Wikipedia

Tucker Reed

Aisling Tucker Moore-Reed (born October 15, 1989),[2] known by her pen name Tucker Reed, is an American novelist and former civil rights activist who was convicted of manslaughter in May 2020. Reed co-authored the young adult novel Amber House published in October 2012 and its sequel Neverwas, released internationally in January 2014.[3]

Tucker Reed
Tucker Reed's booking photo from the Jackson County Sherriff's office
Tucker Reed's booking photo from the Jackson County Sherriff's office
BornAisling Tucker Moore-Reed[1]
(1989-10-15) October 15, 1989 (age 35)
Los Gatos, California, U.S.
Pen nameWyn Reed, Tucker Reed
OccupationNovelist, journalist, blogger, inmate
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
GenreGothic horror, time travel, alternate history
Notable works

Reed's allegations of being raped resulted in her liability for defamation. In May 2020, she was convicted of manslaughter for killing her uncle after shooting him in July 2016. She was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Early life

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Aisling Tucker Moore-Reed was born in Los Gatos, California, Santa Clara County. She is the daughter of New York Times best-selling authors Kelly Moore and English teacher Daniel Reed.[4] Through her maternal grandfather, United States Navy Commander Lundi Addison Moore, she claims descent from Plymouth Colony settler and Mayflower Compact signer Stephen Hopkins.[5]

She attended Ashland High School in Oregon. As a teenager, Reed gigged with an alternative rock band as a singer-songwriter,[6] and performed lead roles in, as well as designed sets and costumes for, school and community theatre productions.[7][failed verification][8] She also served as a reporter, web designer and editor-in-chief for her high school's newspaper, The Rogue News. Reed went on to be recognized on the national level for her essays and short stories during her junior and senior years at Ashland High School.[9][10][11]

In 2009, at age 19, Reed persuaded her mother to collaborate on a novel. Reed's sister Larkin was later included in the collaboration as well. In 2011, the trio negotiated and received a reported six-figure financial deal with the Arthur A. Levine imprint of Scholastic Press for the North American rights to their planned Amber House Trilogy.[12]

Education

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In 2010, Reed attended the University of Southern California, where she studied broadcast journalism, theatre and cinema.[citation needed] She was a reporter and assistant editor for the university's student newspaper, the Daily Trojan, in 2010.[13] In 2014, Reed dropped out of USC.[14]

Career

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Reed and younger sister Larkin, with their mother Kelly Moore, co-authored Amber House, the first installment of the Amber House trilogy, which was released by Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books imprint on October 1, 2012.[3][15][16][17] Amber House received a positive critical reception, with Publishers Weekly praising the book's plot and originality, dubbing the story "rich, strange, and utterly fascinating."[18] Kirkus Reviews singled out the book's heroine as being a "strong, admirable character" for young female readers, contrasting her with Bella Swan from the Twilight franchise.[19]

Amber House was a finalist for the 2014 Oregon Book Award for Young Adult Literature, and was selected for the Texas Library Association's 2014 TAYSHAS List.[20][21] Reed acted as narrator of the audiobook edition of Amber House and its sequel Neverwas, which was released on January 7, 2014. Reed is also co-author of the series' forthcoming titles Ever Shall and Otherwhen.[22]

In early 2016, she worked as a reporter for The Grants Pass Daily Courier before quitting in the spring.[23][24][25]

Reed also played the lead role in an independent horror movie released November 20, 2020, titled From the Dark,[26] under the stage name Wyn Reed.[27]

Self-identified survivor of unsubstantiated gendered violence

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Reed first gained notoriety as an opponent of gendered violence (specifically sexual abuse against women) when she published the name of her alleged assaulter to a blog. According to Reed's blog, in 2013 the USC Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards office deemed "the burden of proof was not reached to find that a violation of the Student Conduct Code occurred." The case was later rejected by the LAPD, a private investigator, and the LA District Attorney. Reed was found liable for defamation in a counter-suit. Australian criminologist and feminist Anastasia Powell identified Reed in 2015 as one of several women who used the internet to engage in what would traditionally be deemed "vigilante" behavior in "resistance to rape culture" in Rape Justice: Beyond the Criminal Law.[28]

In September 2013, Reed spoke out as a proponent of "mandatory exit surveys" at college campuses, designed to better monitor the efficacy of policies and programs regarding student safety. Such surveys would, according to Reed, prevent internal corruption and dismissal of valid student claims because they would create an external reference monitoring whether colleges remain in compliance with the Clery Act and their own safety policies.[29]

Activism and self-advocacy

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In 2013, Reed aided students at multiple institutions in filing Office for Civil Rights complaints against their colleges.[30][31] In September 2013, Reed was recognized for her activism by the Veteran Feminists of America when she was awarded the Lucy Burns Challenger Award at the organization's 20th anniversary celebration.[citation needed] Reed received her honor alongside feminist icons such as attorney Gloria Allred, singer-songwriter June Millington and Grammy Award-winner Helen Reddy.

Reed helped to organize college students in support of women's rights and to raise public awareness about the issue of gendered violence, appearing on CNN, CBS, NBC, HuffPost Live and other news programs.[32][33][34][30][35] Reed founded the Student Coalition Against Rape (SCAR), originally a sub-org at the University of Southern California and now a national organization.[36] Reed has stated her hope "that, ultimately, sexual aggression will become as socially unacceptable as smoking in a crowded room."[37]

Since late 2012, Reed has blogged for xoJane.com and the Huffington Post, and written for Cosmopolitan magazine.[38][39]

Murder and drug charges

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On July 26, 2016, Reed was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of her 63-year-old maternal uncle, Shane Patrick Moore; this occurred at his parents' home in Applegate, Oregon. On July 29, 2016, Reed was indicted on charges of first and second degree manslaughter by a grand jury.[40] Reed's bail was set at $200,000.[41] When approached by the press, Reed's mother, Kelly Moore, said her daughter was protecting her against the uncle.[42]

On September 5, 2018, Reed also faced a charge of 2nd degree murder atop felony counts of first- and second- degree manslaughter of her uncle based on "some new evidence" that had surfaced, according to Deputy District Attorney Marco Boccato, who prosecuted the case with District Attorney Beth Heckert.[43]

In January 2020, Reed faced charges of supplying contraband and unlawfully possessing heroin in jail. She was housed at Jackson County Jail at the time.[44]

On May 27, 2020, Reed pleaded guilty to a charge of second degree manslaughter in the death of her uncle. She was sentenced to six years, three months in prison. As terms of the plea deal, the charges of first degree manslaughter and second degree murder were dropped.[45] She is incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville.[46] In January 2021, Reed filed a malpractice lawsuit against her defense attorney alleging he failed to adequately represent her and caused her to accept a false plea deal that was not voluntary. The lawsuit was dismissed by the court in May 2021.[47]

In October 2020, Dateline NBC introduced a podcast about Reed's killing of her uncle, entitled "Killer Role".[48][49]

The following year, Snapped aired an episode that profiled the case.

References

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  1. ^ "California Birth Index, 1905–1995" "California Birth Index, Aisling Tucker Moore Reed" Archived May 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ "Inmate". inmate.jacksoncounty.org. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Amber House". ArthurALevineBooks.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  4. ^ "Amber House". Scholastic.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  5. ^ "The Complex Mysteries of Kelly Moore's Amber House". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  6. ^ "Taking center stage". April 25, 2006. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  7. ^ Rebello, Stephen (September 16, 2014). "PLAYBOY INTERVIEW: DAVID FINCHER". Playboy. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  8. ^ "Off to see the wizard". September 8, 2006. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  9. ^ "Contributor". Scholastic.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  10. ^ "About the Authors". TheAmberHouseTrilogy.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  11. ^ "Oregon Council Of Teachers of English Spring 2008 Language Arts & Reading Conference" (PDF). OCTE.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  12. ^ "Deals: Week of October 10, 2011, Arthur Levine Gets Mother-Daughter Ghost Story". October 10, 2011. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  13. ^ "USC has no problems with gender balance". April 20, 2010. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  14. ^ Dateline NBC (April 13, 2021). "2 - It Just Went Off". Killer Role (Podcast). NBC News.
  15. ^ "Amber House". Kirkus.com. August 29, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  16. ^ "Amber House, starred review". PublishersWeekly.com. October 8, 2010. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  17. ^ Leila Roy (October 11, 2002). "The complex mysteries of Kelly Moore's 'Amber House'". Kirkus.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  18. ^ "Publishers Weekly. 6 Oct 2012". publishersweekly.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  19. ^ "A deliciously creepy beginning to a projected trilogy". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  20. ^ "Oregon Book Awards Finalists and Fellowship Recipients Announced". Literary-Arts.org. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  21. ^ "2014 TAYSHAS List". TXLA.org. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  22. ^ "Neverwas (Book #2, The Amber House Trilogy)". Goodreads.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  23. ^ "Ex-southern Oregon reporter charged in uncle's death". koin.com. KOIN. July 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  24. ^ Reed, Tucker. "Ashland man faces manslaughter charges in Merlin crash". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  25. ^ Pfeil, Ryan. "Two Applegate killings reported less than 12 hours apart". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  26. ^ "From the Dark (2020)". IMDb. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  27. ^ Tribune, Nick Morgan of the Mail (May 27, 2020). "Tucker Reed pleads guilty to manslaughter in Ruch area shooting". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  28. ^ Powell, Anastasia; Henry, Nicola; Flynn, Asher (2015). "Seeking Informal Justice Online: Vigilantism, Activism and Resisting a Rape Culture in Cyberspace". Rape Justice: Beyond the Criminal Law. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 222–3. ISBN 978-1137476142. Alt URL
  29. ^ Russell Westerholm (September 24, 2013). "USC Sexual Assault Victim Proposes Schools Issue Student Survey to See How Well Crime Policies Work". University Herald. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  30. ^ a b Sara Lipka (July 16, 2013). "Protesters Call for Stricter Sanctions on Colleges That Mishandle Sexual Assault". Archived from the original on August 21, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  31. ^ Claire Groden (August 8, 2013). "Campus Rape Victims Find a Voice". TIME magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  32. ^ "Ed Department Investigating USC". July 24, 2013. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  33. ^ "USC students protest school's handling of rape allegations". May 13, 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  34. ^ "Lifting the Veil On College Sex Assault". July 25, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  35. ^ Kayla Webley (October 16, 2013). "Big Shame On Campus". Marie Claire. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  36. ^ Brianna Sacks (May 13, 2010). "Students protest University's handling of Tucker Reed case". Neon Tommy-USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  37. ^ Joanna Walters (May 16, 2016). "'Breaking the shackles of shame': the rape survivors leading a new wave of activism". Archived from the original on May 17, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  38. ^ Tucker Reed (April 11, 2014). "To Shed Light on Campus Rape, Let's Make Every College Issue These Surveys". Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  39. ^ Tucker Reed (August 13, 2014). "I Spoke Out About Being Raped and Sparked a Movement at My College". Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  40. ^ Morgan, Nick. "Mother of alleged shooter says she lived in fear". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  41. ^ "Former Oregon Reporter Charged in the Death of Uncle". KEZI. July 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  42. ^ "Woman pleads not guilty in uncle's homicide". Mail Tribune. Jacksonville, Oregon. August 2, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  43. ^ Tribune, Nick Morgan Mail. "Niece re-arrested, this time on murder charge". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  44. ^ "Murder Suspect Tucker Reed Hit With Drug Charges" Archived January 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. MailTribune, January 2, 2020.
  45. ^ "Tucker Reed pleads guilty to manslaughter" Archived November 30, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Mail Tribune, May 28, 2020.
  46. ^ "Dateline NBC to feature Tucker Reed case Friday". Mail Tribune. October 1, 2020. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  47. ^ Medford, Archie (May 9, 2021). "Judge dismissed Tucker Reed's lawsuit against lawyer". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  48. ^ "DATELINE FRIDAY PREVIEW: Killer Role". NBC News. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  49. ^ Cordero, Rosy (September 30, 2020). "Dateline's Keith Morrison teases the twists and turns of the Aisling Tucker Moore-Reed case". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
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