The Ohio State University psychology major whom police believe was murdered by a registered sex offender was a straight A student excited about May graduation.
Reagan Tokes, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, vanished after leaving work at a local bar on February 8. Her frantic family members and friends circulated missing posts on social media. Then, a coroner confirmed that a body found shot to death in a nearby park is Tokes.
That left a shaken community and campus wondering: Who killed the vivacious young woman? Police now have an answer: They’ve arrested a registered sex offender named Brian Lee Golsby, and they say they believe the attack was random.
“Of all the people in this world we find ourselves asking why her?” wrote one friend on a GoFundMe site established to help Tokes’ family.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Tokes’ Uncle Confirmed Her Body Was Found & Described the Family’s Immense Pain
In a post on Facebook, Tokes’ uncle, Jamie Tokes, wrote: “Thank you all for your prayers and support for my beautiful niece /god daughter Reagan Tokes that went missing at OSU last night.”
Then he delivered the awful news: “This afternoon, her body was found. Words can’t express the pain we are feeling as a family.”
Tokes’ sister, Makenzie, posted a heartbreaking throwback photo on Twitter as the news broke:
You hear about these things on the news but you never think it could happen. I love you with all my heart gee gee
The Tab quoted Makenzie as saying that security cameras at the bar where Reagan worked “show her get close to her car but they don’t know if she was able to get in it.” The sister told the news site that “the last message that was delivered to her phone was at 10:30 p.m. with no reply.”
Golsby has now been charged with Aggravated Murder, Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Robbery, police revealed on February 11.
2. Tokes’ Last Public Post on Facebook Was About How Happy She Was to Call Ohio State ‘Home’
On Facebook, Tokes expressed how much she loved Ohio State and considered it home. She wrote that she worked at Bodega and Fusian, and studied psychology.
Tokes lived in Columbus, Ohio, and was from Toledo, her Facebook page says. Her page is filled with photos of her on vacation, zip lining, and out on the town with friends.
Golsby, the man accused of killing her, was released from prison last November after spending six years there for a rape and robbery of a woman in a parking lot.
3. Tokes Was Found Shot to Death in a Park After a Likely Random Attack
Authorities revealed that they had found the body of a woman at Scioto Grove Metro Park in Grove City, reported ABC 6. She was shot in the head, according to NBC 4.
The television station reported that police are investigating the case as a possible homicide, saying the woman was shot to death. The coroner says the woman was Tokes. They were led to Golsby, who was recently released after serving time for a rape, through unspecified evidence in Tokes’ car, according to the local NBC affiliate.
WBNS reports that police believe Tokes might have been killed elsewhere and dumped in the park because they found no shell casings or attempt to hide the body.
The Lantern reported that the car found with the woman’s body matched the license plate of Tokes’ car.
According to the Columbus Post Dispatch, police think they know who the woman is but were waiting for positive identification before saying more. Police did put out a description over the radio of the woman’s vehicle Thursday night, “saying that it was missing and possibly stolen when she was shot. The vehicle is described as a silver, 1999 Honda Acura with four doors. The license number is Ohio FGR 8547. The vehicle had Miami Dolphins and Block O (Ohio State) stickers in the window,” reported the Ohio newspaper.
Police did not say if the woman was killed at the park or her body dumped there or release further details about the manner of death.
4. Tokes Was Last Seen Leaving a Bar Where She Worked
According to the Lantern, Tokes was last seen at Bodega bar, where she worked, on Wednesday night, February 8. Family and friends posted on social media that she was missing.
EVERYONE please help my sister Reagan Tokes is missing from OSU. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING @reagantokes PLEASE PRAY
Her sister Makenzie Tokes said on Facebook that she was missing, the Lantern reported, and identified her car as a 1999 Acura, with Ohio State and Miami Dolphins stickers.
Social media has erupted with prayers for the family from distraught and concerned students.
The news of Reagan Tokes is devastating. I’m hoping we get answers and the police find her killer soon.
The bar where she worked also posted a remembrance to Tokes:
Makenzie had also tweeted to Donald Trump, writing, “@realDonaldTrump security is a major issue if my sister was killed leaving her job last night. Please do all you can to keep us safe.”
5. Tokes Was a Fourth Year Psychology Student Getting Ready to Graduate
On Twitter, Tokes recently posted about how emotional she got about getting prepared to graduate from Ohio State, where she was a fourth year psychology student.
Today my dad emailed me diploma frames and told me to pick one out and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up
Her tweets reveal the life of a typical college student.
I’ve been laying in bed day dreaming about tacos for over a half hour now…this is my life.
There is no greater heartbreak and betrayal than when a prof tells you the class is going to get out early and then it doesn’t
A fundraising effort has been launched to help the family. The GoFundMe site reads, “We lost an amazing young lady this week. Reagan Delaney Tokes was taken from us in a selfish act. On February 9th, 2017 she was fatally shot and abandoned in a park. This feeling we have can’t be put to words. Of all the people in this world we find ourselves asking why her?”
“If you knew Reagan you would know her as one of the sweetest, big hearted individuals you have ever come a crossed. Her smile and personality would light up any room she was in. Reagan was born and raised in Maumee, Ohio. Graduating from Anthony Wayne High School with phenomenal grades and was an active member on both the General’s tennis and lacrosse teams. She attended The Ohio State University and was excepted to graduate this spring, with a degree in Psychology. Her life was cut short and will no longer be able to do so. She will no longer be able to go to the places she dreamed, accomplish her goals, and have the long life she deserved to have.”
In high school, Tokes was “a four-year varsity tennis player at Anthony Wayne and also played on the varsity lacrosse team,” reported the Toledo Blade, which reported that her career goals involved working for a Cleveland clinic. Tokes was a straight A student, the newspaper reported.