Officer convicted in boating death to be released
by Geoff Folsom
gfolsom@cherokeetribune.com
July 27, 2012 11:59 PM | 1313 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
MARIETTA — A former Cobb County SWAT team member will be paroled after serving 18 months in prison after being convicted in the drowning death of a fellow officer.

Kenneth Paul Reda, 40, of Acworth, will be released Tuesday. He was pleaded guilty in January 2011 to second-degree homicide by vessel, three counts of making false statements, violation of oath of officer by a public officer and tampering with evidence in connection to the April 22, 2010, death of Brent Stephens of Douglasville.

Reda was given a 15-year sentence, with four to be served in prison.

Reda was driving his 22-foot fishing boat on Lake Allatoona with Shelly Powell of Acworth and Stephens, police said. The boat hit a buoy, that sent Stephens overboard as the three were travelling to Harbor Town Marina, off Galts Ferry Road in Acworth, after eating dinner at Props ’n Hops restaurant on Victoria Landing Drive in Woodstock, according to police.

Police said Reda called 911 roughly 90 minutes after hitting the buoy, after dropping Powell off. He initially told a 911 operator that Stephens had jumped off the boat, and that it had just been him and Stephens on the boat. According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, he told authorities that Powell was there to meet Stephens, even though it was Reda who was romantically involved with her.

Reda and Powell were arrested six days later.

In February 2011, Powell was convicted in Cherokee County Superior Court of making false statements to police and hiding evidence. She was sentenced to eight years’ probation.
Comments
(0)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
No Comments Yet
*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides