The following affidavit presented to the District Attorney's office on April 13, 1998, resulted in the issuance of an arrest warrant for James Edward Taylor, father of the late Crystal Taylor. Taylor pleaded no contest to abuse charges on Thursday, April 16, 1998. Sentencing is scheduled for April 21, 1998. AFFIDAVIT STATE OF MISSISSIPPI County of Yoknapatawpha Your affiant, Detective Terrence Nelson, Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department, states as follows: 1. I, Detective Terrence Nelson, have been a Detective with the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Office for 15 years. I have 11 years investigative experience in the Crimes Against Persons Division, including crime scene analysis training and experience. 2. Summary: Based upon Sandra Taylor's testimony on April 13, 1998, and also upon other evidence, including multiple testimony about unusual bruising on Miss Crystal Taylor's body, a childhood molestation incident witnessed by a friend, Crystal Taylor's own diary entries and expert analysis of her medical records points, I believe Crystal Taylor was repeatedly sexually abused during her early childhood years by her father, Jim Taylor. 3 (a). Crystal Taylor's diary was found among her belongings in the baggage recovered March 4, 1998, from Hurricane Creek near the Highway 7 bridge in Oxford. The handwriting matches that of Crystal Taylor. The diary refers frequently to her religious faith and her attempts to retain a strong family unit, including the Jan. 1, 1998, resolution to "love my family & don't judge them." 3 (b). On Jan. 3, 1998, she described a nightmare that involved a male molester; the dream image shifted faces to resemble her father, Dale and then death. It apparently brought up memories of her real childhood sexual abuse, because she wrote: "I relived it all, it was so awful. ... I want to go to the bathroom but I'd have to go past HIS room and I can't." 3 (c). A Jan. 5, 1998, entry made while she was in Philadelphia reveals Crystal Taylor's unease at her father's compliments about her beauty: "I try not to be mad at him, I love him, I don't want to hate anyone, but I just felt so uncomfortable. ... I'm going to take a shower now." 3 (d). A Jan. 11, 1998, reference says, "I swear, he (Dale) and Dad have totally ruined my life." 3 (e). On Jan. 12, 1998, she described an incident in her bedroom. She couldn't decide whether it was a dream or a real event. She wrote: "Dad was there, he was getting in the bed and grabbing my arms again." 3 (f). A Jan. 13, 1998, entry states that she hates her father, then refers obliquely to her fear of molestation: "I know Mom is right here in the next room and no one is going to hurt me, but I'm scared. It wasn't like this before we went, I guess I was training really hard and went right to sleep. But now I'm right back where I've always been. I hate being scared like this. I don't know why it happened to me. I'm always asking God that." 3 (g). A Jan. 15, 1998, entry refers to a family fight in which Crystal announces her plans to study medicine. She wrote that her father berated her, called her stubborn and said that she always wants to fight." His reference to the past hurt her, and the diary makes its first clear indication of sexual abuse specifically at the hands of her father: "It just reminds me that he's ruined my life. No one will ever touch me again, because of him." 3 (h). On. Jan. 18, 1998, she wrote about a male (probably a family member) coming into her room to talk, alarming her and angering her for "what he's done" to her. She wrote, "I keep thinking of the past and how I don't like to be touched any more. I'm mad and scared right now. I don't want him to come back into my room, ever." 3 (i). On Jan. 22, 1998, she reported a dream of running through a field of flowers, commenting, "I'm all by myself and it's a beautiful day, and no one is chasing me or holding me down." 3 (j). On Jan. 28, 1998, after a skating-related argument with her brother, Dale, Crystal Taylor locked herself in her room. She wrote that her father knocked on her door, then pounded when she didn't open it. She wrote, "I was scared it would break and then he would come in and pin me down like he used to. ... But he didn't. After a while he just began swearing and walked off. I heard him go downstairs. I was so scared. I've been in here ever since. I never want to see him again, but I know I will." 3 (k). On Jan. 29, 1998, Crystal also referred to another disturbance, apparently by a male family member: "It's like two in the morning. I think I heard him outside in the hall -- I wasn't asleep anyway. I have my door locked, too. He didn't even try to come in. I think he must have seen that the light was on, maybe the light coming under the door, and he just went back. It makes total sense that he would be up tonight, because Mom had three glasses of wine at dinner. ... I've decided I want to escape this whole situation. I know it would really hurt Mom, but I never want to see my family again." 3 (l). On Feb. 1, 1998, Crystal wrote about the going-away dinner for her and Dale before they travel to Colorado: "I really feel like we can all get along when it's like this. I really feel like we can all love each other and not hurt each other." 4 (a). An expert post-mortem analysis of Crystal Taylor's subpoenaed medical records by Wilma Martin, MD (contract #YCSD-034856) also yielded physical evidence of sexual abuse. (See attached files.) A similar analysis of Dale Taylor's records showed no signs of sexual abuse for him. This report was submitted on March 25, 1998. Dr. Martin believes plausible explanations may have been offered at the time for Crystal Taylor's injuries and that a change of doctors further obscured the trail of sexual abuse. However, an overall examination of the records shows a clear finding of Crystal Taylor's childhood sexual abuse. 4 (b). Incidents include severe yeast infection on Feb. 4, 1986, age 7, when the child became hysterical upon being told of the need for an examination; yeast infections are much more common in sexually active adults than in young children. Crystal's severe agitation at the prospect of having a private part of her body examined also is indicative of psychological trauma related to sexual abuse. 4 (c). She was further treated for yeast infections at ages 8, 9 and 12. When she was 12, her physician questioned her about any unhygienic practices or sexual activity that may be introducing the yeast infections and warned her that any sexual partners could be jailed for statutory rape; she refused to comment. She was listless and dispirited at the exams for ages 8, 9 and 12. 4 (d). The July 1991 pelvic exam showed a torn hymen, then attributed to her athletic activities but now believed to have been from digital penetration. 4 (e). The physician also noted multiple bruises on the child on all three visits at ages 8, 9 and 12, including inner thigh bruises in a hand-print pattern and one large bruise that may have been made by a knee forcing her thighs apart, as well as neck bruises and bruising or chafing of the wrists, forearms and upper arms, indicating forcible restraint. 4 (f). Crystal Taylor was also treated for rectal pain seven times between the ages of 9 and 11; the diagnosis was rectal hemorrhoids and one minor rectal tear (Jan. 14, 1990). Constipation was diagnosed as the cause at the time, although the injuries are also consistent with repeated anal penetration. 4 (g). A baseline gynecological exam on Aug. 21, 1992, at age 13 showed clear signs of premature sexual activity (stretched hymen and roughened and thickened vaginal walls); when her gynecologist urged Crystal Taylor to stop being sexually active, she began crying and replied, "But he loves me. He wouldn't hurt me." 4 (h). Crystal Taylor's annual pelvic exams for ages 14-18 showed normal results and no new signs of sexual activity; however, she did show signs of inebriation at her exams at ages 14 and 15, indicating an unusual degree of aversion to the invasive nature of this procedure, indicative of traumatic sexual experiences. 4 (i). Dr. Wilma Martin's work relevant to the investigation of childhood sexual abuse includes five years as an emergency room physician at the Abbeville Hospital, where she treated many abuse victims, including children, and assisted in numerous criminal investigations of childhood sexual abuse, other physical abuse and negligence; 12 years as senior physician at the Abbeville Family Clinic, where she treated similar cases; and her past nine years' service in various leadership and advisory roles for the North Mississippi Childhood Abuse Prevention Coalition. 5. Testimony by Sandra Taylor, Crystal's mother, also supports a charge of childhood sexual abuse. During an extensive interrogation (see attached transcripts) on April 13, 1998, she agreed to testify against her husband in exchange for immunity from prosecution. In essence, her testimony is that Jim Taylor sexually abused Crystal Taylor from around age 7 until her early teens, when the abuse stopped. Mrs. Taylor has said she did not report the sexual abuse because she was trying to "work it out within the family" to avoid any embarrassing publicity. Further testimony from friends (below) supported up her testimony. 6. I interviewed Crystal Taylor's childhood friend, 19-year-old Stephanie Greene, March 26, 1998, at her job at Subway in nearby Abbeville. She noted that Crystal, as a child, frequently suffered bruises and scrapes, particularly on her upper legs and arms. The marks were bad enough that Miss Taylor sometimes refused to wear a bathing suit. 7. Another childhood friend, Courtney Meredith Young, is now 19 and a student at the University of Mississippi. I interviewed Miss Young on March 27 in the lobby of her dormitory. She recalled spending the night with Miss Taylor the night that Miss Young's brother was born and witnessing some disturbing behavior by Miss Taylor's father, Jim Taylor. Checking birth records, I found that Miss Young's brother, Rodney Joseph Young, was born Oct. 8, 1988, so I can pinpoint when the incident occurred. Miss Young said the girls were in bed when she felt Mr. Taylor lie down full-length on the bed beside Crystal, who was lying nearest the door. Then Crystal began whispering and crying. Miss Young reported that Mr. Taylor appeared to be startled when Miss Young spoke up, and he fled immediately. Miss Young said Miss Taylor remained upset that night, lying rigidly in bed and refusing to talk' Miss Young went home early the next morning and didn't stay overnight at the Taylor home again. We now believe this was an interrupted attempt by Jim Taylor to molest Crystal Taylor. 8 (a). Allison Gallagher was one of Crystal and Dale Taylor's coaches and trainers, and she allowed the Taylors to stay with her family while the children were training in Memphis from May 1996 through the time of their deaths. She has been interviewed multiple times during the homicide investigation. I interviewed Ms. Gallagher on March 24, 1998, by telephone about the abuse investigation. 8 (b). She cast doubt on the possibility that Miss Taylor's brother, Dale, might have been her abuser, at least while at Ms. Gallagher's home. Ms. Gallagher stated that Crystal and Dale Taylor had separate bedrooms at her home. She discounted the possibility that the brother might have been sneaking into his sister's bedroom at night because the bedrooms are widely separated, her bedroom is between them and she is a light sleeper. Ms. Gallagher did recall one incident when Crystal Taylor showed a strong aversion to being in her father's presence. 8 (c). Ms. Gallagher also noted that Crystal Taylor grew out of her initial "timid and fearful" state while she knew Crystal; the timing of this change coincides roughly with when we believe the sexual abuse of Miss Taylor stopped. 8 (d). Ms. Gallagher also testified about Crystal Taylor's state of mind, a mindset that is compatible with victims of sexual abuse: "She equated standing up for herself as a form of disloyalty, I think. As something contrary to her religious beliefs. Her diary reflects that side of her, I think." 8 (e). Miss Gallagher reviewed her old datebooks and thought back over her years of association with the Taylor family, and she believes that no one other than a family member would have had the opportunity to molest Miss Taylor. 9 (a). Melissa Lageborne is the office manager at Internal Medicine Associates in Oxford, where Crystal Taylor was treated during her teen years. She is also a friend of the Taylor family. I interviewed her at her office on March 27, 1998. In her testimony, she noted that Miss Taylor had an unusual number of "female complaints" (which she later described as medical problems in the urogenital and rectal region) for a young girl. 9 (b). Ms. Lageborne also made reference to bruises on Miss Taylor's thighs and arms, particularly noting one large thigh bruise that bothered her. She said Miss Taylor attributed the injuries to skating accidents. 9 (c). Ms. Lageborne's description of Miss Taylor's demeanor also matches that of a childhood sexual abuse victim; she described Miss Taylor as "such a sad and compliant child," "meek and "always nervous when she came in." 10. Multiple testimony also narrowed the gap of possible suspects who could have abused Crystal Taylor: (a) Her mother, Sandra Taylor, said on Feb. 5, 1998, that Crystal and Dale Taylor had few friends. (b) Her father, Jim Taylor, also said on Feb. 5, 1998, that Crystal and Dale Taylor had few friends. (c) Crystal Taylor's childhood friend, Margaret "Maggie" Kay Jenkins, 18, of Oxford, said on Feb. 6, 1998, that Crystal Taylor had no boyfriends. She also said of Crystal and Dale Taylor, "They don't have a social life at all." (d) On Feb. 21, 1998, Sandra Taylor said her daughter "tended to stay at home." (e) On Feb. 21, 1998, Jim Taylor said of Crystal and Dale Taylor, "They didn't have time for relationships," and that they dated infrequently, usually in groups. He said that neither had any serious relationships. He also commented, "Crystal and I especially had a close relationship." 11. Jim Taylor feels some responsibility for the death of his daughter, Crystal Taylor. His voice stress went up to 11.1 Hz (high stress) on the voice stress analysis of his statement "I had nothing to do with the deaths of Dale and Crystal Taylor." The high stress indicates he feels some guilt. Based upon my experience in the investigation of Crimes Against Persons and violent crimes units I find sufficient physical evidence to issue an arrest warrant for subject Jim Taylor in case # 129387-1998.  S/A Terrence Nelson April 13, 1998