2 acquitted in brawl that paralyzed man

By Madison Park

May 7, 2008

Two Edgewood sisters who were accused of participating in a brawl that left a man paralyzed have been acquitted of all charges, including attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Harford County Circuit Judge Thomas Marshall dismissed 14 of the 18 charges against Tommyrre Ellysse Reid, 16, and Layelle Shalae Reid, 15, on Friday after finding there was insufficient evidence.

Later that day, a jury found the Reids, who were being tried as adults, not guilty on the remaining charges, which included three counts of second-degree assault and one count of disorderly conduct.

The Reids were accused of taking part in a Nov. 25 incident in which a crowd gathered at Gregory Simmons' home in the 1900 block of Eloise Lane. The incident erupted over a woman's relationship with a male neighbor and turned violent, with assailants using aluminum baseball bats and knives, according to police. Three people were sent to the hospital, including Simmons, who was stabbed twice and beaten.

"There was an abundance of evidence that girls had nothing to do with any stabbings or bats involved," said defense attorney David Henninger.

During the trial, Henninger said the Reid sisters were at the scene, but "it was clear they had nothing to do with the serious assaults."

Five other suspects, including the sisters' mother, Celestine Huff, have been charged in connection with the brawl.

"We're evaluating the charges on the remaining suspects," Harford County State's Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly said yesterday.

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2 acquitted in brawl that paralyzed man

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