A mother of two who would have turned 37 on Christmas Day was brutally murdered one day before her birthday, leaving loved ones torn and in shambles during the holiday season.
The family of Hazel Reese told Atlanta’s 11 Alive that the saga began on December 23 when calls they made to her were left unanswered. They knew in that moment something was wrong considering she was always known to respond to calls and texts.
Reese was with the father of her 10-year-old son when she stopped answering calls, according to her aunt Jolette Thomas, who said that her niece and the man knew each other for 15 years.
On December 24, Brookhaven Police dispatched officers to the Microtel Hotel in a northern Atlanta suburb to respond to a call of shots fired on the hotel’s second floor. Officers arrived within one minute, according to police.
Upon entering the hotel, officers discovered a man with a gunshot wound to the head in an elevator. Reese was found face down next to him. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe the man may have killed her then committed suicide.
“She couldn’t imagine that anybody would hurt her,” Thomas said. “They heard several shots and she was just screaming out twice please don’t kill me, please don’t kill me.”
Reports say Reese was trapped. Thomas began to conduct her own investigations on Christmas Eve and found Reese’s car parked outside the hotel where she was murdered.
Reese’s best friend, Natashia Binns reminisced about her friend and the life she brought to every room she entered.
“She was infectious, contagious, always happy, the life of the party, she was so open, she was so honest,” Binns recalled.
She further detailed that when the two initially met, they immediately became close and was invited to a sleepover that same week.
“She would forgive anything, nobody can do no wrong,” both Thomas and Binns said. “Even if she felt like she might have hurt you in any way she would be quick to apologize. She was just that person.”
They further added that her willingness to forgive anyone at any time “definitely played a factor in the abuse she went through.”
“I didn’t know that was going to be the last time I spoke to her,” Thomas said. “I would have said ‘I love you,’ you know. ‘You can talk to me about anything.’ ‘You need me to come get you.’ I would have said so many different things.”
Binn recommends anyone going through an abusive situation to have the courage to walk away.
“Please ask for help,” she pleaded. “If you can walk away. Walk away. Do not stay.”
If you or someone you know suffers from domestic abuse, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day/7 days a week and can be reached at 1-800-799-7233.
To donate to Reese’s two young boys, please visit her GoFundMe page here.
