September 2, 2024 | By: Isa Barrientos

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Valencia Reynolds was 3 years old, sitting on the floor in front of the TV watching General Hospital, when she first told her mother she wanted to be a nurse. Through grade school and high school, Reynolds would say she wanted to save lives, or at least be able to help people through difficult times.

At 21 years old, she was only a few years away from having her dream job. Reynolds was in nursing school while working nights as a cashier to support her growing family. She had made a home in the Castle Point neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, where she was raising her 18-month-old son. Valencia was due to give birth to her second child, a baby girl, any day –– layettes and toys were already set out in her room, and a swing set had just been installed in the backyard where the kids could play together.

But in the early morning of May 16, 1992, Valencia Reynolds was found murdered in her home on her bedroom floor, having been stabbed more than 25 times. Her unborn child did not survive the attack. Her young son was found in the next room, safe but scared.

Her mother, Cozette Ford, remembers Valencia as a devoted friend and daughter.

“If she thought I was looking sad, she would come over and say, ‘What’s wrong, mommy?’ She was grown, 20-something years old, still calling me mommy,” Ford recalled.

Valencia was full of life. She went to singing and dancing lessons as a kid, and she loved to bop and sing along to The Temptations and Sam Cooke. One of Ford’s favorite memories of her daughter is from a couple of weeks before her death – Valencia had asked Ford to come along to Taco Bell, her favorite restaurant, and on the way, they sang along together to “My Girl.”

Valencia had a sweet disposition ever since she was young. She was eager to share everything she had and put her life on hold to help anyone who was struggling. Valencia’s mother said she was always rooting for the underdog and doing her best to lift them, even when she had her own problems.

“Even when she had first learned to talk, she would always say, ‘See you later, God bless you!'” said Ford. “Nobody taught her that, she just started saying it!”

Valencia was also known for being selfless – perhaps even to a fault.

“She was very loving and very trusting, and I think that’s what led to her death,” said Ford.

Police believe the murderer may have had a key to her house. Her mother has strong suspicions about who killed her, but police ruled out all immediate suspects and the case remains cold.

For a while, Ford ran an organization for bereaved parents, A Way With Words VPR, in honor of her daughter. The mission was to offer community and support for those in the isolation that arises from losing a child. The non-profit was active for 30 years, helping other families in her community.

“She was a good mom,” said Ford. “She loved her babies, and she loved her mama.” Valencia was going to name the baby after her mother. After the murder, Ford had Valencia and her baby buried together.

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Anyone with information concerning the homicide of Valencia Reynolds and contributing to the death of her unborn baby are asked to call the Saint Louis County Police Department at (314) 615-5400. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call the St. Louis Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).

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