Mary Jo Reed was born October 23, 1954, in Schlater, Mississippi to Ellis Beck and Mary Lee Reed. She was the youngest of eleven (11) children. Her early years were spent in Schlater where she began school. After moving to Greenville, she attended T.L. Weston Jr. High, Coleman High School, and graduated from Greenville High School in 1972. Mary was a resident of Dallas, TX for the past four years. She was employed as a customer service representative with Walmart at the time of her death.