Suspects: None.
Description of Incident:
On February 19 at 1:46 p.m., Dispatcher Trina David
logged an anonymous caller message. The call was traced
to a pay phone on South Lamar Avenue and University.
Caller has not been identified. The call was referred to
this investigator as a possible lead in the missing
persons cases of Dale and Crystal Taylor. The caller
referenced "two skaters"and a fresh grave at the St.
Peter's cemetery.
Patrol officers Graham and Vittel were radio
dispatched to St. Peter's to secure the scene arriving at
2:05 p.m.. I arrived on scene with a forensic team at
2:20 p.m. On the scene I met with the St. Peter's
Caretaker, Mr. Jonathan Giles and determined that there
were six new gravesites in the cemetery between January
12th and February 19th, two of these being located on the
south side of the cemetery. The most recent gravesite was
filled on January 31, 1998 and the other on January 22,
1998. Mr. Giles stated that he has not noticed any
unusual activity in the cemetery and has not noticed any
gravesites disturbed.
Officers Graham, Vittel, Hargreaves and myself
proceeded to the south side with Mr. Giles for a visual
examination of the area. Maintaining a distance of 10
feet from the grave areas Mr. Giles noted that the
surface of the January 31st grave did appear somewhat
atypical. He explained that the surface of a filled grave
is machine leveled and this appeared too uneven to be due
to settling alone.
Officers Vittel and Hargreaves secured the area and
remained at the site. A forensic evidence/body recovery
K-9 specialist was requested. Certified handler William
Coates arrived on the scene at 3:30 p.m. with a trained
forensic search cadaver dog, "Major", a golden retriever.
The search criteria were set for blood evidence, buried
body, hand dug grave, cadaver scent. See Forensic
Evidence/Body Recovery Field Report attached. The first
area to be searched was the south side area of the
cemetery. Search commencing at 3:40 p.m.
"Major" set alerts at several locations. The January
31st grave produced a clear buried body alert (flag
number 1), an area adjacent to the access road produced a
blood alert (flag number 2), and an area measured at 4.5
feet from the east side of that gravesite produced a
blood alert (flag number 3). The alerts were flagged and
on the basis of the forensic K-9 field report a court
order was obtained from Justice Ethan J. Bowles of
Superior court at 4:55 p.m. to open the grave.
I returned to the location with the forensic team at
5:00 p.m. After photographing the overall scene and
flagged locations, a spiral search starting out at a
radius of 150 feet from the center of the grave was
begun. Minimal debris was found. The forensic team
recovered a cigarette butt, and a torn chewing gum
wrapper. Several blades of grass in the flagged area to
the east of the grave, location number 3, were collected
for analysis as was a soil sample. The technicians
processed the scene including photography, collection of
evidence, measurements and sketches. No footprints were
observed or other potential forensic evidence
recovered.
A tent was erected over the site and searchlights set
up outside of the scene perimeter in preparation for the
forensic exhumation of the grave. A painstaking method of
shallow layer removal and sifting of each layer for
potential trace evidence was employed. Exhumation began
at 6:15 p.m. At 7:56 p.m. the team uncovered partially
decomposed human remains. At this point further
exhumation was halted pending the arrival of the Coroner.
Coroner, Jennifer Johnson, was called to the scene
arriving at 8:20 p.m. and taking control of the scene.
Extensive photographs were taken as the body was
uncovered in stages. At 9:10 p.m. the body was fully
exposed and appeared to be that of a young male dressed
in blue jeans, T-shirt and black Reeboks. Means of death
was tentatively stated as homicide. The victim had
sustained a gunshot wound to the back of the head which
appeared to be an extensive shotgun wound. Staining of
the dirt around the head indicated possible blood, and
the possibility that the victim may have been placed in
the grave shortly after being shot. The body was
positioned in roughly a prone position face down at depth
of approximately 3 feet. Dr. Johnson was not able to make
a preliminary estimate of time of death at the scene.
The Coroner recovered the victim's wallet intact from
the rear jeans pocket on the body. The driver's license
was that of Dale Taylor. The wallet inventory included
one photograph of all 5 members of the Taylor family
apparently from a family celebration; one photograph of
two young boys of roughly the age of 9 to 11 at a
playground, one appearing to be Dale Taylor; one
laminated news clipping of Jayne Torvill and Christopher
Dean as sporting legends listing the highlights of their
career; one photo of Crystal Taylor; one photo of Dale
Taylor; one photo of Shane Taylor all appear to be school
photographs taken when the three were much younger.
Tucked behind the photo holder were three fortune cookie
strips with the following messages: "Victory will be
yours", "Luck and fortune await you", "You will surprise
yourself". The wallet contained $57 dollars in bills, one
$20, two $10, two $5 and $7 in one dollar bills. There
was nothing else found on the body. The coroner took the
effects into custody at the scene. The wallet was turned
over to the technicians for evidence processing.
Coroner Johnson took charge of the body and collected
various soil samples for analysis. Once the body was
removed and further scene measurements and photographs
obtained, the Coroner released the scene at 10:17 p.m.
and exhumation was resumed. The Coroner remained on the
scene.
At 11:57 p.m. the team uncovered the partially
decomposed remains of another body. Coroner Johnson took
charge of the scene at that time. Extensive photographs
and measurements were taken as the remains were exposed
and at 1:15 a.m. February 20th, the body was completely
exposed. The victim appeared to be a young female dressed
in jeans, athletic socks, white Nike athletic shoes and
what appeared to be a torn sweatshirt. The body was in a
partial fetal position, lying prone on the back with legs
slightly to the left. I observed what appeared to be long
brown hair caked with dirt which was draped across most
of the facial area. Means of death appeared to be
homicide, the victim having sustained what Coroner
Johnson preliminarily identified as numerous stab wounds.
The body was buried at a depth of approximately 5
feet.
Photographs and measurements were taken by the
Coroner's staff. Recovered at about the same level as the
body to the south side of the grave near the feet area
was a green fanny pack. The inventory of the pack
included a small King James version New Testament with
the inscription, "Love, Nanna, 1/28/89"; a blue wallet
containing one photograph of Dale Taylor; one photograph
of Shane Taylor; one photograph of Sandra Taylor; an
inspirational wallet card with the inscription,
"Footprints in the Sand by Margaret Rose Powers: One
night a man dreamed that he was walking along the beach
with the Lord. As scenes of his life flashed before him,
he noticed that there were two sets of footprints in the
sand. He also noticed at his saddest, lowest times there
was but one set of footprints. This bothered the man. He
asked the Lord, "Did you not promise that if I gave my
heart to you that you'd be with me all the way? Then why
is there but one set of footprints during my most
troublesome times?" The Lord replied, "My precious child,
I love you and would never forsake you. During those
times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set
of footprints, it was then that I carried you.";
Mississippi driver's license in the name of Crystal
Taylor; $63 dollars in bills, three $20 and $3 in one
dollar bills; 7 quarters, 4 nickels, 2 dimes and 12
pennies; one blue ballpoint pen; one black felt tip pen;
small notepad with doodles and sketches which appeared to
be a combination of meaningless doodles and bits of what
might be skating steps; two American Airlines tickets for
February 2, 1998 flight number 1439 to Denver
International Airport from Memphis Airport in the names
of Dale and Crystal Taylor; two Magnolia Transit one way
airport shuttle tickets; one Revlon lipstick, clear
gloss; one natural powder compact; a small hairbrush and
comb; an open package of peppermint lifesavers; a gold
four leaf clover keychain with what appear to be two
house keys and two vehicle keys; an open travel packet of
tissues; an unused disposable 35 mm travel camera. The
Coroner took the personal effects into custody, the fanny
pack was turned over to technicians for evidence
analysis.
The body was removed from the grave by the coroner's
team at 2:02 a.m. Soil samples were taken for analysis.
Soil sifting did not produce any additional identifiable
physical evidence. The Coroner released the scene at 2:35
a.m. and exhumation was resumed.
Further soil sifting produced no further evidence and
no additional material was recovered from the grave to
the depth of the vault of the coffin. Our team saw no
evidence that the grave had been disturbed below the
level of the second body at approximately five feet. The
earth beneath that level was packed and dense for the
remaining two feet to the vault.
Based on forensic technician team assessment and the
recommendation of Senior technician Larson, it was
determined that we would tarp the scene and place a
patrol on site overnight. It would be up to the family to
decide if the vault should be raised and examined for
evidence of tampering. The scene was secured at 3:19
a.m.
The Coroner removed the bodies from the scene to the
morgue at 3:10 a.m.
REPORT FILED 2/20/98, 4:00 a.m. BY DET. TERRENCE
NELSON
