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YOKNAPATAWPHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION REPORT Investigating Officer: Detective Terrence
Nelson Date: March 2, 1998 DESCRIPTION: The MS State Crime Lab Forensic K-9 Unit was contacted by the Sheriff's Department on February 20 to conduct a systematic grid search of the Eastgate Shopping Center grounds for possible forensic evidence recovery in the homicide cases of Dale and Crystal Taylor. Today's date was the first available for the K-9 unit. In the period from February 2 through today's date the weather station at the University of Mississippi reports a total of 5.92 inches of rain for Oxford. We had little hope of finding more than residual scent at best, however, K-9 Unit team leader, William Coates assured the department that there have been cases of finding residual scent months after a crime has occurred. A canine search has the potential to recover forensic evidence not visible to investigators including trace evidence and residual scent. A visual systematic search of the area was conducted on February 6 by investigators and did not produce any physical evidence. I arrived on the scene at 2:30 p.m. with criminologist Dawn Hargreaves and forensic specialist Alan Bartlett from the State Crime Lab. We were met at the scene by William Coates and James Olton of the Forensic K-9 Unit. William Coates served as scene coordinator and team leader. See attached K-9 Unit Report. An area measuring 352 yards by 352 yards was mapped out and divided into a grid of 16 squares to be searched. The boundaries being University Avenue to the north, the chain link fence along the access road to highway 7 to the east, McLarty Road to the west and 352 yards from University Avenue to the south. See attached area map. In addition to a forensic scent search for blood and residual human scent, scent samples were provided for Dale Taylor, Crystal Taylor, Jim Taylor, Sandra Taylor and Shane Taylor. The K-9 Unit Agency Report (attached) provides a description of the search methods. FINDINGS: Strong blood evidence was found in and around the area located behind the Dixie Creek BBQ. A large number of crates, stacks of cedar and pallets are stacked in the area. Measurements were made from the northeast and southeast corners of the east face of the shopping center building. The location of the strongest blood evidence was found 134 yards from the northeast corner, 46.4 yards from the southeast corner. Officers Hargreaves and Bartlett processed the scene. It was discovered that several crates had been moved and stacked on top of a pallet and crate with what appeared to be a large quantity of dried blood. This is consistent with the alerts from the K-9 unit on blood scent. These are noted on the attached scene map as Alerts 1 and 2. The crate and pallet were taken into evidence by Officers Hargreaves and Bartlett. They also collected soil samples under and around the pallet and crate. All items were taken to the state lab for analysis and testing. It appeared that the bloodstained crate and pallet were fairly well protected from environmental and weather factors due to being covered by additional crates. I interviewed the employees of Dixie Creek BBQ and established that no one from that establishment had moved or stacked additional crates in that area since the end of January, on or about the 29th following a large delivery. Crates to the southwest corner of the storage area were stacked following a February 27th delivery. A canvass of the businesses in the shopping center indicates that none of the businesses use either those crates or that storage/stacking area. No witnesses were identified who may have seen anyone in the area of the crates in the period February 2nd through today's date. This location is out of the way of deliveries and is not frequented by any employees other than those of Dixie Creek BBQ when stacking crates and pallets from deliveries. Additional scent evidence was uncovered by the K-9 unit at location Alert 3 on the attached scene map. Measurement from the southeast corner of the building to the Alert flag is 50.8 yards. The Alert flag is at a distance of 55.8 yards from the location of Alert flags 1 and 2. The alerts for location 3 were faint indicating trace evidence of both blood and a residual scent that appeared positive for a match with Dale Taylor. See K-9 report. No other evidence was located within the grid. The search was completed and all officers left the scene at 6:00 p.m. Officer's Hargreaves and Bartlett transported the evidence to the State Crime Lab. It is this investigators opinion that the area behind the Dixie Creek BBQ has a high probability of being the scene of the stabbing of victim Crystal Taylor.
REPORT FILED 3/2/98, 8:00 p.m. BY DET. TERRENCE NELSON |
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