June 26, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
The search for a six year old missing child and her father is over!
34 year old Nicholas Reeder and daughter Kinzleigh were found alive but barricaded in an outbuilding with little food and water on Reeder’s property in the Pea Ridge community Friday night. Authorities were led to the shed by a bloodhound used in the search.
Kinzleigh was released to the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and her father was arrested for child abuse and neglect, failure to appear, and custodial interference.
Sheriff Patrick Ray issued the following statement after the Reeder’s were found.
“The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department along with other agencies from across middle Tennessee have diligently worked around the clock looking for Kinzleigh Reeder. It all came to end on Friday evening when the child was located in an outbuilding with her father”.
“Throughout the search for Kinzleigh Reeder, there have been hundreds of manpower hours utilized in the diligent search for Nicholas Reeder and the missing child. Throughout the investigation, there have been airplanes equipped with thermal imaging and drones used in the Pea Ridge Community. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department was contacted to assist in the search with a bloodhound named “Fred”. The bloodhound was able to locate a scent that led to an outbuilding located on the property belonging to Nicholas Reeder. Officers did have to make forcible entry where they came in contact with Nicholas and Kinzleigh Reeder. The door to the outbuilding was barricaded and the windows had been covered up with metal. There was no ventilation and air conditioning inside the small outbuilding. There was barely any food or water for the child. The outbuilding had a strong ammonia smell where the two had been urinating and defecating in a five gallon bucket,” said Sheriff Ray.
“Nicholas Reeder has been arrested for child abuse or neglect. He also had warrants for failure to appear and custodial interference. His total bond is $175,000. The child was released to the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services,” he added.
Sheriff Ray said he would like to thank the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County Fire and Rescue, Stormpoint Emergency Response, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad, DeKalb EMS, Federal Bureau of Investigations and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for all their assistance in the search of Kinzleigh Reeder.
Kinzleigh, who had been missing since May 26, was removed from the custody of Reeder after they were found camped out under a bridge in rising creek water on the cold rainy night of March 18 at Dry Creek and Pea Ridge Road.
Authorities learned that Reeder had driven his Nissan Rogue off the roadway into the creek bed where it got stuck during heavy rain and creek flooding. Kinzleigh was with Reeder at the time.
Reeder was later charged with child abuse and neglect and Kinzleigh was placed into the temporary custody of a family member by the Department of Children’s Services. After Reeder’s release from jail, DCS gave Reeder approval to live in the same home where Kenzleigh was staying.
On Monday, June 21 the Department of Children Services contacted the Sheriff’s Department seeking to file a missing child report. Under a court order signed June 16, the Department of Children Services was granted custody of Kinzleigh but DCS had not been able to locate her. According to DCS the child was last seen by a family member on May 26.
“After being contacted by DCS Monday the Sheriff’s Department filed a missing person report and entered information about Kinzleigh into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC),” Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE. “We also contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation about issuing an Amber Alert or an Endangered Child Alert but were advised by the TBI that this case did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert or an Endangered Child Alert. The TBI did assist in doing a Missing Child Alert by providing a missing poster. The District Attorney General’s Office was also notified,” said Sheriff Ray.
The following is the WJLE news story post after Reeder and Kinzleigh were first encountered by authorities under the bridge at Dry Creek on March 18. Her name had not been released at that time.
Sheriff Patrick Ray said that on Thursday, March 18 Reeder knowingly endangered the life and physical well being of his child by driving his Nissan Rogue off the roadway at Dry Creek and Pea Ridge Road into a creek bed where it got stuck during heavy rain and creek flooding.
According to Sheriff Ray and the deputy who was called to the scene, a passerby spotted Reeder’s Nissan Rogue under the bridge in the creek between 1 and 2 a.m. on Thursday March 18. No one was in the vehicle but Reeder and the child were outside under the bridge.
Although Reeder has a home nearby where he and his daughter reside, Reeder told the officer that he arrived at the bridge with the child earlier in the day with the intention of staying the night even though it was cold and raining and the creek waters were rising. After setting up camp under the bridge, Reeder and the child left to get some groceries and other supplies but returned later to the creek where Reeder’s Nissan Rogue got stuck.
Due to the rising creek water and safety hazards, the deputy told Reeder that he and the child would have to leave. Although he was initially reluctant to go and vowed to return to the bridge later, Reeder allowed the officer to transport him and the child back to their home.
Reeder was later arrested and the Department of Children Services was notified. The child was placed in the care of a family member.