Anthony Demetrius Reese, a 55-year-old resident of Columbia, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea comes as authorities continue to investigate the murder of Angela Fuller, who was reported missing in August 2025.
According to investigators, officers from the Columbia Police Department began looking into Fuller's disappearance after she was last seen with Reese. When police attempted to stop Reese's vehicle on August 31, 2025, he fled and crashed in Lexington. Officers recovered a loaded firearm from his car.
Reese has multiple prior felony convictions—including domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, shoplifting (third offense or above), second-degree burglary, and second-degree assault and battery—which prohibit him from legally possessing firearms or ammunition. Following an extensive search by law enforcement, Fuller's body was found. Testing confirmed that the gun taken from Reese’s vehicle matched the weapon used in her murder.
Reese faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the firearm charge. He could also be fined up to $250,000 and ordered to pay restitution; his sentence will include three years of supervised release following imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. accepted Reese's guilty plea and will determine sentencing after reviewing a report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
In addition to the federal charge, Reese is facing state charges including murder, unauthorized removal of a dead body, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a stolen pistol. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and remains presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked alongside the City of Columbia Police Department on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major is leading the prosecution.
