Body found in Elizabeth Township

A Franklin Furnace man has allegedly admitted to the murder of an Ashland man who had been missing for a week.

The body of 21-year-old Justin Reeder was found on Township Road 218 in Elizabeth Township Monday afternoon after police say Jacob E. Lane admitted to shooting Reeder in the head.

Lane, 24, of Franklin Furnace, allegedly told Ashland Police that he killed Reeder on Sunday, Oct. 16, the day before Reeder was reported missing.

In a press conference Tuesday morning, Ashland Police Chief Todd Kelley revealed more details of the investigation, and said a search of an area that Reeder spent time in revealed no evidence of him being there.

“As the investigation continued, Ashland Police responded to the parents of Justin Reeder on Central Avenue in Ashland. The report was that Jacob Lane had broken into their home in an attempt to steal money and narcotics. The investigation from that allowed officers to obtain a warrant against Jacob Lane for burglary in the second degree,” Kelley said. “On Oct. 21, Ashland Police contacted Sheriff Jeff Lawless, of the Lawrence County, Ohio Sheriff’s Department. Intelligence received from investigators led officers to search an area of the abandoned concrete plant adjacent to U.S. 52 near Coal Grove. Information at that time was that it was possible that Justin had been killed and placed there.”

Following that search for Reeder, Kelley said Lane was located and agreed to respond to the Ashland Police Department.

“He was interviewed about the whereabouts of Justin Reeder, as he was the last person seen with him on Sunday prior. Jacob did not provide any valuable information at that time, but at the conclusion of the interview, Lane was arrested for burglary of the second degree,” Kelley said. “As the investigation continued throughout this past weekend, Ashland police officers again obtained information that Justin Reeder had been killed. Following up on leads and intelligence gained through phone records, Lane was again interviewed. During that interview, Lane did admit that he in fact had killed Justin Reeder.”

The murder allegedly occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16 in the 1100 block of 29^th Street in Ashland, according to Kelley.

“Lane admitted to shooting Justin in the head, and during the interview, Jacob Lane revealed further details of the disclosed location of Justin Reeder,” Kelley said. “Yesterday afternoon, Ashland police officers again contacted Sheriff Jeff Lawless of the Lawrence County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office, and a search party was given the location. At approximately 2:20 p.m. (Monday), the body of Justin Reeder was located on Township Road 218, AKA Tunnel Ridge Road in Lawrence County, Ohio.”

The Ashland Police Department has charged Lane with the murder of Reeder, although Kelley said the investigation is still ongoing.

Kelley thanked the Ashland Police Department, the Boyd County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Ashland/Boyd/Catlettsburg Emergency Management, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the coroner’s offices of Lawrence and Boyd Counties for their assistance in the case.