HOUSTON — A Houston family said justice has been served as the Katy man convicted of killing their loved one will sit in prison for the rest of his life.
Lawrence Reed, 56, killed his wife, 36-year-old Valerie Junius, and shot two of her six children.
On Thursday night, the family spoke and said they were thankful to finally have justice.
It's understandably difficult for Valerie’s family to talk about the night of the shooting. However, they emphasize the importance of sharing her story to inspire change.
Take a step inside Gloria Junius’ home and there will be some tributes you simply can’t miss.
"We see (Valerie) every day. Every day we see her," Gloria said.
Gloria took a moment during an interview with KHOU 11 News reporter Amanda Henderson to glance at a photo of her daughter, Valerie Junius. In every photo, the mother-of-six is smiling.
"Full of life, full of life," Gloria said.
It’s her light that Valerie’s family clings to in her absence.
In July 2021, Valerie’s husband shot and killed her at their home. Last Thursday he was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of her murder.
"I hate that (he) destroyed our family. It didn’t even need to be like this," Octavia, Valerie’s daughter, said.
"It was a gut feeling that he was going to get what he deserves," Javontae, Valerie’s son, said.
Octavia and Javontae are Valerie’s two children who were also shot during the rampage. Octavia was shot in the chest and the bullet hit her heart, lungs and liver. She hid with her then-1-year-old daughter in a closet during the ensuing SWAT standoff.
Javontae was shot twice and held his mother’s arm when she was fatally shot.
"That was my heart, like, nobody could tell me nothing. Wherever she went, I was right there," Javontae said.
"She loved us. She’d die for us just like she did for us," Octavia said.
As the siblings remembered their mom, they also called for change so no family endures what they are living.
"I know I’m strong and everybody looks at me like I’m strong, too, because a lot of people wouldn’t be able to sit right here, right now and explain what happened," Javontae said.
Reed was also convicted of two counts of aggravated assault of a family member and received 20 years for each charge. All three prison sentences will run at the same time.