From romance to nightmare: Couple’s first date ends in bloodshed
On Thanksgiving Day 2021, Nanette Stuiber sat in her car outside a quiet house in Farmersville, Illinois, praying for her friend Leslie Reeves to emerge unharmed. Instead, detectives delivered devastating news: Reeves, 47, had been shot dead inside, and her first-date companion, Chris Smith, was fighting for his life with a bullet lodged in his brain.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on Reeves’ ex-boyfriend, Bobby Tarr, a contractor who had allegedly stalked her after their breakup. Despite Tarr’s claims of innocence, his daughter Shelby revealed he had lied about his whereabouts, and surveillance footage placed him near the crime scene. A week later, Tarr’s family “discovered” a 9mm pistol—later confirmed as the murder weapon—in their yard, with Reeves’ DNA on it.
At trial, prosecutors argued Tarr killed Reeves in a jealous rage after tracking her to Smith’s home. Though no forensic evidence tied Tarr directly to the scene, his erratic behavior, jailhouse plot to kill Smith, and the recovered gun convinced jurors. In April 2024, Tarr was convicted and sentenced to 85 years.
Meanwhile, Smith, who has no memory of the attack, continues to recover from life-altering injuries. “I’m half the man I used to be,” he told 48 Hours, “but I’m trying to get it back.” Reeves’ legacy lives on through her children and her advocacy for women’s self-defense—a tragic end to a story that began with hopeful online dating.