Book Deals, Blood Feuds, and a Bullet That Changed Everything

Tucker Reed: Born Into a Storybook Life

Tucker Reed didn’t just grow up around stories—she was one. The eldest daughter of New York Times best-selling authors Daniel Reed and Kelly Moore, she was practically written into existence. Her parents had barely finished basking in the success of their book when she arrived, as if she were the sequel they didn’t know they were writing.

From the start, storytelling was in her DNA. She was raised on family lore that traced their roots all the way back to the Mayflower, a lineage that—if nothing else—gave her plenty of material. By high school, she wasn’t just consuming stories; she was writing them, getting her work published in the school paper and slowly building a reputation for crafting compelling narratives.

And then, at just nineteen, Tucker pulled off something most aspiring writers only dream of. Alongside her mother, Kelly, and her younger sister, Larkin, she co-authored a book called Amber House. The details of the publishing deal are murky, but rumor has it the rights sold for a six-figure sum. What mattered more than the money, though, was what it symbolized: these women were on the verge of literary success.

An Alternative to Twilight’s Bella Swan

Amber House was the first in a planned trilogy, arriving at a time when pop culture was obsessed with paranormal romance. Twilight was dominating bookshelves and movie screens, and Bella Swan had become the poster child for love struck teen angst. Some readers swooned over her tortured relationships with a vampire and a werewolf. Others saw her as, well… a bit of a doormat.

That’s where Amber House offered something different. Its main character, Sarah Parsons, wasn’t waiting around for a brooding love interest to dictate her fate. Readers called her strong, independent, and admirable—a heroine who chose her own path rather than letting it be chosen for her. It was a shift from the era’s typical YA romance, and in some ways, a reflection of the woman who helped write her.

Because while Tucker Reed was finding success as a writer, she was also stepping into a much bigger story—one where she wouldn’t just write about conflict. She would live it.

A Character Who Took Control—On and Off the Page

Sarah Parsons, the protagonist of Amber House, stood apart from the wave of passive heroines dominating young adult fiction at the time. Readers called her strong and admirable, someone who didn’t just sit around waiting for a love interest to dictate her fate. She made her own choices, carved her own path.

That same drive to take action showed up in Tucker Reed’s own life. After high school, she moved on to college, though she wouldn’t end up finishing her degree. What she did find was something that felt even more important—advocacy. She began working with other students, particularly survivors of sexual assault, helping them file complaints with their schools and with law enforcement.

Her work didn’t go unnoticed. She was given the Lucy Burns Challenger Award from the Veteran Feminists of America, a recognition of her dedication to helping survivors navigate a system that often worked against them.

The Blog Post That Changed Everything

But standing up for others came with consequences. While Tucker had success guiding others through the process of reporting assault, her own case didn’t go the same way. She had filed a report with the LAPD against an ex-boyfriend, accusing him of sexual abuse, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence.

That didn’t stop her from speaking out. In a blog post, she named her ex, shared a photo of him, and detailed what she said he had done to her.

That decision landed her in legal trouble.

“He filed a libel suit against her,” a friend later told the press. “I think she had to take down the original blog post, and she wasn’t allowed to mention him by name anywhere. They settled it out of court, and then she moved back to the area.”

It was a loss, but it didn’t stop her. Tucker returned home and kept moving forward. She found work as a journalist and even landed a lead role in an independent horror movie called From the Dark, which was released in 2020.

A Performance That Hit Too Close to Reality

“She could easily pull out an emotion,” said From the Dark’s production manager and lead composer, Kenneth Vibert.

Everyone on set was impressed by her ability to bring a complex mix of emotions to her role—especially during a pivotal moment where her character shoots someone on screen.

Looking back, her co-star and the film’s executive producer, Matthew Spickard, found it unsettling.

“When I watch the movie now, like, I feel like someone’s messing with me,” he later told the press. “It’s like a sick joke in a way that I don’t get.”

That’s because, at the time, no one on set knew the truth.

Tucker Reed wasn’t just an actress playing a character who pulled the trigger.

She was out on bond for fatally shooting her own uncle.

A Family War Over Money and Property

Tucker Reed’s home life wasn’t just dysfunctional—it was described as a full-blown psychological and emotional war zone. Her parents, Kelly and David, spent years locked in a volatile marriage that finally imploded in 2000. The divorce wasn’t clean, and neither was the financial fallout. While they battled over money, their children were left to decide which side to take.

Tucker and her siblings chose their mother, Kelly, who packed them up and moved to Oregon to be near her own parents. It wasn’t just a family reunion—it was a financial move. Kelly’s parents owned a million-dollar ranch, which not only gave them a place to live but also provided a source of income.

Despite being a published author with best-selling books, Kelly’s financial situation was bleak. Instead of getting a job, she opted to remain a stay-at-home mother. Her parents supported this choice, even buying her a home in Ashland. But when money ran out, they started taking out loans against their own property to keep Kelly afloat.

And that’s where the trouble started.

Every loan chipped away at the inheritance Kelly was set to receive. And she wasn’t the only one expecting a payout. That money was supposed to be split equally with her brother, Shane Moore.

Shane Moore’s Fight for the Family Property

Shane Moore had his own complicated history. Once struggling with addiction, he had turned his life around after their father got sick. He moved back home, cared for his parents, and eventually settled into his own cabin on the property. But he had one major issue—his sister was draining the value of the land that was supposed to be both of theirs.

Shane was furious. He wanted Kelly to stop taking out loans and get a job, and their arguments became frequent and explosive. One altercation ended with Shane allegedly throwing an oil can at Tucker, hitting her in the face. She got a restraining order against him, making family meetings even more complicated.

But Shane wasn’t backing down.

On July 26, 2016, he learned that Kelly planned to sell the ranch. He wasn’t about to let that happen. He came up with his own plan—he would have their mother sign the property over to him and Kelly immediately. That way, if she wanted to keep borrowing money against it, she could only touch her share, not the entire estate.

To make it official, he called a notary public to the property. But he wasn’t taking any chances. He also called the sheriff’s department, saying he was concerned about how things might go that day. He asked for a deputy to be present, just in case.

Kelly’s realtor got there first.

Another heated argument broke out between Kelly and Shane. According to Kelly, Shane told her not to “f**k up my deal” and threatened to kill both her and Tucker. The realtor backed up these claims. Sensing that things were spiraling, the realtor left just as the notary arrived.

That’s when everything turned deadly.

The Fatal Shooting of Shane Moore

Kelly and Tucker went inside with the notary to go over paperwork. Shane approached the house.

Tucker later told investigators, “I was absolutely sure he was going to kill my mother.”

So she grabbed a gun.

She fired one shot. Shane Moore was hit in the chest. He died at the scene.

Tucker was arrested for manslaughter just hours later. But at first, it seemed like she might be able to argue self-defense. She bonded out, and for a while, it looked like the case would quietly fade away.

Then the notary came forward.

She told investigators that Shane had fallen four to five feet away from the door. It didn’t look like he had been trying to force his way in at all.

And then police found the video.

The Video That Changed Everything

Tucker and Kelly had recorded the moments leading up to the shooting.

The footage showed Shane pacing outside—but never coming close enough to violate the restraining order. Then, suddenly, Tucker’s voice cut through:

“He’s coming into the house.”

She grabbed the gun.

Kelly shouted, “She’s not signing a grant deed. It’s her property.”

And then, without much hesitation, Tucker fired.

Shane could be heard yelling, “Ow, god-damn it,” before he hit the ground.

The video shattered their self-defense claim. It showed that Shane hadn’t been trying to enter the home. He hadn’t made any aggressive moves. The shooting wasn’t reactionary—it was preemptive.

Tucker was rearrested—this time for murder.

The Verdict and Sentencing

When Tucker finally went to trial, she pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter. She was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

According to an NBC documentary, she was released in November 2024.