LARNED — Michael E.G. Reynolds, the man accused in the March 30 shooting death of a Larned State Hospital physician, entered a plea of “not guilty” Wednesday morning at arraignment in Pawnee County. Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett noted Wednesday afternoon that the arraignment was held by Zoom in the Pawnee County Courthouse.
On Nov. 8, 2024, Topeka Senior Judge Nancy Parrish found sufficient evidence to support all three charges against Reynolds, 68, at the conclusion of a contested preliminary hearing in Pawnee County District Court. Reynolds is charged with the intentional second-degree murder of Dr. Tomas Garza, at a rural residence south of Larned. He is also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal possession of a firearm.
Further court appearances have not yet been set, McNett noted. A pre-trial hearing is expected in March, with trial to commence some time in May in Pawnee County District Court.
On Wednesday, McNett also noted that the court was advised that a motion for change of venue may be introduced by defense counsel Natalie Kristine Morlock, Dodge City, at the March hearing.
Case history
The case marks the second intentional murder proceeding in six years in Pawnee County. Just after 5 p.m. on March 30, 2024, Dr. Garza, 52, of Larned, was shot multiple times during an argument with Michael Reynolds as reported by a witness on the scene. Law enforcement officers from both the Larned Police Department and Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office responded, taking Reynolds into custody. The shooting occurred at a warehouse at 1219 Kansas Highway 19 South, in rural Pawnee County. Garza was transported to Pawnee Valley Community Hospital but later died of his injuries.
The case included investigations by the LPD, PCSO and Kansas Bureau of Investigation, as well as autopsy information collected by Dr. Lyle Nordhoek, Pawnee County Coroner.
Reynolds is being held in Pawnee County Jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond.
If convicted of the murder charge, Reynolds faces between 12 and 54 years in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, depending upon his criminal history.
