Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secures guilty plea from Denzell Reed for the 2023 murder of Marvita McCaskill

Posted on 12/10/2024

Defendant: Denzell Reed

The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secured a guilty plea today from Denzell Reed, 19, of Columbus, for the murder of Marvita McCaskill, 63, also of Columbus, in November 2023.

Reed pleaded guilty to murder, unlawful possession of a dangerous ordinance with a six-year firearm specification and having weapons while under disability. Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft immediately sentenced Reed to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 23 years.

Zach Imwalle and Gillian Bateyunga prosecuted the case.

McCaskill was driving home on Nov. 9, 2023, from her granddaughter’s birthday party when Reed and another individual accosted her at gunpoint outside of her apartment and demanded her car keys. When she refused to give them her keys and began shouting for help, she was shot three times with an AR-style firearm.

Investigators from the Columbus Division of Police said Reed admitted his involvement in the homicide during an interview with police. They said Reed also was found with a Glock switch, which converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon.