In the fall of 2019, the life of Tito Randall Kingsby, a 36-year-old Black / African American man, was tragically cut short in Burlington, Iowa. On the afternoon of Sunday, October 27, 2019, police and fire personnel were dispatched to a residence on Stowe Street for an unknown problem. Inside the home, they discovered Kingsby, who had been shot and killed.
The discovery launched a swift homicide investigation into his death.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, and just a day later, an arrest was made. Moshun Dee Reed, a 19-year-old from Shreveport, Louisiana, was taken into custody. Initially, Reed was arrested on an outstanding warrant from his home state. However, his connection to Kingsby's death soon became the focus of the investigation, and he was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. Reed was held in the Des Moines County Correctional Center without bond as he awaited his court appearance. An autopsy for Kingsby was scheduled for the following Wednesday to officially determine the cause of death.
As the legal process unfolded, the initial charge of first-degree murder against Moshun Dee Reed was altered. In December 2021, about a week before his trial was set to begin, Reed entered into a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of attempted murder, willful injury, and going armed with intent. The Des Moines County Attorney stated that several factors contributed to the decision to accept the plea deal, including the location of witnesses and delays in the legal proceedings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ultimately, Moshun Dee Reed, then 21 years old, was sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison for his role in the death of Tito Kingsby. The sentence included 25 years for attempted murder, 10 years for willful injury, and an additional five years for going armed with intent, bringing a conclusion to the nearly two-year-long case.
