fbpx

Reginald Kimbro, Serial Rapist and Murderer, Sentenced to Life in Prison

Reginald Kimbro, Serial Rapist and Murderer, Sentenced to Life in Prison
Reginald Kimbro entering a courtroom in Tarrant County's 213th District Court before his sentencing. | Image by Amanda McCoy, Star Telegram

The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney announced on March 18 that Reginald Kimbro had pled guilty to the rape and murder of a Fort Worth woman in 2017.

Kimbro also pled guilty to charges in several other counties, including a rape and murder charge in Dallas County. Kimbro was initially arrested in April 2017 in connection with the death of Molly Jane Matheson, 22, who had engaged in a previous relationship with Kimbro.

Matheson’s body was found on April 10, 2017, after she failed to report for work. Investigators observed that she had been beaten and raped before being strangled to death. Investigators also found that the perpetrator of the crime had attempted to conceal the evidence by washing the deceased woman’s body and washing a load of clothing. A pair of underwear was found in the laundry that contained DNA evidence linking the underclothing to Kimbro. 

During the investigation, detectives discovered that Kimbro was also a suspect in the rape and murder of Megan Getrum, 36. Getrum’s body was found in Lake Ray Hubbard several days after her April 14, 2017 disappearance.  Getrum had been hiking on a trail near the lake when she was attacked. Kimbro was later identified through DNA and surveillance video from the scene. 

The Tarrant County CDA identified four additional victims of sexual assaults committed by Kimbro, beginning with an attack in Plano in 2012. Two more women informed law enforcement of sexual assaults in South Padre and Allen, occurring in 2014. A fourth victim came forward after learning of the prior assaults to report an attack that happened in Collins County in 2014. According to Tarrant County, none of the four assault cases had been filed when Kimbro was arrested for murder in 2017. 

“Reginald Kimbro is a serial rapist and a serial killer,” Tarrant County CDA Allenna Bangs said. “He used his personality and charm to attract women or drugged them when that did not work, he talked his way out of case after case until his violence culminated in the deaths of Molly Matheson and Megan Getrum.”

Kimbro pled guilty to both homicide charges and all charges related to the sexual assaults while also waiving his right to appeal. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in each of the homicide cases and an additional 20 years for each of the sexual assault charges, ensuring that he will never be released from prison. 

In 2019, Molly Jane’s Law was enacted by the Texas Legislature to require law enforcement to add necessary information to a national database when investigating sexual assault crimes. The law, named after Kimbro’s 2017 victim, ensures that multi-agency investigators can link the crimes they are investigating with similar crimes. The case against Kimbro used a combination of DNA evidence, surveillance video, cell phone records, and other evidence to connect the serial rapist and murder to the crimes. 

“The women affected by Kimbro’s crimes are incredibly brave for coming forward with their experiences,” Tarrant County CDA Page Simpson said. “This plea allows the Matheson and Getrum families to finally hear him admit what he did and simultaneously ensures he cannot do it again.”

Support our non-profit journalism

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Continue reading on the app
Expand article