The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the capital murder conviction of Reggie Matthews, who shot and killed his former partner Tiana Robinson at a community barbecue in Osceola, Arkansas, on Sept. 6, 2023. The high court rejected Matthews's appeal on four grounds in an opinion delivered Dec. 11, 2025.
Associate Justice Nicholas J. Bronni wrote the opinion in *Matthews v. State of Arkansas* (Ark. 2025), which upheld Matthews's life sentence for the public killing that occurred in front of multiple witnesses at a well-attended barbecue.
According to court records, Matthews and Robinson were involved in what the court described as an "abusive relationship" with Matthews exhibiting "an escalating pattern of threatening behavior in the run-up to Robinson's murder." The toxic relationship had drawn police attention as early as September 2022, when officers were called to break up a loud argument between Matthews and Robinson over Matthews's refusal to return a key to Robinson's house.
The fatal shooting occurred at a community barbecue where multiple witnesses saw Matthews chase Robinson, shoot her multiple times, and taunt her as she lay dying. The public nature of the crime provided prosecutors with numerous eyewitness accounts that formed the foundation of their case against Matthews.
At trial in Mississippi County Circuit Court, overseen by Judge Dan Ritchey, multiple witnesses identified Matthews as Robinson's killer and testified about the sequence of events they observed. The jury convicted Matthews of capital murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
Matthews appealed his conviction on four grounds, all of which the Arkansas Supreme Court found "meritless." First, Matthews argued that insufficient evidence supported his conviction. The court rejected this claim, finding that the testimony of multiple eyewitnesses who saw the shooting provided adequate evidence for the jury's verdict.
Second, Matthews challenged statements he made to police during interrogation, arguing they should have been suppressed because he had invoked his right to counsel. However, the court noted that Matthews had immediately expressed a willingness to answer questions after invoking his right to counsel, which complicated his suppression argument.
Third, Matthews claimed that a witness's unsolicited statement identifying him as the shooter violated a pretrial order and should have resulted in a mistrial. The court found this argument without merit, determining that the statement did not warrant overturning the conviction.
Fourth, Matthews argued that allowing a police officer to testify about an interrogation recording that was played for the jury violated the best-evidence rule. The Arkansas Supreme Court rejected this claim as well, finding no violation of evidentiary rules.
The case highlights the intersection of domestic violence and public safety, as the murder occurred not in private but at a community gathering where families and children were present. The escalating pattern of abuse documented in court records reflects broader concerns about domestic violence cases that can turn fatal.
Court documents show that Matthews was married but had begun his relationship with Robinson more than a year before the murder. The relationship's deteriorating nature was evidenced by police interventions, including the 2022 incident where officers had to intervene in their dispute.
The Arkansas Supreme Court's unanimous rejection of Matthews's appeal arguments reinforces the strength of the evidence presented at trial. The court's opinion emphasized that eyewitness testimony from multiple observers provided compelling evidence of Matthews's guilt.
Domestic violence cases that result in homicide often follow patterns of escalating abuse, as documented in this case. The public nature of Robinson's murder made it particularly shocking to the Osceola community, where the barbecue was taking place.
The case number CR-24-827 will be cited as *2025 Ark. 213* and serves as precedent for similar domestic violence cases involving public killings. The Mississippi County Circuit Court case number was 47OCR-23-214.
Matthews's life sentence without the possibility of parole reflects Arkansas's serious treatment of capital murder cases, particularly those involving domestic violence. The case demonstrates how Arkansas courts handle appeals in capital cases, requiring substantial grounds for overturning jury verdicts supported by strong evidence.
The affirmation by the Arkansas Supreme Court concludes Matthews's direct appeal process, though he may still pursue post-conviction relief through other legal avenues. The case serves as a stark reminder of how domestic violence can escalate to deadly consequences and the importance of community intervention in abusive relationships.