Friday, July 20, 2007

Suspect in Ketchum shooting apprehended

Deborah A. Reimer charged with second-degree attempted murder


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Deborah A Reimer was arrested in Challis Wednesday evening on second-degree attempted murder charges. Photo by David N. Seelig

A domestic shooting in southern Ketchum on Wednesday, July 18, resulted in the arrest of Sun Valley resident Deborah A. Reimer, 54. She is charged with second-degree attempted murder for allegedly trying to shoot Ketchum resident Bob Dreyer with a handgun.

Ketchum police received a call at 8:41 a.m. reporting "shots fired" at 212 Glade Court, a residence located one block west of state Highway 75 and just north of the Elkhorn Road traffic light. On scene, they found the intended victim unharmed.

"It's not the first time we have dealt with them," Ketchum Police Chief Cory Lyman said of Reimer and Dreyer. "There's been an ongoing domestic disturbance for years."

Dreyer said in an interview on Thursday that Reimer used a key to enter his house around 8:30 a.m. when she fired two shots at him while he was taking a shower.

Forty-one officers responded from area law enforcement agencies, including the Hailey and Sun Valley police departments, Blaine County Sheriff's Office and a Special Emergencies Response Team, said Kim Rogers, Ketchum Police Department public information officer. She said members of the Ketchum Fire Department, Blaine County Search and Rescue and Ketchum Dispatch and Communications also arrived at the scene. In addition, two dogs, Taz and Chili Dog, both trained in human scent, were on hand to aid in the search for Reimer.

"The valley-wide support was incredible," Lyman said of the cooperation among the agencies. "It was seamless considering we don't do this every week."

Law enforcement officers taking part in the joint operation cleared the neighborhood, which included Meadow Circle from Highway 75 west to the bike path, and declared the area secure at 12:45 p.m. Neither Reimer nor the weapon used in the shooting were located at that time, Lyman said. When the search for Reimer moved away from the scene of the incident, command of the investigation was transferred from the Ketchum Police Department to the Blaine County Sheriff's Office.

Though Lyman said at the scene that Reimer was not considered a threat to the general public, Rogers issued a press release just before 4 p.m. with a description of her, stating she was considered "armed and dangerous." Reimer was believed to be driving a 1992 Suburban with Blaine County license plates, though there was no vehicle registered to her in the county Rogers said.

The search for Reimer did not last long.

"At 5:06 p.m. four Custer County deputies intercepted the suspect after following at close range for several miles," Rogers said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

Rogers said Idaho State Police assisted in transporting Reimer to Custer County Jail in Challis, where she remained in custody on Thursday. Rogers said Reimer will likely be transferred back to Blaine County within two days.

The scene throughout the morning in Ketchum led to slow-moving traffic and a myriad of fast-paced rumors.

Morning commuters slowed to catch a glimpse of the armor-clad Special Emergency Response Team, essentially a SWAT team made up of officers from area law enforcement agencies, who spent hours scouring neighboring houses and properties for Reimer.

Ketchum resident Blake Jenson said he heard there was a sniper on Bald Mountain and numerous reports of a murder-suicide spread across local gossip circles.

Meanwhile, U.S. Forest Service Ketchum District Ranger Kurt Nelson called up to Mountain Operations on Bald Mountain to make people aware of the situation.

"Initial reports said she had crossed over onto public lands and was on the mountain," Nelson said in an interview Thursday. "There was a fair amount of hearsay going on."




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