Raamon V. ReedEDWARDSVILLE - A Madison County judge has sentenced a St. Louis man to 40 years in prison today for the January 1, 2013 murder of his girlfriend, Tabatha Lynae Milton-Rush, 44, whose body was found along Interstate 255 and State Route 140 in Bethalto on January 5, 2013.

Raamon V. Reed (d.o.b. 10/19/66) was charged with First Degree Murder and Concealment of a Homicidal Death on January 7, 2013. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was called in by the Bethalto Police Department to assist with the investigation. Reed was accused of shooting Milton-Rush in the head at another location and then dumping her body along the roadway. The victim was also from St. Louis.

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On November 25, 2015, Reed pleaded guilty to the murder and concealment charges. He had been set for a jury trial the following week. First Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Mudge and Assistant State's Attorney Lauren Heischmidt prosecuted the case. They sought a 40-year sentence for Reed on the murder charge and a 4-year sentence on the concealment charge from Circuit Judge Kyle Napp at today’s hearing. Reed was sentenced to 38 years on the homicide and 2 years on the concealment. Convictions for murder require the defendant to serve 100 percent of his sentence; the 2-year sentence on the concealment charge will run consecutive and Reed will be required to serve at least 50 percent on that count. He has been in custody at the Madison County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond since his arrest.

State's Attorney Tom Gibbons thanked his prosecutors, officers with the Major Case Squad and Bethalto Police Department and Coroner Steve Nonn, for their work in obtaining a 40-year sentence for the 49-year-old Reed. “I hope that the children, family, and friends of Tabitha take some comfort in today’s sentencing. The defendant took the life of their loved one in a horribly violent manner and now he will spend what we hope will be the rest of his life in prison.”

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