Convicted killer gets 10-year sentence after rapped confession to attempted murder

The outside of the Manzo restaurant in Richmond, B.C., is pictured following a shooting in September 2020. Richard Charles Reed was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Jian Jun Zhu in the pictured shooting. (IHIT)

A B.C. man currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder has been given an additional 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to an attempted murder that occurred three months after the crime that ultimately sent him away for life.

Richard Charles Reed is currently behind bars for the Sept. 18, 2020, murder of Jian Jun Zhu.

Zhu, who had been accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through B.C. casinos, died in hospital the day after the shooting at Richmond’s Manzo sushi restaurant.

• Read more: Guilty verdict in brazen 2020 shooting in Richmond, B.C., that killed Jian Jun Zhu
• Gunman sentenced to life in prison for murder at B.C. restaurant

Last month, Reed received his additional sentence after striking a plea deal regarding the attempted murder of Spence Griffith. The decision was handed down Nov. 6, but was published online Friday.

The decision includes an agreed statement of facts about the offence, which occurred on Dec. 29, 2020.

According to the agreed facts, Reed and Griffith were “close friends,” but Reed became angry with Griffith when the latter started dating his ex-girlfriend—a woman named Yasmine, who Griffith knew Reed still loved.

In a video he recorded two days before the attempted murder, Reed relayed this history directly to camera, saying the two men had fought over Griffith’s relationship with Yasmine and that Reed “had attempted to blow up Mr. Griffith’s car.”

“Mr. Griffith remained undeterred,” the decision reads, summarizing Reed’s statements in the video.

“Mr. Reed warned Mr. Griffith that if he continued this conduct, Mr. Reed would kill him.”

Reed enlisted a mutual friend, Nicholas To, to lure Griffith to General Currie Elementary School in Richmond, ostensibly to have a few drinks as part of a group, according to the court decision.

“Shortly after Mr. Griffith arrived at the School, Mr. Reed, armed with a firearm, approached the group, and walked directly towards Mr. Griffith,” the decision reads. “When Mr. Reed was about six to nine feet from Mr. Griffith, he shot at him several times, hitting Mr. Griffith once in the palm of his hand.”

“Mr. Griffith was able to escape with only a single injury to his hand. He ran and managed to call 911. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries.”

After the incident, the decision indicates, Reed recorded another video. This time, he rapped about the shooting.

“In the confession recording, Mr. Reed described how he ‘as a real man’ went to shoot Mr. Griffith but his gun jammed, and he shot ‘Spence’ once in the hand and Spence ran away,” the decision reads.

32 prior convictions

The Crown and defence made a joint submission recommending 10 years as the appropriate sentence after Reed’s guilty plea for attempted murder.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam A. Maisonville, the judge hearing the case, considered whether to reject the joint submission, but ultimately concluded it was “an appropriate sentence.”

Maisonville noted that by the time of his attempted murder of Griffith, Reed had become “institutionalized.” He had 32 adult convictions for various offences, and 50 total convictions when youth offences were included.

“He has always been given jail,” the decision reads. “It is not surprising that he is entrenched in the criminal lifestyle, drug use, which ultimately escalated to murder for hire.”

According to the decision, Reed was born in New Orleans and moved to Canada with his mother when he was one year old. He has met his father—who abused his mother—only 10 times in his life, and he was removed from his mother’s home at age nine after she physically abused him.

Reed was expelled from school in Grade 9 and stopped attending, the decision notes.

“Despite his dealing with adversity, he wishes to pave a better path forward,” the document reads.

“There are a few reasons for optimism in respect of Mr. Reed. He would like to achieve his high school equivalency. He is taking up reading, trying to overcome his literacy issues, and reading novels. He has been placed into high school while in custody which he awaits to start due to it being on a first‑come, first‑served basis. He has yet to commence but he is enrolled.”

Reed also has community support in the form of his Sister who lives in B.C. and his mother, who now lives in Washington state, according to the decision.

“Despite being subjected to violence by her, he does not blame her,” the decision reads. “He has found a compassion within himself to forgive his mother and he loves her and is investing carefully in an ongoing relationship with her.”

Currently 27 years old, Reed will be 51, at the youngest, when he is released from prison.

“The aggravating circumstances are that this offence was committed with a firearm,” Maisonville’s decision reads.

“It was a premeditated shooting in which the victim had been lured. The shooting had occurred in a public place. It was motivated by jealousy, and displayed reckless and dangerous behaviour.”

“There are, however, mitigating factors to consider. The mitigating factors before the Court are that Mr. Reed has pleaded guilty and taken responsibility for this offence. He is remorseful and he regrets hurting his victim, Mr. Griffith. He told the Court that he is very sorry for what he has done. While he cannot change what he has done, he wishes to change his life going forward.”

In addition to accepting the recommended 10-year sentence, Maisonville imposed a lifetime prohibition on possessing firearms and other weapons, ordered Reed to provide a DNA sample and ordered the forfeiture of weapons and ammunition seized in relation to the attempted murder.

“You have a long and hard path ahead of you, but I accept your remorse and your desire to become a better human being,” the judge said, addressing Reed directly.