Reaves is facing charges in the murder of Latrese Curtis, an NC Central student, whose body was found along I-540 in North Raleigh.
After facing a judge Monday, Reaves will be held in the Wake County jail without bond.
Wake sheriff's investigators huddled with the first assistant district attorney. Right behind them Reaves family and friends, including fellow clergymen, filled most of the first two rows defending their friend.
"What we're going on and seeing now, this is not the man that I know and most of us that are involved with him. He's a good man," Tehillah Church Ministries Bishop Anthony Slater said. "This is a shock to all of us and we send our prayers out to the families and the victims that something else will come out of this. The Bishop Reaves we know is not the beast or the animal that everyone else is portraying to be."
All they learned was that Reaves is not getting out of jail any time soon, if at all.
"Based on the circumstances of this situation I will set no bond at this point in time," Wake District Court Judge Robert Rader said.
What they may know, but aren't saying is what relationship Reaves may have had with the victim.
"They have met, let me just leave it at that," Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said.
Harrison says the acquaintance apparently preceded the murder, but would not elaborate beyond that.
He did say that the very public sight of a woman lying on the side of I-540 stabbed to death spurred citizens to call with tips.
"I don't know how many but I can tell you there was a lot, 20 something," Harrison said.
According to Harrison, those tips with good information helped in the arrest.
So exactly how the murder scene led investigators to Reaves may not be known for a while. But one of Curtis' brothers say in the end that does not matter.
"He's taken something from us that's going to be forever so I think he should be behind bars forever. The death penalty isn't something that would satisfy me," Justin Hammond said.
Despite that statement, it appears the state capitals defenders office will have the job of finding a court appointed attorney for Reaves who is, at least, eligible for the death penalty.
As Reaves faced a judge; Curtis was buried following a small service at a church in Morehead City.
Dozens of people attended the service and there was a lot of support for her husband.
As pall bearers carried the 21-year-old from the City of Refuge Church, her husband Darin was comforted by friends and family.
"She was the only daughter, they had three children. Two boys and one girl, and she was the baby and to lose your baby like that, that's very difficult," mourner, John McNeill said.
Latrese and Darin Curits were married less than a year when tragedy struck.
"Kind of unreal right now, everything going on," Darin said. "She was a daughter, sister, niece, most of all she was my wife, my future."
There were a number of men in military uniform at the service. Sgt. Twan Fields served with Darin in Iraq back in 2004.
"I don't know exactly what happened but just to lose your wife that fast can really hurt," Fields said. "I would hate to lose my wife. I can feel how any man would feel, losing a family member. Especially your wife."
