COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before Feb. 3, Jennifer Reddy and her husband Jonathan had their whole lives ahead of them – wanting to travel the country and make sure their two daughters lived a great life.
For Jonathan, his family came before everything. He was loved by everyone and was just a great guy, according to his wife.
That’s why it has been hard for the Reddy family to adjust to life after Feb. 3 when Jonathan was allegedly shot and killed by 17-year-old Harrison Finklea.
Police said Finklea met with Reddy at a hotel in the area. Finklea got into Reddy’s vehicle and after a short interaction, he allegedly shot Reddy.
Finklea then left the scene with 24-year-old Dashay Avery, who was waiting nearby.
Arriving officers found Reddy, who was pronounced dead by medics at the scene.
When CrimeTracker 10’s Lacey Crisp spoke with Reddy’s wife Jennifer in February, she remembered how Jonathan was a positive light for the family.
“He was goofy. He loved to laugh. He lit up the room. He wants us to laugh,” she said.
At the time, Jennifer said she hoped someone would help find her husband’s killer.
“I want him to understand how bad he hurt us. I want to tell him to his face that I forgive him,” she said. “I’m not going to carry a burden of hate for what he did.”
Finklea turned himself in on Feb. 21 and is charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Avery was arrested in April at an area hotel and charged with murder for her involvement in Reddy’s death.
After sorting through records from police departments and juvenile court, CrimeTracker 10 learned that Finklea was required to wear an ankle monitor due to a previous incident, but had it cut off in December, two months before allegedly shooting Jonathan.
Fast forward to May, Lacey Crisp sat down with Jennifer again after she learned of Finklea's criminal background, including the information specific to the ankle monitor.
She was shocked that a 17-year-old might be responsible for killing her husband, but she was equally shocked that the troubled teenager was even able to commit another crime.
"I just don't understand how no one was looking for him," she said.
Hearing the new developments surrounding Jonathan's death opened up old wounds for Jennifer. She wishes she could go back in time to stop it from happening. She wishes Jonathan would've fought back. She says she would've given her life for Jonathan to have not died.
"You get to touch, see and smell the person you love. They took all of that from us," Jennifer said.
While searching records, CrimeTracker 10 discovered other juveniles required to wear ankle monitors who still found a way to break the law again.