That morning, around 3 a.m. at his Oakland home, Reynolds fatally shot Kinkade-Dorsey just above the right eye with a 9mm handgun. Kinkade-Dorsey was a friend of Reynolds’ wife, Theresa, and was staying at the home before heading to Omaha to catch a flight to California to see her grandson off for a deployment with the Air Force. The three had spent the previous evening drinking with the Reynolds’ neighbors, who left around 10:30 p.m. Around 3 a.m. Theresa Reynolds awoke to find her husband screaming at Kinkade-Dorsey in the kitchen.

After she entered the fray, telling Robert Reynolds to stop yelling, he left the kitchen and returned with the gun. After more shouting he eventually shot Kinkade-Dorsey.  In his presentation Pottawattamie County Matt Wilber noted the incident was not an accident or mistake, not provoked or justified.

Eric Nelson, who represented Reynolds with Joseph Reedy, argued that his client had no reason to want to cause harm to Kinkade-Dorsey, casting doubt on a motive. Nelson outlined four reasons to reasonably doubt Reynolds’ guilt:

• There was no blood found on the clothes Reynolds wore that night.

• There was no gunshot residue on the clothes.

• Theresa Reynolds’ clothes from the night were not tested for blood or gunshot residue.

• The clothes of Amber Hoyt – Robert Reynolds’ stepdaughter – from the night were also not tested for blood or gunshot residue.

Nelson said it’s clear the evidence shows Kinkade-Dorsey is dead. Nelson noted character witnesses that vouched for Reynolds’ general peaceful and nonviolent behavior, noting he wondered if Kinkade-Dorsey had in any way provoked a confrontation. After hearing those arguments, the jury deliberated at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse before the verdict was announced at about 3 p.m.