On September 2, 1994, Leslie Reed (then Leslie Boellstorff) was working as a reporter with the Omaha World Herald when she witnessed the electrocution of Harold Lamont Otey. Otey's electrocution was the first execution in Nebraska in approximately 35 years, since Charles Starkweather was executed in 1959. In the video clip found above Ms. Reed is seen shortly after the execution of Mr. Otey describing her observations of the execution.
On April 29, 2023 I met with Leslie Reed at her home in Lincoln, Nebraska to interview her about her 1994 witnessing experience of the execution of Harold Lamont Otey. Below you will find a bio for Ms. Reed and after the bio is a link to Ms. Reed's writings about the execution of Mr. Otey.
The following bio for Leslie Reed was taken by a bio written by Maxine Reeker at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2016):
Leslie Reed is currently the national news editor for the Office of Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
“I curate content. I am more of a content editor,” said Reed, during an hour-long interview in the commons area at the Nebraska Union. “What we write about and the stories we pitch to other reporters is first, best, only, that’s a high bar set by my editor."
In 2013, after 30 years working at Nebraska newspapers, Reed made a fresh start as a news writer and editor with the job of trying to get UNL sources and stories in the national media. She had left her job as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald after some downsizing. She left for a number of reasons, she said, including the effect of term limits in the Legislature, the stress of juggling spot news and her beats and the death of her mother, who died in 2012. She said the grind of posting stories online as soon as possible and the distraction of tweeting also led to her decision to leave. While at the World-Herald, Reed covered the Legislature, agriculture, regional news and higher education. Reed said she wanted to look into things with a little more depth.
In the communications office, her job involves a number of different areas and includes maintaining a list of UNL experts. Reed said she is a liaison between the faculty and reporters.“You’re trying to get your people placed in the national media, but if you think about it, you’re also trying to help the reporters do the best story they can,” said Reed. She said a gratifying item she wrote and helped place nationally was a study done on East Campus by Lincoln agricultural economists, who analyzed diets of people living in other countries. The Washington Post also wrote about it. She also worked to get press for a story on fire management drones.
Reed said she follows AP style and thinks consistency is important and that makes writing look more professional.
“I think it improves communication, and it proves you care enough to do things right,” said Reed. “Just do it the same way all the time. That is why you need an AP Stylebook.” Reed’s advice for journalists is to be honest. “It saves a lot of problems down the road,” said Reed. “Don’t be afraid of the truth. Every time you start spinning stuff you get in trouble. You have to be up front.”
Reporters should make sure they pick a good topic to write about and be versatile with social media. “It’s very important for reporters to use social media because if you don’t, you are just left behind,” said Reed. “Breaking news comes out on Twitter and newsrooms look at the number of clicks a story has on social media. Reporters need to be conversing on social media because you have to help do that. You have to light a fire under your own story. Not only do you have to report it and write it, you have to help promote it too now.”
Reed graduated from UNL in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Before joining the World-Herald in 1990, Reed worked for seven years at the Lincoln Journal Star. Reed grew up near Brock, Nebraska, said she enjoys her life outside of her job at UNL, too.
Reed said her husband writes science fiction and most years they go to the World Science Fiction Convention. In 2014, they went to London. Reed said some of the things she loves to do are quilting, knitting, practicing yoga five days a week and reading.