The widow and family of the man shot by his boss say his killer should not be free.
The family of Ernest Hoskins Jr., the 21-year-old Black man who was shot to death by his white boss during a lunch meeting in Arkansas, says they are irate that the killer remains free two months after the killing.
“The family feels that the killer should be formally charged by the prosecutor’s office and that he should come to justice quickly,” said Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for Hoskins’ family.
Crump said that although Chris Reynolds had been arrested by the Arkansas State Police, the prosecutor’s office in Lonoke County had not formally charged him with the crime. A spokeswoman with that office confirmed to BET.com that no formal charges had yet been filed against Reynolds, who is out on bond.
Officials involved in the case say they expect a special prosecutor to be named. Then, there will be a review of the evidence, and Reynolds is expected to be formally charged after that.
Reynolds, the owner of Raynell Industries, was arrested for the shooting death of his employee. But the charges, by the local police, have not been filed by the local prosecutor's office.
Hoskins was attending a lunch with three other workers when, at some point during the meal, Reynolds was said to have aimed a .44 Magnum pistol at Hoskins, fatally shooting him in the jaw.
Shortly after the shooting, Reynolds called police to report that he had shot the young Black man, who was working on a degree from the University of Phoenix, according to the family’s lawyer.
At the time of his death, Hoskins and his wife were planning a formal ceremony celebrating their marriage.
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(Photo: Courtesy Ernest Hoskins Jr. Family)
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