Bio

Christopher John Spreitz was born on June 10, 1966. He grew up in Arizona. As a young adult, he spent time drinking and socializing in local bars. He had a roommate and was often seen looking for new people to meet.

On the night of May 18, 1989, after drinking with his roommate, Spreitz left home around midnight. He drove his car, which was in poor condition and leaking oil. Police had already noticed his car earlier that night. Spreitz’s behavior that night was unusual. He appeared to be disheveled and had torn clothing.

After the events of that night, he was stopped by the police. They noticed that he had blood and fecal matter on his body and clothing. Spreitz explained that he had been in a fight. However, the police found no evidence to support his claim of a fight. They issued him a traffic citation and released him.

Spreitz's life took a darker turn just a few days later. On May 22, 1989, Ruby Reid's body was found in the desert near Tucson. She had been seen leaving a bar the night before Spreitz was stopped by police. Shortly after Ruby's body was discovered, the police began to connect the dots between her death and Spreitz's earlier encounter with them.

While living in Arizona, Spreitz’s actions led to significant legal trouble. He was arrested a few days later based on outstanding traffic warrants, and police later linked him to the murder investigation.

Murder Story

On May 19, 1989, Christopher John Spreitz was stopped by the police in Tucson, Arizona. His car was smoking and leaking oil. The officer noticed that Spreitz had blood and fecal matter on his hands and clothing. When questioned, he claimed he had been in a fight. However, the police found no evidence of such a fight at the location he mentioned. After taking some photographs, the police issued him a traffic citation and released him.

Three days later, on May 22, a horseback rider found the body of Ruby Reid in the desert. The area was covered in blood and fecal matter. The police connected the discovery of Reid’s body to Spreitz because of his earlier condition when stopped. During questioning, Spreitz admitted to picking up Reid at a convenience store and claimed she went with him voluntarily. He stated that they struggled in the desert, and he admitted to striking her multiple times. He eventually confessed to crushing her skull with a rock because she would not stop screaming.

Reid suffered from multiple wounds, including a broken jaw and five broken ribs. The fatal injury was a skull fracture. After his confession, Spreitz was convicted of first-degree murder, sexual assault, and kidnapping. He was sentenced to death on December 21, 1994.