and becomes a parole violator at large.
• 2/18/03: Reed is captured and brought back to prison.
• 2/17/04: Reed is paroled for a THIRD TIME.
• 10/27/04: Reed is brought back to prison for violating his parole and is now charged with ANOTHER robbery. He receives another five years in addition to his life sentence and 5-15 for the previous robbery.

In addition to Reed’s two new robbery convictions, he also had serious parole violations. Those violations include: continuing to drink alcohol, changing residence without notification, failing to complete a halfway house program, failing to report to his parole officer, being unsuccessfully terminated from the Alvis House substance abuse program and repeated positive drug/alcohol screens.

No Parole

The actions of Bobby Reed and the profound impact his crimes have had on both the Cahill family and society are incomprehensible. David Cahill’s family, including David’s two brothers and five sisters, will spend every Christmas mourning the loss of David. The most joyous holiday is forever destroyed for this family and there will be an everlasting generational effect. The city of Columbus also lost a fine police officer when David’s brother Rick had to quit the Columbus Police Department to prevent his parents from living in fear of losing another son to a bullet. The loss our country suffered is likely profound. David would have gone into the military after graduation. With his skills, intelligence and commitment to helping others, there is no doubt many soldiers’ lives would have been positively impacted had David been given the opportunity to serve his country.

Bobby Reed has been provided many breaks in the last 47 years. Too many. Had Reed not been released in 1973 after serving only nine years of a 45-year sentence, David Cahill could very likely be alive today. Even after being convicted of David’s murder Reed somehow managed to get paroled THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES. Rather than take advantage of his circumstances, Reed committed serious parole violations, spent almost a year on the run and COMMITTED TWO MORE ROBBERIES. It is time for The Ohio Parole Board to STOP releasing murderer and repeat offender Bobby Reed. Reed is a career criminal who helped commit one of the most senseless and brutal murders in Columbus, Ohio’s history. Placing Reed back on the streets is the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. Based on Reed’s initial crime of murdering David Cahill,and the fact he has violated parole repeatedly and he has committed two additional robberies, it is clear Bobby Reed needs to serve his maximum sentence of LIFE in prison.