Trial in Tokes murder to resume Monday

3/9/2018

Brian Lee Golsby looks on during opening arguments in his death penalty trial at Franklin County Common Pleas Court in Columbus on Monday.

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch

COLUMBUS — The trial of Brian Lee Golsby in the murder of a 21-year-old former Monclova Township woman a year ago will resume on Monday and could soon be in the hands of the jury. 

Reagan Tokes, a graduate of Anthony Wayne High School and a senior studying psychology at Ohio State University, was abducted as she left work at a Columbus restaurant the night of Feb. 8, 2017. She was forced to withdraw $60 from an automated teller, was raped, and shot twice in the head.

Her nude body was found near the entrance of a Grove City park the next day.

Golsby, 30, is charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape, aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm while prohibited from having one.

He has confessed to the robbery and rape, but has pointed at someone he called “TJ” as the killer. He claimed that “TJ” forced him to rape Ms. Tokes. Police have said they could find no evidence “TJ,” exists even after checking into Golsby’s claim that he was a former school classmate.

Golsby had been released from prison less than three months earlier after completing a sentence for an unrelated attempted rape and was equipped with a GPS ankle-monitoring device. It was not monitored in real time, but police were able to use it to retroactively trace his movements, placing him at or near the locations where Ms. Tokes’ was known to be.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

There was no testimony on Friday.