CLYMER – A Virginia man has been named the primary suspect in the murder of former Sherburne-Earlville High School Principal Keith Reed Jr., whose body was discovered by authorities behind his Clymer home on Monday morning. Reed, who left Chenango County in November of 2011, had been serving as the Clymer Central School District’s superintendent at the time of his death.
Anthony Robert Taglianetti II, of Woodbridge, Va., is considered armed and dangerous, say authorities, who added they believe the shooting was not a random act and had no connection to Reed’s duties as superintendent.
According to the Jamestown Post-Journal, Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace said police have information that puts Taglianetti in Chautauqua County on Friday, and it’s believed he has since left the state. Reed was reported missing on Sunday, after missing a scheduled conference.
Said Gerace, joined by Chautauqua District Attorney David Foley at a news conference held Thursday, “As of yesterday, the investigation moved forward very quickly through good police work, and we were able to identify the person that we believe is responsible for the death of Mr. Reed.”
According to the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office website, Taglianetti ­– an oral historian with the Marine Corps History Division’s Field and Oral History Branch at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Va. – is still at large. It’s believed that he has fled the state and may have returned to Virginia.
As reported by the Post-Journal, “This was a personal issue, not a professional one,” said the district attorney. Said Gerace, “This isn’t a random act of violence ... this individual wanted to do harm to Mr. Reed.”
At this time, a nationwide bulletin has been sent out, alerting all law enforcement agencies, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office has dispatched a team to Virginia to continue the search for Taglianetti, reported the Post-Journal.