Reginald Simms was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on January 31, 1994. His father, Dexter Simms, worked in a steel mill. He divorced Reggie's mother, Molly, when Reggie was 12, yet he still lived in the family house. He frequently abused little Reggie, his older sister Connie, and his older brother James.
The year after the divorce, Dexter was beaten to death by his son James, then 17. James was convicted and was incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison, where he still resides.
Molly Simms passed away three years later. Connie and her husband now live in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
When Reggie was 17, Connie and her future husband, Maurice Stanley, moved to Pittsburgh, taking Reggie with them. Maurice helped Reggie finish high school and convinced him to enter college, where he joined the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Pittsburgh.
After graduating from Pitt, Reggie was sent to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS, for specialized training. On his way home after completing the training, Reggie traveled through Oxford and met Melanie Daniels. The two shared a couple of nights together, and then Reggie went home.
Soon after he got back to Pittsburgh, Reggie learned that Melanie was pregnant and had named him as the father. Flabbergasted and alarmed by the accusation, Reggie had little time to process the situation before he shipped out to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.
After serving four years in the Air Force and returning to the States, Reggie spent over a year "in waste" and finally pulled himself "back into reality." He has held a steady job for three years and also writes poetry.
Reggie still lives in Pittsburgh and tends bar at the Marriott downtown, where he met Laurie Daniels a few months ago.