LARNED – The intentional second-degree murder trial of Michael E.G. Reynolds, a Larned man accused of shooting a Larned State Hospital physician, will remain in Pawnee County as scheduled.

Reynolds, 68, is accused of shooting Dr. Thomas Garza, an LSH physician, multiple times during an argument the afternoon of March 30, 2024 at Reynolds’ warehouse south of Larned. Dr. Garza was given emergency treatment at the scene and transported by Larned EMS to Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries later in the evening.

Reynolds is currently charged with intentional second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal possession of a firearm.

On Thursday afternoon, Senior Judge Nancy Parrish of Topeka denied Reynolds’ defense attorney Louis Podrebarac’s motion for a change of venue from Pawnee County District Court in the Pawnee County Courthouse in Larned, as the final of several motions presented by prosecution and defense counsel at the hearing.

Judge Parrish, who retired in 2022 after serving 27 years in the 3rd Judicial District in Shawnee County, has presided over the case since 24th District Judge Bruce Gatterman announced his recusal in May of 2024.

Podrebarac becomes Reynolds’ third court-appointed defense counsel. Podrebarac, a Dodge City attorney, was second chair for Dodge City defense counsel Natalie Morlock, who served as defense counsel during Reynolds’ November preliminary hearing. Morlock, a Dodge City attorney, was appointed after defense attorney Joe Shepack, Ellsworth, asked to be removed as Reynolds’ counsel in September 2024 on the day the preliminary hearing was originally scheduled.

Podrebarac’s son Samuel, also a member of the Dodge City law firm, sat second chair for the defense during Thursday’s hearing.

Following presentation of several motions, dates were set for upcoming court actions, which included preparations for jury selection and pre-trial hearing on April 11 which involves a separate case against Reynolds.

Following her denial of change of venue, Judge Parrish then set March 27 as a date to begin sending out questionnaires to potential jurors.

The jury trial is set to begin on May 5 at the Pawnee County Courthouse.

Thursday motions

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett had several motions for the prosecution for Judge Parrish to consider, beginning with a motion to include as evidence the diversion agreement executed in 2015 with Reynolds for firearms violations.

The diversion agreement is part of the prosecution’s argument for Count 3 of the current charges against Reynolds, as it relates to a charge of criminal possession of a firearm.

Judge Parrish allowed the introduction of the diversion agreement document as an exhibit for the prosecution, with the stipulation that the defense be provided with the filed journal entry of record indicating the date of the diversion’s completion.

In other State’s motions, Parrish granted:

• The State’s motion for reciprocal discovery. Reciprocal discovery is a principle of criminal procedure that requires the defendant to give the prosecution copies of any pretrial statements that a defense witness gave during discovery.

• The State’s motion for admission into evidence a compilation audio of six telephone calls made by Reynolds while in custody from April 3, 2024 to May 22, 2024, in which Reynolds made several statements describing the events of March 30, 2024 to persons not his attorney of record. 

In testimony Thursday, Pawnee County Sheriff’s Detective Jacob Robison said that inmates were allowed outside communication through text and telephone communications that are restricted by on-duty staff and jail deputies, to 15-minute conversations that are monitored and recorded by PCSO programming. 

Det. Robison testified that he had collected a total of one hour and seven minutes of communications, that he had personally redacted down to an audio file of 33 minutes, 54 seconds. 

The redacted version was played on courtroom equipment during the hearing Thursday.

Judge Parrish allowed the introduction of the audio file into State’s evidence, with the agreement that defense counsel would have access to the original recording of the six conversations.

Defense motions granted by Parrish included:

• Allowing the defendant to appear in civilian clothing during court proceedings.

• The sequestration of witnesses during court proceedings.

• Information regarding the State’s witnesses offering expert testimony.

• Providing the defense of the defendant’s criminal history of record.