Centre County man charged with homicide in wife’s death plans insanity defense
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- Alan K. Reed, 74, plans an insanity defense in his wife’s October homicide.
- Defense sought $2,250 for a psychological evaluation; hearing set for March 5.
- Legal experts say insanity claims face high bar; aren’t often successful.
A Centre County man charged with homicide in the October beating death of his wife plans to mount an insanity defense.
Centre County Deputy Public Defender Patrick Klena said in a court document filed this month that Alan K. Reed was “suffering from a mental illness that prevented him from knowing right from wrong and from appreciating the nature and consequences of his actions.”
Reed, 74, of Rush Township, had not received a psychological evaluation at the time of the filing. Klena requested $2,250 for such an evaluation. A hearing with Centre County Judge Julia Rater is scheduled for March 5.
The defense is rarely used and not often successful. Three legal experts who previously spoke with the Centre Daily Times about the defense said the bar to prove legal insanity is “really high” and that juries are often skeptical about it.
Christopher Kowalski, 39, was found guilty but mentally ill of first-degree murder in November 2022 by a Centre County jury in the fatal shooting of Jean Tuggy. He was sentenced to life in state prison.
Even if successful, the insanity defense rarely means the accused walks free. Instead of incarceration, a person is typically sent to a state hospital for indefinite periods until either their sanity is proven or they’re no longer considered a danger — a process that can last longer than a prison sentence.
Reed is accused of assaulting and strangling Dawn Reed, 57, to death inside their home along the 700 block of North Front Street.
In an affidavit of probable cause, state police at Rockview said Reed admitted to killing her following a dispute over a nude photo that he said he used as “leverage against her.” The photo was missing and he believed she hid it from him, police wrote.
Despite being asked to leave the house, investigators said Reed told them he forced her to the floor and strangled her. Fearing she was dead, Reed said he attempted to wake her with a knife but received no response.
He had blood on his shirt and hands when he was arrested, police wrote. Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers said Tuesday that Reed died of strangulation and her death was ruled a homicide.
Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said the two were married more than 30 years.
According to her obituary, Reed was raised in Clearfield County and was an alumna of Mansfield University. She worked at Weis Markets as an assistant front end manager for 31 years.
“She enjoyed the camaraderie with her coworkers. She was an extremely devoted employee who was called to work on frequent occasions as they needed her,” her obituary read. “She enjoyed her work relationships. She liked to bake with her mom and would frequently bring in baked goodies for the coworkers. Her laughter could be heard in the grocery department frequently.”
She also enjoyed creating needlework and crafts. In addition to her parents, she was survived by numerous cousins.
“Dawn had a smile a mile wide and would always chat with almost anyone,” her obituary read. “She could converse and relate well to others.”
Alan Reed is charged with homicide, a broad allegation that can later be refined to a specific degree of murder once more evidence is uncovered and presented. He’s also facing a felony count of strangulation.
He has been denied bail and is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
One of the most high-profile criminal defendants to successfully argue they were insane is John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in federal court and was released from psychiatric care in 2016.
Outrage over the finding led to the passage of a new law that made it harder to win a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity by lowering the standards of evidence for prosecutors to prove sanity.
Domestic violence resources
Centre Safe: 814-234-5050. Available 24/7, confidential and free.
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 717-545-6400
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233