In the early morning hours of February 28, 2021, a dispute between cousins staying in an Oklahoma City hotel ended in a tragic death. Mario Vines, a 48-year-old Black male from Daphne, Alabama, was found deceased in a hallway of the Holiday Inn in the Bricktown district. He had been shot to death just one day after his birthday. Vines and his cousin, Tarius Reed, also from Daphne, Alabama, were in the city for a few weeks for work.
The two men had been out for an evening that reportedly
included a birthday celebration with dinner, drinks, and dancing before the fatal confrontation unfolded inside their hotel room. Officers were called to the hotel at 101 E. Main St. around 2:25 AM regarding a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Mario Vines, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Tarius Reed was still present and was taken into custody by the authorities.
During the investigation, Reed claimed he acted in self-defense. He alleged that an argument with his cousin escalated, and that Vines threatened to kill him, attacked him, and began to choke him, which led him to pull out a pistol and fire. However, investigators believe that following an altercation, Reed produced the pistol and shot and killed Vines. A judge later denied Reed's self-defense claim, pointing to the combination of alcohol and firearms.
Tarius Reed was arrested and initially booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a complaint of first-degree murder. In a surprising turn just before his trial was set to begin, Reed entered a blind plea, admitting guilt without a plea deal. The first-degree murder charge was ultimately thrown out, and he pleaded down to second-degree murder. Tarius Reed was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison for the shooting death of his cousin.
