Isabella County man charged with open murder; wife worked for CMU
A former Central Michigan University employee was found dead Friday and her husband is charged with open murder.
Gary John Reen, 56 of Chippewa Township, was charged Saturday after turning himself over to police and telling them he shot his wife, Cheryl Kristine Reen. He remains jailed on $2 million bond.
Deputies found the body of the 51-year-old woman in a pole barn at a residence located at 7120 E. River Road, where Gary Reen told deputies he had shot her, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.
Investigators determined Cheryl Reen was shot at least two times with a handgun.
Cheryl Reen, whose name is listed in a past CMU directory, worked as an administrative secretary for the School of Health Sciences as recently as 2005.
It was not clear whether she was working for the university at the time of her death. CMU human resources officials did not provide any information regarding her current employment status as of Sunday evening.
Reen is also charged with felony firearm possession. He has asked for a court-appointed attorney to represent him.
A date for Reen's next court appearance will likely be set sometime this week, Mioduszewski said.
The alleged homicide stemmed from a domestic dispute at the home, about a mile and a half north of the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.
"They were having marital problems at the time," Mioduszewski said.
Sheriff's deputies and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police arrived at the scene 6:57 p.m Friday after Reen turned himself in. Investigators from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab arrived later from Bridgeport to process the scene and collect any evidence.
The Reen's 15-year-old son was also staying at the residence prior to the incident. The teenager, who was inside the home at the time of the alleged shooting, has since been turned over to other family members.
"He didn't know what was going on," Mioduszewski said. "He was playing video games at the time."
Beyond marital problems, a clearer motive behind the alleged homicide has not yet been determined. Reen is saying little to investigators, the sheriff said.
The incident is the third reported murder in the Mount Pleasant area in the past year.
On July 10, 25-year-old Iva Joy Fuller’s body was found in a field off of Remus Road near Nottawa Road on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation. Her brother, Daniel Lawrence Fuller, has been indicted on federal murder charges.
Three days later, Kim "Kemp" Luchie, 25, was shot to death by Shepherd resident Justin Joel Luckhardt at The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St. Luckhardt later shot and killed himself after a high-speed police chase.
"Homicides in Isabella County are very rare," Mioduszewski said.
