It Could Have Been Me: Chris Smith | Full Episode + Podcast | Forensic Files

[Music] This wasn't just a crime scene, was it? >> No, it was not. This one was bad.
Two innocent people that were on their first date had their lives destroyed. For what reason?
How well did Leslie Reeves know Chris Smith >> first date? [Music] Chris was in a band and a singer
and they had connected and he asked her out. >> The night before Thanksgiving they
decided just to meet up and go to the bar. >> He lived 65 miles away in a really small
farming community. The bar that night was very busy. The place was packed wallto-wall.
Chris and Leslie were talking a lot, laughing, getting along with everyone around them. She texted me around 10:00
and she said, "Everything's going okay." She did then text a second text that said, "I feel like something's a little
bit off or something. I'm not sure what she meant." Was that text the last time you heard from Leslie Reeves?
>> Mhm. Yes, it was. [Music] >> Did you try texting her in the morning? >> Mhm. >> And did she respond?
>> No. >> I just started driving towards Farmersville cuz I had the address and called the police department in that
area. >> Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. This is Jeff. >> Hi. I'm greatly concerned about my
friends. Can someone do a welfare check? >> What are you feeling at this point? Nana,
>> a lot of anxiety because I don't know what I'm going to walk into uh going up
there to this house. I pulled up in front of the address >> and then who came while you're sitting
there? >> While I'm sitting there, uh who's this uh woman parked? I said, "Well, maybe I'll roll my window
down and talk to her." >> I asked her if she was checking on Chris. And she said she was checking on
her friend. And that's when I went up to the door. I saw the back door was broken. And then
I saw Chris laying there. And then I ran back to my car and called 911. >> Nobody's answering the door. And and the
back window shattered. And there's a body. And there's a foot I saw on the floor.
I'm only 16. I can't deal with this. >> I was in shock. I think >> sheriff's office. Jeff.
>> Jeff, give me some help. I got one alive and one dead. >> I just remember them bringing Chris out
on the stretcher to the ambulance. I remember there being a sheet over him. So, it made me panic a little bit.
>> I got a call from our command center in Springfield. So, you are the lead crime scene
investigator? >> Yes. >> Were you really prepared for what you faced when you walked into that house?
>> I was not. >> Why would somebody do this to him? Why would they try to hurt my baby? That's
all I kept thinking. He's my baby. Someone hurt him. Going on a first date and they both end up getting shot is
insane. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] On the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day
2021, Nanette Styber sat in her car and watched anxiously as EMTs and Montgomery
County Sheriff's deputies ities descended on a house in the tiny village of Farmersville, Illinois.
>> I was quite upset and kind of going crazy in the car. >> Nette had been unable to reach her good
friend Leslie Reeves. Nanette knew Leslie had gone to that house the night before to go on a first
date with Chris Smith, a man she had met online. >> She was very excited. and she thought,
"Oh, this this might be um a really good connection." >> But now Nette was worried. She'd seen
Chris get taken away in an ambulance, but there was no sign of Leslie. >> I kept hoping, you know, okay, bring
Leslie out, please. >> Finally, a detective approached and asked Nanette for a photo of Leslie. She
showed him her phone and he gave her the horrible news. >> I'm so sorry to have to tell you this.
Your friend has um been murdered, you know, shot. He said he didn't tell me where, but he did say,
"I want you to know that she went very quickly." EMTs have found Chris barely conscious
and unable to say anything about the shooting. They rushed him to the hospital and deputies searched the
house. Later that day, crime scene investigator Josh Eastston of the Illinois State Police was called to the
scene and he began cataloging the mayhem inside. What do you see when you first approach the door? I noticed the side
door of the house. The glass in the door has been broken out. The refrigerator was pulled away from the wall. The
kitchen table was pushed. The the chairs were knocked over. >> No weapon was found, leading
investigators to suspect that a third person was involved. Een took note of every detail, including the burnt pizza
in the oven. I assume that maybe they were cooking a pizza for the night and the
suspect shows up at the door. They both tried to fight him off and when Chris was shot, Leslie went to the living room
to try to hide. >> How many times was she shot? >> She was only shot one time >> in the head.
>> In the head. >> Leslie's body was in the living room while Chris had been found in the
kitchen. Een said of the 1,800 crime scenes he had been to, this was one of the most horrific.
>> There was blood everywhere, the cabinets, the refrigerator, the countertop. There was blood from
corner to corner in the kitchen. >> Eastston spotted two silver colored bullet casings from a 9 mm gun. One in
the kitchen and the other near Leslie's body. As Eastston processed the scene, detectives began learning about the
victims. Chris Smith was a 48-year-old divorced father who worked for a pool contractor.
>> Chris was a nice guy. He would hang out here frequently. Was friends with most
people in town. Everybody knew him. Bartender Dena Lrand says Chris was well known in town as the guy who grew banana
trees and giant pumpkins. >> I remember one Halloween he donated hundreds of pumpkins for decorations for
any of the kids to paint. He gave back to his community. >> Did either one of you ever worry about
Chris? >> No. >> No. >> Sharon Castanza is Chris's mother, Ashley Hulcom. his sister.
>> Chris is a stayhome person that literally would just work in his backyard. >> Chris lived with a dog named Tiki. And
an EMT told the family that Tiki may have helped Chris make it through the night by huddling with him for the
roughly 12 hours that Chris was bleeding before being rescued. >> I think Tikki protected Chris. I think
she probably laid right next to him. Chris's close-knit family could not imagine anyone wanting to kill him. It
was like, "No way. How? Why? Like, who?" Yeah. Who would have done this? >> Investigators had the same questions
about Leslie and learned that she was a divorced mother of two children who lived in Troy, about an hour south of
Farmersville. Although Leslie had a master's degree in engineering, she chose instead to teach
Pilates and to promote self-defense classes for women. >> Hi, I'm Leslie from All You Studio and
>> Leslie posted this video to her YouTube channel to advertise one of her classes.
>> Empower yourself against aggression and assault as we teach you easy to learn
self-defense techniques. Power up. Leslie tried to help women in abusive relationships, but friends say she had
her own troubles. Nanette told deputies she was worried about a former boyfriend, a contractor by the name of
Robert Tar known as Bobby. >> She said, "I am going to completely block Bobby from email, texts, phone
calls. I I have to go no contact." Later that evening, news of Leslie's murder began circulating and reached
another close friend, Amy Steinhower. She had met Tar, a divorced father of three, and did not have a good
impression of him. But >> you never see someone and think that they can kill my friend.
>> Amy called the sheriff's office that night to give them Tar's name. By then, detectives had already set out
to find Bobby Tar. While 85 miles to the north, surgeons were fighting to try to
save the life of Chris Smith. A bullet still lodged in his brain. [Music] I just wanted to get there. I just
wanted to get there as fast as I could. >> After learning that Chris had been shot
in the head, his family rushed to the hospital in Springfield, Illinois, 2 hours from their home.
>> I was on the phone to everyone I could think of cuz I just needed prayers from
everybody. Doctors removed part of Chris's skull and some bullet fragments in his brain
before putting him in a medically induced coma. His family, struggling to piece together what had happened,
learned that he had been out with a woman named Leslie Reeves. Had you ever heard the name Leslie Reeves before?
>> No. I looked her up and then I tried to reach out to her friends and then I found my best friend Nanette.
Nanette told them the same thing she had told investigators. She suspected Leslie's ex-boyfriend,
Bobby Tar. That night, sheriff's deputies went to Tar's home in Collinsville, an hour
south of the crime scene. Authorities say he never asked why they wanted to talk to him, and he agreed to go to the
police station without a lawyer. >> T A Rick M. Although her friend said the couple had broken up, Tar told
investigators that he and Leslie were still together. >> You and Leslie have a lot of problems. I
would say no worse than any average couple. >> It was Leslie that detectives wanted to
talk about. >> I want you to to dig down deep here and be as honest with me as you can. Okay.
Leslie is dead. What? Can you help me shed some light on this? How did she die? She was murdered. What happened?
>> That's why we're here with you. You help me believe that you're not involved in
this. I'm not involved in anything. >> Investigators asked Tar about Farmersville, the scene of the crime.
>> You know what Farmersville is? Farmersville. No, I can't say that I do. I've never
been there. I've never heard of it. >> And they asked Tar where he had been the night before Thanksgiving.
>> I went to a buddy of mine's house. He left and left me some money out of his shop and I had to go pick it up.
>> The friend lived a short distance from Tar's home. >> Remember what time you came back?
>> Yeah, it wasn't that long. um maybe 6:30ish, something like that. >> Investigators believe the shooting took
place sometime early on Thanksgiving morning after 1:00 a.m. Tar said after he got back, he was home all night.
>> You can talk to my daughter about me being home. >> That's exactly what they did. Detectives
brought Tar's 17-year-old daughter, Shelby, to a different room at the police station, and she told them that
her father actually left home twice that night. >> So, the first time he left was roughly
6:30, >> right? And then he he came home about a half hour later and they said he had to
go back, right? >> And then it was 9:15ish when he got back home. Shelby said he had been gone for more
than 2 hours and when he got home he was upset. >> He gets home, he was crying. He was
sobbing. He said he missed Leslie. >> Shelby said she went to sleep around 9:30 and was awakened by her father
around 2:45 a.m. >> He started laundry. He was pacing, walking around and he was like, "I can't
sleep." Detectives went back to Tar and told him Shelby's story did not match his. Tar
then changed his story and said he had gone to his friend's house twice, but still insisted he was home by 8. As Tar
sat at the police station, detectives searched his house and found his phone and a Glock pistol. Shelby had told them
her father had a different gun, but they didn't find it. >> It's little. It's like this big. Like a
light green like the army green. >> Shelby told investigators she had seen it the day before Thanksgiving in her
father's sock drawer >> yesterday morning. Actually, I went to his socks and it was there and now it's
not there. >> Was there yesterday and gone today? >> Okay. Bobby Tar sat at the police
station overnight while authorities continued to investigate. They had already learned that his car had been
captured by license plate reader cameras just after midnight the night of the shooting. The cameras were near a gas
station and investigators discovered that Tar had bought gas there just after midnight. Back at the police station,
they confronted him with a gas station receipt. to your life. >> Cuz I don't remember doing that.
>> You don't remember being out after midnight when you have told us? You are 100% positive.
>> The gas station is here in Troy. >> Yes. >> And the murder occurred here in Farmersville.
>> Correct. >> The gas station was near Tar's home, an hour from the crime scene. Andrew
Affronty is the Montgomery County States attorney. He has donia, a condition that
causes muscle ticks and tremors. So why is it significant? Cuz it So he went out
and got some gas. >> It was significant to us cuz why would he lie about it? >> Just want to get fuel. What does that
prove? >> Investigators believed it was proof Tar was lying about his whereabouts that
night. They placed him under arrest. >> You're under arrest for murder. A fronty says they arrested Tar
immediately because they feared Chris's life was in danger and they hadn't found the murder weapon.
>> If he was out of custody, could he take further steps to dispose of the evidence?
Just one day after Leslie Reeves was killed and Chris Smith was left fighting for his life, investigators believe they
had the man responsible in custody. I'm Aaron Morardi. >> Bobby Sar. >> But in his only media interview, Bobby
[ __ ] tells 48 hours they got the wrong guy. >> There is so many things untold that will
prove my innocence. Bobby Tar charged with the murder of Leslie Reeves and the attempted murder
of Chris Smith is nothing if not unflapable. Did you kill Leslie Reeves? >> No. >> Did you shoot Chris Smith?
>> No. He kept his cool even when confronted with a litany of lies he told investigators. You told the police you
only left the house once. >> That wasn't true. >> Correct. >> You told the police you had no idea
where Farmersville is. >> Mhm. >> That was a lie. >> Mhm. >> You lied about getting gas in your car
that night. >> Mhm. When he spoke with us, Tara admitted he was at Christmas house the
night before Thanksgiving, placing himself at the scene of the crime. He says the night began when he met Leslie
at her part-time job at this loft store. >> She had said she was going to go meet
some friends because one of their friends was playing in a band. and she asked me if I wanted to go and I said,
"Well, you know, I would go, but I have my youngest daughter staying with me for
a week." >> Tar says that when he declined the invitation, Leslie asked if he would
follow her to Farmersville because her van was unreliable and so he did. That makes no sense to Leslie's friend Amy
Steinhower. >> She was terrified of him and rightfully so. Just a few weeks earlier, Amy says
Leslie told her that Tar had shown up while she was on a first date with a different guy. After that incident,
Leslie told Amy she was frightened by Tar and texted Amy. I could be killed by him someday if I don't cut all contact.
So, you're telling me now that this woman who was scared of you, who had actually texted a friend that she
thought you might kill her, asked you to follow her to another man's house? >> Mhm.
>> Does that make any sense? >> No, I understand. Um, so I don't understand that text in general.
>> Why did she think you might kill her? >> I don't know. I've got no clue. Tar says Leslie lied to her friends
about their relationship. He insists she asked him to follow her north to Farmersville.
>> So I went with her up there. I think we arrived there around 7:30. I parked in front of her van in front of
his house. That's as far as I went. I left. I never went back to Farmersville again.
If he had an innocent explanation for why he was in Farmersville, why did he lie to detectives?
>> My daughter, her and Leslie, there was a little bit of tension between both them.
I did not want her to know that I was going to meet Leslie that night. >> Tar claims that after he lied to his
daughter Shelby about seeing Leslie, he stuck to that lie at the police station because he was afraid they would tell
her. And he never corrected those lies, even when detectives arrested him. Why not just say, "Look, between you and me,
I lied to my daughter. So, let me tell you the truth, but let's just not share that with her." Why wouldn't you do
that? >> I should have done that. >> He's quick to point out the lack of physical evidence connecting him to the
bloody crime scene. Investigators searched his white Jetta, but did not find any shards of glass or blood
stains. >> Two tests by the state police were done on my car. Zero blood found in my car.
There's zero DNA of mine at the crime scene. Anything from the crime scene in my car
or on me or any of my clothing or my shoes. Zero. Prosecutor affronty has to concede that
point. >> Was any of Ty's DNA found inside the house? >> No. >> Were any of his fingerprints found
inside the house? >> No. >> And authorities still had not found the murder weapon. But a week after the
shooting, they got a phone call from Tar's friend, Billy Adams. Adams said Tar called him from jail. That call was
recorded. What's your day look like today? Cuz I need 10 minutes of your time. >> Tar asked Adams to go to his house and
look for some deck brackets. >> I got some special aluminum brackets and that I need you to get because
they're for another job that I didn't tell dad about yet. So, don't say nothing to him.
>> Instead, Adams contacted the sheriff's office. Deputies suspected Tar knew the
phone call was being recorded and was speaking to his friend in code about something other than deck brackets.
>> Yeah. Get them and get rid of them. >> They thought that was suspicious, which
was why they went over and searched. >> Investigators were on their hands and knees in Tar's yard looking for a gun.
Dan Folultz is Tar's defense attorney. >> They searched that area thoroughly. No
gun. You know what? They did find deck brackets. >> A few days later, they got another phone
call, this time from Tar's brother, asking them to come back to the house. Tar's family gave deputies a Ziploc bag
they said they had found in the same yard that had been searched just days earlier. Inside a Springfield Hellcat 9
mm pistol and silvercoled ammunition. The Illinois State Police determined the gun was the murder weapon and the
ammunition matched the casings found at the crime scene. >> We still to this day don't know how that
ended up there specifically in the spot that they searched. >> Are you saying you were set up? Someone
was framing you? >> Yes. But if someone was framing Tar, he or she would have to be pretty
detailoriented, the state police say Tar's fingerprint was on the Ziploc bag. >> He is adamant that he would not have
been dumb enough that he would have carried it all the way back to his home and said, "Hm, where would I put this
gun on my 1 acre lot? I think I'll put it next to the front door." And Tar points out neither his prints nor DNA
were found on the gun itself. >> Nothing on the firearm. No DNA, no prints of mine on the firearm.
>> What I think what happened is is that the gun was clicked and then Mr. Tar just missed a spot.
>> That spot was Leslie's DNA, say police found on the guide rod of the gun. Tar's
explanation, the gun wasn't his. It belonged to Leslie. >> I purchased the Hellcat and Leslie
purchased it from me. >> As investigators continued to build a case against Bobby Tar, they say he was
hatching a plan to silence the only eyewitness. >> Did you ask a inmate to shoot Chris
Smith? [Music] Leslie accompanied me here on several occasions. >> If there's anyone who knew what guns
Leslie Reeves owned, it's Howard Bolton, her close friend and firearm instructor.
>> When I would hold classes, she would actually shoot with us. Leslie was becoming a very good shot.
>> Bolton says Leslie had organized a class called Girls with Guns not long before
she was murdered. >> We put the girls through their paces. They would move and fire. They would go
forward and fire. They would come back and fire. And Leslie did very, very well at that. Bobby Tar insisted to us that
Leslie owned the Hellcat that was used to kill her, but Howard says he never saw her use it.
>> Leslie never brought a Springfield, let alone a Hellcat, to class. >> So then, how did Leslie's DNA get on the
guide rod of the murder weapon? Howard believes that Leslie's DNA could only be on that guide rod if the gun was fired
at her at close range. So when he shot her, wherever it was he shot her would have contaminated that part of the gun.
>> In fact, Howard says Leslie owned a different gun. Her friends say they wish she had taken it with her the night she
was killed. >> Had Leslie taken the gun with her, I assure you the outcome would have been
different. Tar declared his innocence, but the case against him could hinge on what Chris
Smith, the only survivor, remembers. Would he be able to identify him? That was the question. As Chris remained in a
coma, >> we were talking to him, singing to him, and I was always holding this hand.
Hallelu. >> While Chris Smith lay helpless, authorities say Tar was plotting to silence him forever.
A grand jury indicted Tar on two counts of solicitation of murder. Those charges
are based on allegations by an inmate who says Tar paid him $10,000 to shoot and kill the lead detective.
And Chris, >> did you ask a inmate to shoot Chris Smith? >> No, ma'am. >> And to kill Detective Roach?
>> No, ma'am. >> Tar says the alleged plot was a lie concocted by a former cellmate. Tar says
he loaned that cellmate $10,000 for his bond and that it had nothing to do with Chris Smith. Were you worried he was
going to testify and point to you as a shooter? >> No, I was not worried one iota.
>> The truth was that no one knew what Chris Smith remembered. The first time he regained consciousness was in early
January 2022, about 2 months after the shooting. >> Like eggs. >> Chris's voice was so weak in those early
days. It's already done over there. >> That is old friend Mark Rearen, a talk show host in St. Louis.
>> 522 971 FM talk >> barely recognized Chris on the phone. >> I could not believe that I was hearing
from this guy and I cried. He cried. Just talking about that moment really brings me chills because I just thought
he was never going to be someone that was in my life ever again. >> What did Chris tell you? Well, when
Chris came on of this, I was pretty sensitive to ask him about what had happened that night because I think I
was a little afraid of even having those conversations. So, most of the conversations that we had were really
focused on, hey, how are you? Are you going to be okay? >> After intense physical therapy, he's
made incredible strides. He's much stronger than when he awoke from a coma, but he discovered there are gaps in his
memory. What does he remember from that terrible night? >> I wish to God I could remember
something. I mean, even just a a smidgen of something, but I remember nothing. >> He remembers nothing of the shooting or
Leslie Reeves. >> I said, "Who the heck's Leslie? I don't know Leslie." >> You had no idea.
>> No, nothing. >> Nothing. >> Nothing. >> Is Chris the same person who used to come on your show before he was shot?
>> Yeah. I think at the core, he's still the same guy that I knew. He's still the
smartass. He's still the guy that's going to talk about how good he is and how good he was and how much he could
lift weights. >> Chris works out at the gym most mornings trying to regain muscle so that someday
he'll be able to walk without assistance. >> Straight curve. >> He's even back to being the lead singer
in his rock and roll band. I don't know how he did make it. I don't understand how he did. He's a miracle.
>> But Chris is aware his life is very different from what it once was. So I'm half the man I used to be, but I'm
trying to get it back as hard as I can. And then my left leg is uh partially paralyzed from my hip to my knee, then
from my knee to my toes completely paralyzed. So if there's any neurosurgeons out there, any researchers
out there, please get a hold of me. I'll be your guinea pig. Just make me normal
and give me my life back, please. >> It's tough, isn't it, Chris? >> It tough doesn't even describe it.
Doesn't even describe it. >> Chris is resigned to living with part of that hollow point bullet in his brain.
Doctors say it's in a spot that makes it too dangerous to remove. >> So, that's where you got shot?
>> Yep. Right here. There's a Yep. You still feel it in my skull? Right there. After decades on his own, Chris had to
move back into his mother's house. >> I thank my blessings daily that he's here with us. I just wish that this guy
didn't take everything away from him. >> Chris visits with his loyal dog, Tikki,
but no longer lives with her. And he'd love to see his 12-year-old daughter more often, but he can't drive, and he's
living in St. Louis, almost 2 hours away from his daughter and ex-wife. I miss her. She was my little pee in the pot. I
mean, we did everything together. >> The trial of Robert Tar was set for April 2024, but Chris would not be
there. He told the prosecutor he was too angry to attend. >> You didn't think you'd be able to just
sit there. >> Oh, no. No way. I I know myself. I There's no way. No. >> But Chris's alleged shooter, Bobby Tar,
will be there. and he said he was eager to tell the jury that he's not a violent
man. But on this one night early morning, did you snap? >> No, that's not my nature. I don't lose it.
Snap. [Music] When Bobby Tar went on trial in April 2024, prosecutors told the jury that he killed
Leslie Reeves rather than allow her to live the life she wanted, a life without him.
>> Mr. Tar couldn't deal with the fact that Leslie was seeing somebody else and he
had to go and take care of it. >> Andrew Aphrante says Tar secretly followed Leslie to Farmersville early
that evening and shortly afterwards his phone began showing some interesting activity.
>> He had actually searched Chris Smith on his phone and tried to find his Facebook
profile. Tar headed home and texted his friend Billy Adams. I don't feel like she would
drive that far for a party or go out with a girlfriend. I think it's for a dude. He also searched whether police
could track his phone if he was using a VPN, a virtual private network. He was researching to determine whether
or not that would mask where his location was while he was using the phone. Authorities say around midnight
tar left home stopping at that gas station and then according to a fronti surveillance videos and cell tower
records show that tar drove back to Farmersville. >> You believe he intended to kill both
Chris and Leslie? I 100% believe that he went up there with the intent to do serious harm to both of them.
>> With one victim dead and the other with no memory, it's difficult to say with
certainty what happened, but the prosecution argued that sometime after 1:00 a.m., Bobby Tar tried to enter
through the back door of Christmas house. Leslie and Chris tried to keep him out.
There was some kind of altercation or struggle and that's when the glass was broken.
>> Crime scene investigator Josh Eastston told the jury what he had observed inside the kitchen.
>> The refrigerator was pulled away from the wall where it appeared it normally was.
>> Prosecutors believe Leslie was trying to use the refrigerator to block the door.
And based on where Chris was shot in his head, they think he was crouching down to help Leslie.
>> I think that while Chris was crouched down trying to hold the door shut, Bobby
shot through the door and struck Chris. >> With Chris incapacitated, Aphrante says
Leslie hid in the living room. Tar tracked her down, shot, and killed her. I strongly believe that he walked in and
executed her. >> Defense attorney Dan Folultz disputes all of that. >> There is simply no evidence that that's
what happened. There's no evidence that Leslie pushed the refrigerator. There's no fingerprints and blood on the
refrigerator of Leslie's. >> Folult says evidence of a fight in the kitchen tells a different story.
>> The amount of blood in that kitchen was astonishing. From looking at that crime
scene, do you believe that Christopher Smith had to fight his his asalent in the kitchen?
>> It would appear to me that there was some significant struggle in that kitchen between him and someone else.
>> And he says the asalent could not have been Bobby Tar because he would have been covered in blood.
>> They did not identify a single piece of DNA in his car. They didn't identify a
bloody fingerprint. They did not identify anything tying him to that crime scene.
>> But prosecutors argued the house wasn't bloody when Tar left. They said Chris
bled heavily in the 12 hours it took for help to arrive. And while the prosecution did not have a lot of
forensic evidence linking Tar to the crime scene, a fronti says his phone activity, his lies to investigators, and
the evidence found on the Hellcat all prove his guilt. >> When you put all of that together,
that's when you get the clear picture of what happened. When it was the defense's
turn, Tar says he wanted to tell his story to the jury, but he chose not to testify.
Why didn't you just decide you were going to talk to the jury and tell this story if in fact you have a story to
tell? >> I should have. I very well should have. We made a strategic decision because it
may have opened the door for a whole lot of other more damaging evidence to be used uh to cross-examine him.
>> The defense didn't put on any witnesses and counted on the jury to find reasonable doubt in the lack of physical
evidence. After 3 hours, the jury found Bobby Tar guilty of first-degree murder and
attempted murder. Everyone clapped and Bobby just sat there shaking his head. >> Two months later, Tar was back in court
for sentencing and this time so was Chris to tell the judge how the shooting impacted him and his family. Cameras
were not allowed in the courtroom. >> Lost my house, lost my truck. I've literally lost my life without being
killed. Tar also spoke and denied shooting Leslie and Chris. The judge sentenced
him to 85 years. >> I hope the rest of his time on this earth is hell. [Music] >> Leslie Reeves friends are focused on
keeping her memory alive. >> She was a light of a lot of people's lives. She was always smiling. She was a
very good mother. lived for her kids and was an advocate and champion of women, women's rights, and especially women
that were abused. >> If it can happen to her, it could happen to anyone. So, we all need to be
careful. >> Chris Smith says he never expected he'd be a victim of domestic violence and
cautions other men to take a hard look at their behavior. If guys, you feel like that you want you want to hurt a
woman, get help. >> While Chris mourns his old life, he's writing a book about his experiences and
says he's working to make what he calls poor man's margaritas out of the lemons and limes he's been handed.
>> I've got a doover. Good Lord, give me a doover. Not many people get a second chance in life.
Chris has found love with Michelle Alrech. >> She's an angel. Loving me and accepting
me the way that I am. >> He proposed to her on stage. >> I just asked her if she buried me. Guys,
>> what's the most important lesson out of all of this? >> Don't ever give up on anything. Ever. No
matter how bad things are, don't ever give up. [Music] The search for her killer went cold.
>> Investigators took DNA evidence. They could not find who it belonged to. >> Can a clue from the past
>> I can see a footprint in blood >> solve the crime? >> These belong to the killer. The
footprints defined the path of this case. >> 48 hours is all new. CBS next in streaming on Paramount Plus.
If I can come back from a deathbed and survive this and defy medical odds and create medical
history or rewrite medical history, anybody can come back and achieve anything in life. No matter how bleak
things look in life, there's always a sun rising on the other side. [Music] If you are seeking inspiration, look no
further than Chris Smith. His is a story of resilience and recovery. Back in November of 2021, Chris was on a first
date with a woman named Leslie Reeves. Now, they had gone back to his house when Leslie's ex-boyfriend, Bobby Tar,
forced his way inside and shot them both. Leslie died, but Chris miraculously survived a bullet wound to
his head. He lay comeomaosse in the hospital for several weeks before waking up. And when he did, he had no memory of
what happened that night. So, how did Chris defy the medical odds and survive the unthinkable? I'm Natalie Morales of
48 Hours and this is It Could Have Been Me. [Music] You're going to be hearing from Chris in
just a few minutes, but first I would like to introduce producer Paul Rosa. He knows this case well. He worked on this
story uh for an episode of 48 hours with correspondent Aaron Morardi. Paul, so good to have you join us today on what
is such an incredible story of survival and real grit. >> Great to be here because Chris is one of
the most um interesting and resilient people I've ever met. I know he really touched you and had an impact on our
entire 48 hours team. Walk me through, Paul, what happened on that night, November 24th, 2021.
>> Right. So, um it was the day before Thanksgiving, the evening before Thanksgiving, and Chris and Lesie had
met on Facebook, as people do these days. Um they never met in person before this night, but they had texted with
each other. They had spoken on the phone to each other and there was sympotico in
a number of ways mostly because they were really into physical fitness and um Leslie ran a Pilates studio, yoga
studio. She taught women self-defense and Chris was in the best shape of his life when this shooting happened. But
anyway, the night before Thanksgiving is traditionally a night when people go out
drinking and that's exactly what they did. Um Chris said, "Why don't you come up to Farmersville, which was about an
hour from where Leslie lived and um she was in Troy, Illinois. They both had kids and uh Leslie's kids were with her
ex that evening and same with Chris. So they were without their children and Chris had a big house and he told
Leslie, "You can sleep in one of the bedrooms if we got drinking too much, whatever." And that was the plan. She
told her girlfriends where she was going to be. She gave them the address because
after all, she never met this guy. But they went out drinking to a place called the Uptown Saloon. And then they went to
a second bar. Everything was hunky dory. Then they went to Chris's nearby house.
>> Yeah, Paul. Because I understand at some point Leslie's ex-boyfriend, Bobby Tar.
He started to follow them and and showed up at Chris's house. Right. >> Right. No one knows what really happened
except Bobby Tar who was convicted of the crime because Leslie is dead and Chris remembers
nothing from that night. So, it's difficult for investigators to know exactly what happened. But what they
what the evidence reveals happened is Bobby Tar tried to push his way in. He Leslie spotted him through the glass
side door. She moved her refrigerator, police believe, in front of the door to try to block him. He was able to
maneuver the door part of the way open. Chris was crouched down trying to push the door with his shoulder and his
weight and um Bobby Tar shot him in the head. According to police, Chris went down. Tar walked in. Leslie ran into the
living room, hid behind a Christmas tree, and according to the prosecutors, Bobby Tar walked in, shot Leslie one
time right in the top of the head. >> I mean, it's so horrific. Um, the timeline, I understand, is a little
unclear as well, but we know it was sometime in the very early morning hours, though.
>> It was around 1:00 a.m. when this all this mayhem occurred, according to investigators. And uh Leslie and Chris's
friends and family were concerned when they didn't hear from them the next morning. Now it's Thanksgiving morning.
Both of them had plans to go to Thanksgiving dinner at, you know, separate locations. And when the friends
didn't hear from Leslie in particular, um you know, she had a bunch of girlfriends who she knew she was dating,
knew Bobby Tar, knew that Bobby Tar had stalked her before. Just a month before Tar had shown up at another first date
that Leslie was having. They were concerned. They knew the address. In particular, a friend named Nanet Styber
decided, "I can't raise her on the phone. I'm driving there." So, she drove an hour up to Farmersville. On the way,
she called the local sheriff's office. At the same time, a 16-year-old girl who knew Chris
showed up at the scene. So this young girl named Bjon Smith, she walked over to the side door. She saw blood
everywhere. She saw Chris on the floor. She immediately called 911. And we have a recording of that phone call.
>> Nobody's answering the door and and the back window shattered and there's a body
and there's blood on the stove and there's a foot I saw on the floor. >> Chris, however, was still alive, which I
mean barely alive, which is truly miraculous. Yes. And um Farmersville being the small town it is, the first
two medics who appeared were friends of Chris and he knew them well. And you know, of course, they were, you know,
horrified themselves. Here's their buddy. And uh with Chris was his faithful dog, Tikki. Tikki is a female
dog. Um very loyal to Chris. And Tikki huddled with Chris according to people at the scene and probably saved his life
because the glass door was broken so a lot of cold air was coming in and um this medic decided um that he didn't
want to wait for a helicopter to get there. He put Chris in the ambulance with another medic and he drove like a
bat out of hell to the hospital. Again, timing is everything. probably helped to
save Chris's life. >> And let's take a listen now to what investigator Josh Eastston said when he
described the scene to you and to correspondent Aaron Morardi. >> I was overwhelmed when I saw the
kitchen. >> What do you mean? >> There was just so much blood and it was it was everywhere. There was not a spot
on the kitchen floor that didn't have blood on it. >> And what does that say to you? that I
don't know what went on in there, but it was it was horrible. For Chris, it was unescribable. Without you being there, I
I can't even make you understand how bad it was. >> Josh Eastston, who is with the Illinois
State Police, it's his job to catalog all the evidence. um go in and sure enough, I mean, we talked about the
blood, but in the middle of that, there were also two shell casings, one in the kitchen, one in the living room. There
was no murder weapon. So, that of course told them that someone else had to have
been involved, a third person. And we know um you know investigators were quickly able to identify an a person of
interest, Bobby Tar, because the friends had already told them that Leslie had a
stalker and it was her ex-boyfriend Bobby Tar. How soon after then was he arrested, Paul?
>> Well, this investigation unfolded rapidly. They find his license, a registration where he lives, and they
put that license into the license plate readers up and down the highway. Um, one
of the hits was near a gas station. They went there, they found a receipt where he had paid for gas at a certain time
that night. So, they began sort of creating a timeline of his movements before they even spoke to him. Um they
were able to um later on get his cell phone records as well. Remember this happened the shooting at 1:00 a.m. by
8:00 PM that evening just hours later um they were going to Bobby Tar's house and
asking him if he would agree to be questioned and he submitted to the uh interrogation. They put him under arrest
at about it was the it was the next day. It was the morning after Thanksgiving >> and he was arraigned on those murder
charges and attempted murder charges. Um to this day though he maintains his innocence.
>> That's right. He um Bobby Ar likes to pretend to be the like what what me likes to pretend that you know he never
did anything wrong. Well, this episode of course is not about Bobby Tar, but it is about the survivor himself, Chris
Smith, and his remarkable recovery. You'll hear from Chris when we come back. [Music]
So, let's hear from Chris Smith himself. Chris, welcome. It is such an honor to meet you.
>> Thank you. And likewise. Now, Chris and Paul, I understand you guys text each
other weekly, right? >> Yeah, I kind of know him. Yeah, I uh I ask a lot of advice from him, actually.
>> Yeah. And he's he you know, Chris is a terrific guy, as you'll see. >> And and Chris, I know that you actually
wrote a book about your survival and the incredible odds in your recovery. Yes. Um it's called My Fatal First Date is
now available for purchase. and you explained to the readers that your story really is a journey of blood, sweat, and
tears. You've had to work really hard to get where you are today. Tell us about the injuries you sustained and where
exactly the injury was. If you can point to it. >> Well, actually, it's kind of hard with
the earphones on, but the bullet went in about 5 in above my ear, straight the top of my head. And as you know, Paul
said, I'm sure you all have talked about I don't remember anything of that night.
I don't remember Lesie. I was told that we met on Facebook, >> which I find really interesting because
they spoke on the phone and texted 2 weeks before the incident. But it's interesting how the brain works. It just
excised Leslie out of his brain. Now, see, I do remember some stuff, you know, like I remember past my neighbor's house
on the drive home that afternoon. I remember some stuff from October and then like basically I want to say from
like the beginning beginning of November on to the shooting, I don't remember much. if that makes any sense. So, it's
like my brain cut out the whole month. Go figure. I don't know. It's very odd. >> I mean, when you talk about where you
were shot and and how long you were in your kitchen and on the kitchen floor and were able to survive with blood and
everything all around you. Um, I know they had to remove part of your skull, but they weren't able to get the entire
bullet out, right? >> No, it's still 9 mm hollow point is actually still right behind my right
eye. And they say it's a fragment, but it's actually the whole thing. What? What? What when they say fragment, what
fragmented was my actual skull fragmented. That's what they're picking out of my brain was my skull, not the
actual bolt. The bolt never moved and it's lodged right here in my frontal lobe. And I mean, I should still be in a
coma, still be b I should be bedridden on a ventilator with severe cognitive deficits. And the doctors are perplexed
by that. >> I want to play some of the sound from your doctor, Dr. Victor Williams. Aaron
Moriardi asked him about your chances of survival after the shooting. So all the
odds kind of were against him when he arrived at the hospital. >> It would appear so.
>> But he managed to survive. >> It's a blessing and a miracle that he did. >> They don't have an explanation, right,
Chris? >> No, they don't. No, they don't. >> What's your explanation? >> Well, um I call it divine intervention.
And two of my worst traits before I was shot, stubbornness and impatience are not my best attributes cuz And then I'll
never forget the day I woke up from the coma, I met Dr. Williams. He came in and
he said, "Chris, I know your family. I know your sister. My sister's a neuro telemetry nurse and she actually worked
for him on the floor that I was at." And he said, "But I hate to tell you, I'm not going to BS you. You're never going
to walk again." And I sat there, started tearing up, and I mean, just had a lump
in my throat and felt like someone punched me in my gut. And I sat there and I thought about it for a second. And
I looked at him and I said, "Victor, you just told the wrong person he can't do something because I'm going to do it out
of spite to prove you wrong." >> And now you're walking again. Yes, I'll be with a cane. I can walk without one
now, but I kind of look like a zombie. But um I will get back there. I am. I'm determined to and I have to. As I told
Paul before, hey, life gives us lemon and limes. You've got to dig down deep with that tequila and that sugar water,
make poor man's margaritas, and just suck it up, pull your bootstraps up, work your tail off, and you can
accomplish anything, overcome anything, exceeded anything, and be unstoppable, too.
>> Yeah. And I know we were talking uh about what you do and don't remember uh about that that night and what happened
when you were asked then about Leslie. Do you remember what you said? >> Well, when I woke up from my coma, I
mean, I look up, I'm like, I have tubes on me, oxygen. I look on the wall and it
says to Paul Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. And I'm like, wait, what the? And I started yelling and screaming. The
nurses came rushing in. Chris, calm down. Calm down. I'm like, what am I doing here? What happened? And the one
nurse says, Leslie's ex-boyfriend shot you. And I said, who the f is a Lesie? I don't know Lesie. Cuz I didn't know I
didn't know her. I really didn't. >> Um, I want to go back to, you know, what what perhaps allowed you to get through
this in the best possible way. Not just, of course, the incredible acts of your friends, the medics who transported you
to the hospital. They knew they didn't have the time to spare, but then also, you know, the fact that your family,
your sister, as you said, worked with the doctor was there along your side. I know your family had to help pull you
through as well. Can you talk about them? >> My sister saw some fight in me and I
started in the ICU when I started coming out of the coma. They tried to medically
put me in a coma, medically induced coma, which they did succeed to do that, but there she saw life in me. I mean, I
was saying this craziest things. I wanted my truck keys in my jacket and I thought I was going to walk out of
there. Now you if it's on my YouTube, but you can barely understand what I'm saying, but I mean it's like a comedian
was born. I wanted vitamin D, red cap, whole milk. I swear it was under my bed and rum chada. I've never drank rum
chada in my entire life. Why? The only thing I could think of was maybe that night it was on a bar or something like
that. I mean, our brains are so mysterious. They don't know enough about them. They really need to do more brain
research. >> I know you call it your ICU comedy special because the way you were
reacting when you came out of that coma. >> Yes, it was crazy. But I mean, I didn't
like to fully become conscious until they transfer me to St. Louis, you know, January 12.
>> I I've seen and I know I mean I've seen glimpses of that sense of humor and I
know that uh you actually have a funny nickname that you went by with Paul on a on a text, right? What did you call
yourself? >> Bullet boy. Hey, it's me, Bullet Boy. At that point, I had talked to him like
once on the phone and you know, I'm conditioned to treat victims very seriously and like, you know, I know he
was shot in the head and, you know, I want to give him due respect and all that and I wasn't going to joke around
with him, but he was joking around on his own. >> Yeah. I mean, my sense of humor has been
one of the best healing mechanisms I've had and I've never lost that. That's a good thing because I think it's a
survival and a coping mechanism that everybody needs when they go through such horrific trauma and tragedy. Um,
going back to when you were able to get out of the hospital, though, Chris, that
was February of 2022. >> So, I know you had to move in uh with your mom and and your stepdad because
you really couldn't take care of yourself the way you wanted to and that you lost your home at the time.
>> Yeah. I mean, it it sucked, but it is what it is, you know. I had to do what I
had to do. And, you know, luckily enough that my parents are my mom's cool still.
She'll be 70 in July, you know, so we're like only 17 years apart, but uh 17 and
a half. Got to add that half on there. So, you know, I'm I'm very fortunate and I love my stepdad to death, you know.
So, I mean, I'm very lucky. >> Paul, I know you've met them as well. >> Yeah, he has a great family. I've met
his uh mother, his stepfather, and his sister. And you know, his sister is very intelligent and she's a nurse and um
beautiful person and the stepfather's very friendly and has two big dogs that run around the house. And that's one
reason, by the way, that Tikki uh was no longer living with Chris. Tikki the dog
that helped protect his life. Tikki is with a neighbor. >> Yeah, I was wondering about that, Chris.
I mean, do you feel that Tiki might have helped save your life that night? >> Definitely. They don't understand how I
lived. There so much blood I lost. But she was laying right there cuddled up next to me
>> the whole time. So, she's a great dog. >> And I think there was some evidence as
well. Was it on your chest that she had tried to get on you? >> Yeah. Her little little pile marks are
right there. Yeah. >> Oh, >> yeah. Just >> We didn't I guess no one knew what that
was at the beginning and then he figured it out or his family figured out. She was just trying to wake her daddy up.
>> By the way, I don't know if we ever mentioned it, but he was there for about 12 hours laying on the kitchen floor
before anyone found him. >> Yes. >> In April of 2024, though, um we know that that's when Bobby Tar's trial
happened. >> You were you there? >> No, I did not go. >> His family was there. Um and they told
him every day what was happening. And he, another reason Chris didn't go, he could tell you himself, is that he said
his anger would not let him go. He was afraid of what he might do if he was in the courtroom. You could tell them
yourself, Chris. >> Yeah. What I mean, I said I'd take him out one, you know, one hand, one arm. I
mean, it's like what he did is the most cowardly act anybody can do. >> But we should say that you were there
for the sentencing and you got a chance to give an impact statement. Yes, I did.
And um how did it feel to be in the same courtroom with Bobby Tar? >> It I mean the guy's a piece of dirt, you
know? I mean he's a a sorry excuse for a human being. >> You talked about the fact that Tar
killed you without killing you. What did you mean by that? >> He took he took my life from me. He
affected so many other people. My family, my little girl, my son, I mean my friends. I mean they've had to suffer
with me through my recovery. We cannot forget the victim here as well, Leslie Reeves, and what her family has had to
go through and endure as well. Just horrific the tragedy. >> I mean, it makes you grateful for what
everything you have, you know. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. You are the living testament of that. Now, um Chris
though, we when when Bobby Tar was found guilty on four counts, including first-degree murder and attempted
murder, what was your reaction to the verdict? I was happy, but I wish they had a death penalty in Illinois. But I
mean, he he won't be he won't get out till he's 104 years old, and he's not going to live that long,
>> right? Sentenced to 85 years in prison. Um, what was truly shocking though is
even after Bobby Tar is convicted, he's in prison. Then you come to find out that he there was a solicitation of
murder on you. The story goes, according to prosecutors and his defense attorney,
that Bobby Tar had solicited an inmate to go to the hospital room where Chris was recovering and shoot him. We are
told by prosecutors that some money did change hands. So, he tar was indicted, but the charges were ultimately dropped
for various reasons. The biggest reason being that Tara is in jail or prison for
85 years and it seems to be no point in having another trial and maybe another sentence. 85 years is a lifetime
sentence for Tar. >> Correct. Yes. >> You still have um some recovery ahead of you, right?
>> Yes, I do. Yes. Um I have been doing it's called menusal stem cell transplants, MSC's. They harvest stem
cells from either my pelvic bone right and left side now. But um and then they shoot them up your into your your nose
up to the vessel supplying your brain. So I mean it's not FDA approved yet, but it should be here shortly because it has
restored a lot of my function to my left hand side. I'm not running yet, but Paul
knows it will be someday. Hopefully sooner than later. >> Physically, I've seen changes. when he
first started. By the way, Chris is still the lead singer in his rock and roll band. That's true. He used to play
guitar. He can't play guitar anymore, but when I s first saw him performing, >> he has he always had a great voice. He's
a good singer, but he his left arm would shake like crazy like this. And we would
joke that he would joke that he should put a tambourine in it and try to keep beat so it wouldn't look so odd when he
was singing because it would just never stop moving. Now, of course, it's pretty
steady, and I've seen recent video of him performing, and he looks better than ever. His arm doesn't shake. He's
standing more. He occasionally he would sit in his wheelchair and sing, but the last clip I saw, he was standing the
whole time and arm was steady. >> Well, it's great to see you singing again and still performing with your
band. I hear though there is another woman in your life who has >> really become your angel. You have
fallen in love again. Tell me about her. >> We uh Michelle and I met. It'll be two
years this June and we've got a house together and Yeah, I'm starting over again. You know, start.
>> You're engaged to be married now? >> Yes, we are. >> When are you going to get married?
>> We're looking at this fall. >> Mhm. >> Oh, amazing. What led you to write the
book? >> Well, I as I told Paul, I had no intention of writing a book. Everybody
from day one's like, "You've got to write a book. You got to write a book. You got to write a book." Well,
throughout my recovery, people had been reaching out to me, you know, from all over the world, through Facebook, I
mean, through other social media outlets and whatnot. And I was like, you know what? I can do
it. I can do it. I'll I basically wrote it like I was sitting down having a conversation with somebody like I'm
talking to you right now, you know, just telling my story, all the intimate details that 48 hours couldn't cover,
you know, in the first run. And that's what I've done. I was like, I put my thumb to my iPhone because I can't I
can't type. I hate saying the word can't. I'm unable to type. So, I literally wrote my whole book on my
iPhone 14. All typing with my thumb. And just my message is to inspire people, motivate people, and show everybody no
matter how bleak things look in life, there's always silver lining. And you can always dig yourself out of the hole.
you can accomplish and achieve anything that you want as long as you put your mind to it and work your tail off.
>> For those who are struggling in their lives, do you have some advice you'll share? What's your perspective that you
tell them? >> Life is too precious to ever give up on anything. We don't know how many grains
we have left in our hourglass. Don't ever give up on anything. Love your family. Love your kids. Love your
friends because you don't know when your last you know the last grain will fall.
But just live life to the fullest. Have fun, laugh, don't take things too serious.
I mean, I'm not the wisest person in the world, but I have learned a lot of wisdom throughout this whole situation.
>> Chris, you are truly one of the most remarkable people I've spoken with. So, you know, well done on on all that
you've done to not only thrive and survive, but you are out there spreading your message and giving inspiration to
so many. So, we thank you so much for that. Thank you so much. >> And Paul, thank you also for joining us.
>> Of course, >> and thanks to you all for listening and watching. And you can find and follow It
Could Have Been Me in the 48 hours podcast feed. It is on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
And if you liked this episode, please rate and review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
[Music]

When Chris Smith arranged to meet Leslie Reeves for a first date, he never expected it would end in such a bloody scene. Leslie was killed that night while Chris barely survived being shot in the head. "48 Hours" correspondent Natalie Morales and producer Paul LaRosa spoke with Chris about his miraculous recovery and how he finds the strength and motivation to move forward.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com

Brief Summary

Chris Smith survives a shooting by his date's ex-boyfriend, while Leslie Reeves is killed; the episode details the investigation and Chris's recovery.

Key points

The Horrific Discovery. Nanette Styber discovers the aftermath of a brutal crime involving her friend Leslie.
The Investigation Begins. Investigators uncover the chaotic crime scene and begin to piece together the events.
Bobby Tar's Alibi. Bobby Tar claims he was home during the time of the murder, but evidence suggests otherwise.
The Murder Weapon Found. A week after the shooting, the murder weapon is discovered in a bag in Tar's yard.
Chris's Miraculous Recovery. After a near-fatal shooting, Chris Smith defies the odds and fights to regain his life.
Trial of Bobby Tar. Bobby Tar is found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the death of Leslie Reeves.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Why would somebody do this to him?

3:23WatchJul 18, 2025

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from 48 Hours

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.