Sarah Kolb

Case record: Sarah Kolb

Background

Sarah Kolb was convicted in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Adrianne Reynolds in East Moline, Illinois. Adrianne Reynolds was originally from Kilgore, Texas, and moved to East Moline, Illinois, when she was 16 to live with her biological father and her stepmother, Tony and Joann Reynolds. She began attending Black Hawk College Outreach Center in November 2004 to earn her GED in order to realize her dream of joining the Marines.

Sarah Kolb and Cory Gregory were fellow students at the Outreach Center. Sarah Kolb was a self-identified Juggalette. She lived with her mother and stepfather in the nearby town of Milan, Illinois.

Cory Gregory was a Juggalo and originally attended Moline High School before transferring to the Outreach Center, where he met Sarah Kolb. He lived with his mother at the time of the incident. Sarah threatened to kill Adrianne on numerous occasions, but she was not taken seriously.

Nathan Gaudet, described as a 16-year-old boy from Moline, later pleaded guilty to concealment for helping dismember Adrianne Reynolds’ body.

The offence

On the afternoon of January 21, 2005, Sarah Kolb invited Adrianne Reynolds to join her, Cory Gregory, and Sean for lunch at Taco Bell. On the way there, Sarah and Adrianne began fighting. In the parking lot, Cory Gregory held down Adrianne while Sarah strangled her with a belt and beat her with a wooden handle.

After the murder, Sarah and Cory took Adrianne’s body to Sarah’s grandparents’ farm in Aledo, Illinois, where they tried to burn it with gasoline. When it failed to burn after several hours, they recruited Nathan Gaudet to help dismember the body. Nathan used his grandfather’s handsaw to remove Adrianne’s head and arms and placed them in a garbage bag.

Afterwards, the three teenagers ate lunch at McDonald’s, then disposed of the garbage bag at Black Hawk State Park.

Adrianne Reynolds’ remains were discovered a few days later on January 26, 2005.

Investigation

Authorities discovered Adrianne Reynolds’ remains a few days later on January 26, 2005.

Prosecutors said Sarah Kolb wrote in a class journal that she was going to kill Reynolds just hours before Reynolds was beaten and strangled, and that several witnesses testified she made similar threats in the weeks before Reynolds’ death.

Audio tapes of a phone interview with Sarah Kolb were played in court after Reynolds vanished. In the tape, Kolb told the officer she had no idea where Reynolds had gone.

Investigators also showed videotapes of two locations where Reynold’s body parts were found.

A teacher testified: "She was one of my favorite students, and I think anyone in the building would say the same."

Arrest

Sarah Kolb and Cory Gregory were charged with two counts of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicide on February 1, 2005, and both pled not guilty.

Trial

Sarah Kolb was the first to go to trial. The trial began on October 31, 2005, at the Rock Island County Courthouse.

After two weeks of trial and 15 hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the three charges. One juror opted for acquittal, while eleven were in favor of conviction.

At her retrial on February 6, 2006, in Dixon, Illinois, Sarah was convicted on all counts.

During the first trial, the jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of conviction, and a mistrial was declared. The retrial was moved to Dixon due to extensive news media coverage of the case.

Evidence and witness testimony (as presented during proceedings)

A forensic pathologist testified that she could not determine the exact cause of death, but that smothering and/or strangulation were a strong possibility, and that the body was dismembered and severely charred.

Sean McKittrick testified that on January 21, 2005, he went to lunch at Taco Bell on Moline’s Avenue of the Cities in Sarah Kolb’s car. Adrianne Reynolds was in the front with Kolb. McKittrick was in the back with another classmate, Cory Gregory. McKittrick testified that Kolb asked Reynolds for a hug, grabbed Reynolds’ hair, and started yelling at her. McKittrick testified: "If you don't like it, get out." He said he got out of the car and walked back to school, and that during the fight Adrianne Reynolds was crying.

McKittrick testified that on January 22, he saw Kolb at Gregory’s house and that Sarah then broke up with him. McKittrick testified that Sarah told him she had lost all respect for him because McKittrick told a neighbor about the Taco Bell incident.

During cross examination in the first trial, Kolb disputed earlier testimony by a woman who said she had seen Kolb sitting on Cory Gregory’s lap on the night of the murder. Kolb said the witness was drunk and that the testimony was wrong. During the testimony, Judge James Teros told Kolb to stop answering with questions.

During trial testimony, Kolb read her journal entry dated January 21. In front of the jury, Kolb read the words: "I'll (expletive) kill her."

Kolb testified in her own defense, stating she did not kill Adrianne Reynolds and that Cory Gregory did. She testified she invited Reynolds to lunch at Taco Bell and said she grabbed her hair and told her to stay away from her friends. She testified that Reynolds pulled away and that the two never hit each other. She testified that Cory Gregory pulled Reynolds into the back seat and ultimately killed her by strangling her with a stick. She testified she tried to stop Gregory and he hit her with the stick breaking her hose. She testified she admitted to taking the body to the farm in Millersburg but said she did not take part in the burning. She testified Gregory threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

When asked "Did you strangle her?", Kolb responded: "No."

Quoted statements presented during proceedings

Joann Reynolds’ letter, called a victim's impact statement, was read in court during the sentencing hearing.

Your Honor, This is the hardest letter I have ever had to write. Starting from the beginning when we realized Adrianne was missing, Tony and I were frantic. We started making phone calls to everyone we could think of. When I finally got a hold of Sarah (Kolb), she was cool as ice. Sarah told the story how she left Adrianne at McDonalds after an argument. Sarah was very sincere. After 5 days of hell we learned Adrianne was dead. That's the worst news a parent can receive. We had to hear from the media that Adrianne's body had been dismembered. I cannot begin to tell you the visions I have in my head. I have had to get counseling and go to the doctors for sleeping pills, which I still take today. I still have problems going out in public to have fun because I feel it's not right to have fun after Adrianne's been murdered. Your Honor, let me tell you about Adrianne. Adrianne was a normal 16-year-old girl who liked boys. Adrianne came here from Texas to start her life over. Like most families we had problems, but together we were going through counseling. Adrianne got through to my heart, and I never got the chance to tell her I loved her. I miss her, Your Honor. Adrianne had dreams. She wanted to be an American Idol. She loved to sing. Adrianne wanted to be a designer that did detail paintings on cars. We were planning a graduation party for Adrianne. She was working very hard to get her G.E.D. Adrianne had dreams of being a marine. Your Honor, since Jan. 21, 2005, I have not been able to stop thinking what horror Adrianne had to go through. I think about Adrianne crying in the car. I think about Adrianne being strangled. I think about Adrianne?s burned-up body. I think about her head and arms being in that manhole. You Honor, what kind of a person can do this? Your honor, Sarah asked for a fair trial and she got it. What about Adrianne' Sarah didn't give Adrianne a fair trial. She tried and convicted (her) and gave Adrianne the death penalty. Adrianne just wanted to be Sarah?s friend. Because Sarah cannot receive the death penalty because she has laws to protect her, I ask you give her the max. Because she is evil enough to have someone cut up Adrianne?s body, I ask you give her the max. Because Sarah showed no remorse, I ask you give her the max. Because Adrianne is not ever coming home, I ask you give her the max. Adrianne just wasn't anybody. She was Adrianne Leigh Reynolds, and I want her to come home. Your honor this could of been anybody's daughter. Please give her the max. Your Honor, please do not take into consideration that Cory Gregory only got 40 years. Sarah Kolb was the leader of the pack. Sarah Kolb is the one who ordered Adrianne's death. Your Honor, Sarah Kolb is a cold-blooded killer. She shows no emotion. She is not sorry that she killed Adrianne. She's sorry she got caught. In her phone calls to the police she was cool as ice. Sarah Kolb was in control of the whole situation. Your Honor, 60 years is nothing compared to what Adrianne Reynolds got. I just want her to come home. Please give Sarah the max. Thank you, Your Honor.

Defense attorney David Hoffman described Kolb’s state after the verdict as: "She was scared and anxious and now she’s probably as depressed as hell. That’s the way I would be."

David Hoffman also said: "Clearly the sentence is based on seeing her as a life-long murderer who will do it again. I don't see it that way," and Kolb read a letter in court stating: "I felt no feeling as she died. There's no excuse why I couldn't turn off my not-feeling to feel."

Sentencing

After months of sentencing delays, Sarah Kolb was sentenced on August 28, 2006.

At sentencing, she received a total of 53 years in prison for murder and concealment: 48 years for murder and five years for concealment.

She began serving her sentence at the Dwight Correctional Center.

The record also described that at her sentencing hearing, she testified crying at one point and said that no one cared about her. She also said she felt nothing when Reynolds died.

Appeals

No appeal outcome for Sarah Kolb was included in the provided case summary. A quoted account described that Cory Gregory’s appeal was denied, but no appeal result for Sarah was provided.

Other details

• Sarah Kolb was described as 17 years old during parts of the trial proceedings, though she was 16 when the murder occurred in January 2005.
• The court proceedings involved co-defendant Cory Gregory and a juvenile participant, Nathan Gaudet.
• The proceedings included juror questions about "presumption of innocence" and "intent."
• Media coverage mentioned included Dateline NBC in October 2006; Deadly Women in December 2010; E! Investigates in June 2011; and Snapped in September 2011.
• The sentencing hearing included six defense witnesses who were described as mostly teenage friends of Kolb.
• A Rock Island County Circuit Court sentencing hearing wrapped up shortly before 5 p.m.

Outcome

Sarah Kolb was convicted on all counts at her retrial on February 6, 2006, and later sentenced to 53 years in prison on August 28, 2006.