UPDATED: Triple Homicide In Laclede County Was Supposed To Include More Victims:

Josh Reyes (mug shot)

Disturbing details are emerging in last weekends spree killings in Laclede County.

Investigators were called to two separate crime scenes within fifteen miles of each just after midnight on Saturday morning. When first responders arrived at Miranda Smiths apartment on Tower Road a little after midnight Saturday (10-10-09) they found twenty five year-old Zachary Bryan Porter with a gunshot wound to the chest.

While cops were working that crime scene Smith told authorities that she was concerned for her father and step-mother who she could not reach by phone. Smith called her uncle to tell them that she had a crisis and couldn't reach her dad.

Smiths uncle sent his son next door to tell Jeff Smith that his daughter needed him. When he got to the house he found the lights on and the door unlocked. When he opened the front door, he found fifty one year old Jeffry Smith and forty eight year-old Glenda Smith lying on the living room floor in nearby Phillipsburg, their heads covered in blood.


On Sunday (10-11-09,) three people were charged with first-degree murder, burglary, and armed criminal action in the shooting deaths of Zachary Porter and Jeffry and Glenda Smith.

On Monday, a fourth suspect, a 16-year-old Springfield teen, was taken into custody after his parents surrendered him to police.

According to court documents, Josh Reyes, 23; Jacky Wong, 21; Steven Pyykola and a 16 year-old boy, B. S. conspired to kill Reyes' ex-girlfriend Miranda Smith, her parents and grandparents and her new boyfriend, Zach Porter.

Josh Reyes (l); Steven Pyykola (m) and Jacky Wong

Jacky Wong told investigators that he drove to a pawn shop with Reyes last Friday to purchase two 9mm handguns and ammunition. Wong told investigators that he bought the guns for Reyes because Reyes had a conviction/and or order of protection that had been filed against him and that he couldn't purchase a weapon.

Miranda Smith has asked the court for orders of protection from Reyes on at least three separate occasions, the most recent being filed on September 17th. However, eleven days later she asked the court to lift the order, which was granted.

Jacky Wong (mug shot)

Wong was the only person who went into Gun Smoke pawn to purchase the weapons and ammo. When he finished the transaction he came out and showed the purchases to Reyes. Reyes then handed Wong a $20 bill and asked him to return to the store to purchase a box of hollow point bullets,"because that type of bullet goes through walls."

Charging documents indicate that an employee at the pawn shop confirmed Wongs story that he purchased the guns and returned to purchase a third box of ammunition. Authorities indicate that they have documents to verify the purchase by Wong.

Total price of the transaction for the two guns and the ammunition was $397.00

Wong told investigators that in the days leading up to the shootings, Reyes had made statements to him that he wanted to kill Miranda Smith over custody issues and because, "she was cheating on him by dating another man."

Reyes and Miranda Smith have two little boys together, ages 2 and 3, according to Miranda Smiths facebook page.

Miranda Smith (facebook)

Court documents say that, Wong told deputies that, "he knew it was wrong, but he agreed to help Reyes obtain the firearm knowing that he was going to use the firearm to kill Miranda."

Laclede County courthouse

Pyykola allegedly told investigators that Reyes told him he was in legal trouble and, "he would have to kill the following witnesses against him: Jim and Joy English, Jeff and Glenda Smith, Miranda Smith and Zachary Porter. Reyes sought Pyykola's assistance killing these witnesses and Pyykola agreed to help," according to the probable cause statement.

Friends say that Smith and Porter, who had met at church, had just recently begun dating.

It is alleged that Wong, Reyes and Pyykola went to Bass Pro Shop and stole three black ski masks and three pairs of black gloves. They then traveled to Surplus City and bought goggles and sunglasses, "so Reyes and Pyykola could conceal their eyes during the homicides."

At this point Wong goes home while Reyes and Pyykola go to Wal-Mart to purchase three black hooded pullovers.

At approximately 7 p.m. Reyes called Wong and told him to come pick himself, Pyykola and the juvenile B.S. up at a gas station on Cherry Street in Springfield.

Wong told investigators that they headed east on I-44 toward Lebanon in his fathers Toyota Tundra. After driving for some time, Reyes directed Wong to a residence on a gravel road.

That residence belonged to Jeffry and Glenda Smith---Reyes' ex-girlfriend, and Miranda Smith', father and step-mother.

Jeffry and Glenda Smith (facebook)

Wong told cops that when Reyes, Pyykola and B.S. got out of the truck at the Smith's house according to Wong, "Reyes was carrying a gun, Pyykola was carrying a Taser (which they bought at Majestic,) and B.S. was carrying another gun."

Pyykola told cops that he walked up to the Smiths house, armed with a Taser, knocked on the door and told them he was having car problems and needed a jump. Glenda Smith let Pyykola into the house and they talked for about five minutes.

According to Pyykola, it is at this point Reyes, "entered the front door and pointed a gun at Glenda Smith as Jeff Smith stood in front of his chair near the front door of the living room and turned toward Reyes. Reyes fired the gun and Jeff Smith dropped to the floor. Reyes then fired 2 rounds at Glenda Smith, but the gun jammed."


Steven Pyykola (mug shot)

Pyykola says he ran out of the house when Reyes pulled out the other gun and began firing at Glenda Smith. The juvenile stood outside during the shooting and followed Pyykola, according to court records.

Glenda Smith was the only victim that was shot multiple times. Sheriff Wrinkle says, "one bullet traveled through both breasts, hit her in the wrist and became lodged in her clothing. Another round was fired into her right cheek, but the fatal wound was a gunshot wound near the back of her head."

Jeffry Smith was shot once in the face

Wong, who was waiting in the car by a nearby railroad overpass for the trio, told cops, "they returned out of breath."

Reyes then instructed Wong to drive toward Lebanon because they were going to find the house of Miranda's grandparents, Jim and Joy English, and kill them too.

When they couldn't find the Englishes house, Reyes changed his mind and directed Wong to drive to the apartment complex where Miranda Smith lives.

The Englishes, who are in their thirties, are not related to Miranda Smith. According to Joy Englishes Facebook page she says she is Mirandas best friend

According to Wong, he, and B.S. stayed in his dads truck while Reyes and Pyykola went to Miranda Smiths apartment, "because he had business to take care of with Zachary Porter for sleeping with Miranda."



Zach Porter (family photo)

Pyykola told cops that Reyes had told him that Smiths decision to date Zach Porter made him, "distressed and angry."

After just a few minutes, Reyes and Pykola ran back and got in the truck, according to Wong.

Miranda Smith told investigators that somehow Reyes, " always somehow has a copy of her apartment key,".....and that she saw her ex-boyfriend gun down Zach Porter in front of her.

Porter died from a gunshot wound to the chest.


Investigators say they later matched ammunition casings found in the Smiths' living room in Phillipsburg and Miranda Smith's apartment in Lebanon to the type of ammunition that Wong allegedly purchased in Springfield, according to court documents used to charge Reyes that were signed by Detective Kacie Hatch.


During the drive back to Springfield, Reyes, Wong, Pyykola and B.S, "discussed the homicides they had committed and decided upon an alibi."


Reyes was arrested at about 4 a.m. Saturday at his Springfield apartment, 1750 #23 E. Cherry St.

When first interviewed by detectives, Reyes told investigators that he had been at his apartment all night with Wong and Pyykola.

In another interrogation, Reyes and Wong told law enforcers that they had stopped at a gas station on the way to Laclede County and had left the car unlocked and the weapons were stolen.

Wong directed cops to a dumpster behind a Ci Ci's pizza where they would found three black hooded pullovers, three pairs of black gloves, three black ski masks, and a pair of black goggles all allegedly used in the spree killings.
Wong told cops that the guns used in the murders had been thrown into McDaniel Lake. Tomorrow (10-13-09,) a dive team from the Highway Patrol is scheduled to try and recover the alleged murder weapons.


Sheriff Richard Wrinkle

Asked for the alleged motive that sparked the deadly rampage Sheriff Wrinkle replied, "jealousy......she took everything he loved away from him, so he was going to take everything she loved away from her."

Friends of Porters say that Reyes had been stalking him and his ex-girlfriend for the last two weeks....going as far as having him paged and confronting him at his place of employment.

Former roommates of Porters begged him not to move out of their apartment because they feared for his safety.

Zach Porter with his sons (family photo)

Members of Porters family, who was the father of two little boys and a semi-professional wrestler whose stage name was Napalm, will meet with cops tomorrow looking for answers in their sons seemingly senseless murder.

All of the adult suspects are from Springfield and are being held in the Laclede County jail without bond and are scheduled to be arraigned in associate circuit court sometime Tuesday (10-13-09.)

The juvenile has been transferred to the custody of juvenile authorities in Camden County.

Funeral arrangements for all the victims have been made--visitation for Jeffry and Glenda Smith will be held on Tuesday from 7 - 8:30 at Holman-Howe Funeral Home in Lebanon. Services will be held for the Smiths at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Holman-Howe. The couple will be buried in Mt. Rose Memorial Park

A memorial fund has been established in the Smiths' names at Lighthouse Ministries.

Zach Porters family is setting up funeral arrangements in Tucson, Arizona for Thursday.

UPDATE 10-13-09 @ 3:25 p.m.:

Reyes, Pyykola and Wong were arraigned in associated circuit court this morning. None of the suspects had lawyers when the made their initial court appearance today.

They are all due back in court on October 26th at 1:30 p.m.

One of the suspects is assisting authorities with the recovery of the weapons. He went with water patrol officers to a bridge on McDaniel Lake in Greene County were he showed officers where the guns were thrown off.

It's been a damp dreary cold day today, water visibility is not great and divers did not have any luck recovering the guns/and or ammunition out of McDaniel Lake. Sheriff Wrinkile says they will try again tomorrow.

****You can link to Zach Porters MySpace page here.