A Tennessee woman known for standing up for others was attacked inside her own home, shortly after she helped a young person in need. Dr. Ellena Gooch-Reid, 87, is recovering after she was beaten and left for dead during a home invasion on Sept. 9.
On Tuesday, Ripley Police Chief Mitchell Turner announced that warrants had been issued for the arrests of two suspects, Kevin Harper Jr. and an unnamed juvenile. Neither suspect had been arrested as of Wednesday.
According to reporting by local WMC, Gooch-Reid has been in and out of the hospital since the attack but is recovering.
In a press release, Turner said both suspects face several felony charges in connection with the alleged attack. These include attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, especially aggravated burglary, especially aggravated robbery, and aggravated abuse of an elderly person.
WMC interviewed Gooch-Reid as she recovered. The civil rights activist and minister, who once stood alongside the late Rep. John Lewis, told the outlet that she had “nine wounds” in her head, chest and arms.
Gooch-Reid said that right before the attack, “I had helped someone, a young person, to get some clothes for school, which is one of the things that I do. And I believe he was the one who came into my house and robbed me.”
WMC reported that Gooch-Reid told police she remembered an older man entering her house and striking her in the head with his fist and his open hand.
According to WMC, she was found on the floor in a puddle of her own blood. A police report obtained by the station stated that Gooch-Reid suffered fractures in her right hand and left arm.
The attack has left emotional scars as well as physical ones. Gooch-Reid told WMC, “I am reliving the experience through nightmares, and that’s hard.”
Police have not announced any further details about the investigation or the whereabouts of the suspects.