Court documents reveal new details about Martinsville homicide

Criminal complaint shows day before murder, victim feared suspect would kill her

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Inside Rania's Restaurant in Uptown Martinsville, where 53-year-old Katherine Likens worked, employees have framed a picture of Likens as a memorial.

No one at the restaurant wanted to speak on camera Tuesday, but one employee described Likens as very nice and hard working.

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According to a criminal complaint Likens filed the day before her death, her boyfriend, 52-year-old Robert Reynolds, damaged her air conditioner with a wooden stick and threatened to kill her by beating her with a hammer.

Likens' body was found behind BB&T bank Thursday afternoon.

Reynolds was arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree murder.

Victoria Dillard is a neighbor of Likens, but didn't know her.

She has, however, known Reynolds for more than 10 years.

"No, in my perspective. I wouldn't think that he would do that," Dillard said when asked if she ever thought Reynolds would do something like this. "He was a funny, outgoing person."

Court documents also reveal Likens was last seen at Sparky's convenience store on East Church Street Wednesday night.

The manager of Sparky's, Mamta Patel, said Likens was a frequent customer.

"My employee working here, he remembered what time she came, what he said to her. (The) next day, I heard (the news) and I'm shocked," Patel said.

WSLS also confirmed Tuesday that Likens filed a protective order against Reynolds last week, but WSLS was told by the court clerk that the order was sealed and not available to the public.

Reynolds is scheduled to be arraigned at 3 p.m. July 19.