Police have arrested Rico R. Paul, an 18-year-old male, and prosecutors charged him with the murder of Paul Reiter, beloved longtime circulation manager of The St. Louis American.
On May 9, 2011, Reiter was shot and killed in the backyard of his home, on the 5000 block of Idaho Avenue in Dutchtown. He was 58.
Police suspect Reiter interrupted Paul and an accomplice as they attempted to burglarize the home next door. Paul also has been charged with armed criminal action and attemped burglary. Police are looking for a second possible suspect.
According to court records, Paul had been released on his own recognizance in April after being convicted of stealing. At that time he was free on a suspended imposition of sentence for a 2010 conviction for robbery and assault. He had missed a court hearing on May 3, and there was a warrant for his arrest on the day he allegedly murdered Paul Reiter.
A judge ordered the accused to be held without bond.
A Memorial Celebration for the late Paul Reiter will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14 at the Carmelite Monastery, 9150 Clayton Rd.
Reiter’s sister, Marty Wofford, asked that people who come to the public memorial celebration bring a card on which they have written a memory of Paul for the sake of his son, Christopher Reiter, a sophomore at Saint Louis University
