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Kristopher Pratt (left) and Ed Thomas appear in the 14A-1 District Court for a preliminary exam last week.

(Melanie Maxwell | The Ann Arbor News)

The two men accused of killing Eastern Michigan University football player and student Demarius Reed may have targeted him because of his expensive-looking belt and clothing, witnesses told police.

Demarius Reed

The Ann Arbor News obtained the transcript of Officer Brooke Mullender's testimony at a hearing seeking a probable cause warrant for Kristopher Pratt on Nov. 25. At that hearing, Magistrate Thomas Truesdell approved the complaint against Pratt.

Mullender testified witnesses told police Pratt and Ed Thomas planned to rob Reed at the party on the morning of Oct. 18.

“Apparently, he was wearing a very expensive belt and had some clothes on,” she said. “They decided to rob him and during the robbery he was shot … multiple times.”

Reed was shot dead about 3:30 a.m. Oct. 18 in the University Green apartments, 700 block of West Clark Road. He was 20 years old.

Reed was a spiritual leader and standout on the Eagles’ football team. The Chicago native had caught 15 passes for 185 yards in the first six games of the 2013 season. He was a graduate of Simeon Career Academy.

Pratt and Ed Thomas, both 20-year-old Detroit men, are charged with open murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the case.

Mullender told Truesdell that Reed’s wallet and cellphone were the only items stolen during the robbery.

“When officers did locate Mr. Reed in the hallway his cellphone and wallet were missing,” Mullender said. “It was determined through investigation that he always had those items on him and did have them … earlier that night.”

The transcript from Thomas’ probable cause hearing showed Detective Joe Yuhas told Magistrate Colleen Currie that the first break in the case came on Nov. 18.

On that day, Crime Stoppers received a tip with the nickname “Bucket” and a phone number. Cell tower records showed that phone number was connecting off the Clark Road tower in Ypsilanti between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Oct. 18. The number was registered to Thomas.

Thomas told Yuhas he was attending a party in the same building where Reed was found dead at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 18.

“They found him in the stairwell at the apartment building, attempted to rob him,” Yuhas said. “Mr. Reed was then shot, two separate occasions, and robbed of personal property.”

Multiple people reported hearing gunshots about 3:30 a.m. but none called the police. At least one person walked past Reed’s body after he was shot and didn’t report it to police.

At 7:30 a.m., Reed’s roommate found him dead in the apartment stairwell. The police investigation began immediately and would include local, state and federal officials.

Thomas was arraigned on charges at the Washtenaw County Jail on Nov. 24, the same day Yuhas swore to the warrant. Pratt was charged two days later.

The two men are scheduled to return to court in January for preliminary exams. The next hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 17 at the 14A-1 District Court in Pittsfield Township.

Lab reports included in court documents show police have recovered two bullets and a 9-millimeter Heckler and Koch semi-automatic pistol. The Nov. 14 report shows the bullets could not be directly matched to the gun, due to a lack of microscopic evidence, but showed evidence of being fired by a 9-mm pistol.

Police officials previously told The Ann Arbor News Pratt and Thomas were at the party with other people. They had not previously met Reed.

Pratt is also charged with robbing a man in Harper Woods of a pair of Air Jordan sneakers in early November. That incident took place just weeks after Reed’s death.

Pratt is accused of robbing a man at gunpoint of the shoes and then firing one shot at the victim as the victim fled the scene. He’s currently held in the Wayne County Jail on that case.

Stephanie Carson, Pratt’s attorney, said last week following his first preliminary exam hearing she hadn’t received the available evidence in the case. She declined to comment further on the case at the time until she had seen the evidence.

She said after Pratt’s arraignment his family believes in him and she will work to exonerate him.

“He’s a young man from a very good family … a very hard-working family,” she said on Nov. 26. “They believe in him, which makes me believe in him and I’m going to do everything to exonerate him as long as he’s not connected to any crimes.”

A message was left with Carson for comment on this story Tuesday afternoon.

Thomas is held at the Washtenaw County Jail without bond. He is being represented by the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office.

Both men face life in prison if convicted.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for The Ann Arbor News. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@mlive.com or you can follow him on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County crime stories here.