Granbury’s Trevor Reed released from Russian prison

The Hood County community was ecstatic Wednesday over the release of Granbury resident and former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who spent almost 1,000 days imprisoned in Russia on what American authorities believe were fabricated charges.

“Our family has been living a nightmare,” the Reed family said in a statement. “Today, our prayers have been answered and Trevor is safely on his way back to the United States.”

As locals expressed their delight and gratitude on social media, Trevor’s mother, Paula Reed, exchanged direct messages with the Hood County News on Facebook.

She said that her family was awaiting a briefing from the State Department but that they already knew they would not be seeing Trevor on that day. She also said that Trevor was on a plane and that a doctor was on board with him to assess his health.

Paula and her husband Joey told the HCN late last month that their son had been exposed to tuberculosis in prison and was exhibiting “active” symptoms of that disease, including coughing up blood.

Trevor appeared pale and weak in Russian television footage of him being escorted to a plane by two guards but was able to walk without assistance.

In a response to a question from the HCN about whether she had spoken with her son by phone since his release, Paula responded, “Yes, we did. He sounded subdued. I don’t think he was feeling well. And when we saw him on videos of the transfer, he looks terrible.”

The family’s statement asked for the public’s patience as Trevor strives to recover from his ordeal.

“While we understand the interest in Trevor’s story — and as soon as he’s ready, he’ll tell his own story — we’d respectfully ask for some privacy while we address the myriad of health issues brought on by the squalid conditions he was subjected to in his Russian gulag,” they wrote.

The young man’s release was part of a prisoner exchange. The United States traded Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was convicted of drug smuggling in 2011 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Trevor was arrested in Moscow in 2019. He had traveled to that country to visit his girlfriend and was taken into custody after becoming drunk at a party held in a park.

Hours after his arrest, Russian authorities accused Trevor of engaging in an altercation with police officers and endangering their “life and health” — a charge Trevor has denied and for which there was no evidence.

In summer 2020, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.

The Reeds and U.S. authorities believe Trevor was targeted because of his former service as a Marine and as a presidential guard at Camp David.

Joey and Paula tirelessly advocated for their son. Late last month, they traveled to Washington, D.C. to demonstrate near the White House grounds to call attention to his plight.

The couple was invited to meet with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office to discuss the government’s efforts to bring their son home.

The statement released by the Reed family through spokesman Jonathan Franks stated, in part: “First and foremost, we’d like to thank President Biden for his kindness, his consideration, and for making the decision to bring Trevor home. The President’s action may have saved Trevor’s life.”

The Reeds thanked many government officials who advocated for Trevor’s release, including Congressman August Pfluger, “and so many others who worked together in a bipartisan manner to bring Trevor home.”

The statement acknowledged the continued imprisonment of Paul Whelan, another U.S. citizen and former Marine who was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 on espionage charges. He has repeatedly denied the claims.

The Reeds stated, “Finally, we stand proudly with the Whelan family and all the other families of wrongfully detained Americans who are still waiting for their own release moment. We will continue to advocate for the rapid release of hostages and detainees using all tools available to the United States government.”