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Cellmate: Rapist
was once a regular teen
The crime committed at the
Hampton Inn on Oct. 22 came as a shock to the citizens of Peachtree City
and neighboring towns. Yes, everyone knows these kind of criminal acts
occur everyday all around the globe, but not in Peachtree City. But with
this heinous and sadistic act, the eyes and fears of this small middle-class
paradise have been opened forever.
Peachtree City was once a town where you could leave your doors unlocked
all day and night without worry, but you can bet more doors are being
locked and dead-bolted now than ever before. The town has forever lost
its sense of innocence.
Even scarier is the fact that the man who committed these acts was a former
resident of the town. He attended McIntosh High School, shopped at the
Braelinn Kroger, and got gas at the Pit Stop. I knew this guy. I went
to high school with him; heck, he was in my class.
He was not the coolest kid in school, maybe even considered a dork sometimes,
but nevertheless, he was fairly normal as teenagers go. Certainly he did
not come off as a rapist. Of course, in high school he probably was not
one.
Two summers ago, I served a small amount of time in Fayette County Jail
for violation of probation. Two weeks of that time was spent in the same
dormitory as Beau Reed. One week was spent in the same cell.
When we realized we knew each other from high school, we began to reminisce
about mutual acquaintances, teachers we had, and events that took place.
Even though he had apparently matured into a car thief with multiple convictions,
he still came off to me as an all-right kid. Like I said, he was kind
of a dork in school, so I guessed he stole cars to feel cool. You know,
like Nicholas Cage in “Gone in 60 Seconds.”
When you do time in a county jail, it helps to have a friend to spend
time with. Though I would not consider Beau Reed a friend, we did spend
our days together. We did everything from eating meals together, to watching
Dragon Ball Z, and even playing Monopoly. We shared stories at night about
our life experiences and spoke of what fun we would have on the outside
again. Of course, I was thinking of straightening my life out; I suppose
now that he planned to remain on his present track.
I would never expect him to be capable of such savage and brutal wickedness.
What could have happened, what choices could he have made to lead him
down a path which ended Friday, Oct. 24, in a high-speed car chase with
a stolen vehicle, wanted for rape and attempted murder, and ending with
his death?
It is obvious Beau chose to be a criminal for a living. Maybe he became
a drug addict as well. He spent time in state prison, so maybe something
happened to him there. Of course, these speculations are simple answers
to a very hard question: Why? Why would anyone torment an innocent life
with such selfish acts of violence? The victim must now live with these
emotional and physical scars for the rest of her life.
Beau Reed, no matter who he was or who I remember him to be, became one
of life’s truly evil men. He became a vessel of hate, spreading pain
and torment in our world. He deserved far worse than death for his sins,
and only God can justly punish his soul.
But, I cannot get who he was out of my head. He was not who he became.
How can we ever trust anyone not to become the same?
Beau Reed was a mother’s baby boy. He took his first steps, said
his first words, and brought joy and love to the world. But, this innocent
boy grew up to be a rapist and a villain.
My daughter is 1 year old. The only thing I can think to do for her is
pray. I will pray for her life to stay on the narrow path, because the
wide road of destruction is certainly a very wide road.
Timothy M. Wallace
Newnan, Ga.
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