Ethan Reid

SCOTTSVILLE — A grand jury will hear the case against an Allen County man accused of shooting and killing the mother of his child.

Ethan Reid, 23, of Scottsville, appeared Wednesday in Allen District Court for a preliminary hearing.

Reid is charged with murder-domestic violence in connection with the death of 20-year-old Kayla Hodges, who was shot Oct. 3 at the Scottsville residence she shared with Reid’s mother, April Riley.

Detective William Francis of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office testified that two 911 calls were made from the residence around 5:24 p.m. that day concerning a man with a gun.

Francis said he interviewed Riley, who told him that she was sleeping in the back of the house when Hodges awakened her and said that Reid had come to the house and was armed. Reid’s car was reportedly parked in front of the steps on the front porch of the house.

“She was standing in the hallway between Kayla and Mr. Reid when he pushed (Riley) out the back door,” Francis said.

Riley then re-entered the house, where Hodges gave her the 7-month-old infant daughter Reid and Hodges have in common.

Riley reported seeing Hodges run toward the front door and then hearing a bang. Riley reached the front of the house in time to see Hodges fall out the front door, Francis said.

The detective testified that Riley saw Reid with a shotgun.

“It looked like he was trying to reload it,” Francis testified. “He said he was going to harm himself.”

Within moments, a neighbor, Brian Groves, came to the residence armed with a shotgun and confronted and disarmed Reid.

Francis said that Groves told him that he did not remember whether he kicked or threw the weapon Reid had been holding.

Hodges, who was shot once in the back, was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Oct. 3.

Reid smelled strongly of alcohol and said at the crime scene that he was sorry, Francis said.

Allen District Judge Martha Harrison bound the case over to a grand jury after finding probable cause that a crime was committed and that Reid was the offender.

Hodges’ death is the fifth homicide to occur in Allen County in less than a year. 

All five deaths have resulted in criminal charges that are pending in court.

— Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.