Yvette Taylor

Case record: Yvette Taylor

Background

Yvette Taylor was a Martinez, Georgia woman. She was the roommate of Theodore Crew, and Crew was her friend and caregiver. Taylor was 47 during the February 2012 death of Crew.

A judge later denied bond, and Taylor had been held in the Columbia County Detention Center without bond since her arrest.

Taylor had a prior criminal history connected to her younger brother’s death and later incidents. In 1992, she was charged with murder in the death of her 22-year-old brother, Jerry Taylor. In February 1991, when she was 25, police found Taylor kneeling over her brother’s body in their home. She told investigators they had been fighting over a gun when it accidentally went off. Jerry Taylor had been shot three times in the right eye. Just prior to trial, Taylor pled to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She served a total of eight years from 1993 to 1996, and again from 1998 to 2002.

Taylor was arrested again in 1997 for pulling a knife and threatening to kill a woman; the charge was reduced from aggravated assault to simple battery. In 2006, Taylor (who also sometimes went by Candice) was accused of busting her boyfriend in the face with a beer bottle in Columbia County, and the boyfriend did not press charges.

In 2004, Taylor was arrested for aggravated assault after attacking her roommate in Harlem with a broken beer bottle. Though he sustained injuries, the case was not prosecuted at the victim’s request. In the bond hearing account, prosecutors and investigators characterized her prior incarceration as being connected to involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of her younger brother in Richmond County.

The offence

In February 2012, Theodore Crew, 63, died in an incident involving his roommate, Yvette Taylor, 47. Taylor called 911 early Feb. 11, 2012, stating her “friend was dead.”

Crew was found nude inside the bathroom of his home in Applecross Apartments. Blood was found on a chair and around it in the floor and walls in the living room, and on the floor and walls down the hallway to the bathroom. The bathroom floor, where Crew was found, was wet with water and bleach, but little blood.

Crew had multiple injuries consistent with multiple sharp and blunt force traumas. Dr. Daniel Brown, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner, testified that Crew died from multiple sharp and blunt force traumas. Crew had numerous cuts to his face, neck arms and hands and blunt force injuries that resulted in lacerations to his head. Crew also suffered several fractured ribs and bruises including a black eye.

In another account, Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins said after an autopsy that Crew died from a combination of sharp and blunt force trauma. Collins also stated that Crew suffered from blunt force trauma but gave no indication of the murder weapon. Another account described Crew’s large gash to his face and another on his arm.

Prosecutors characterized the death as personal and passionate, and disputed the idea of a stranger or intruder as the killer.

Taylor initially told authorities she left the apartment she shared with Crew at about 1 a.m. and spent the night at her mother’s nearby home (or returned about seven hours later, depending on the phrasing). She said she found Crew dead in the bathroom several hours later and that he was unresponsive on the bathroom floor.

Taylor told jailers after her arrest that “I cut him,” while also saying she did not kill him. She said she asked him if he wanted her to take him to the hospital, and that he “went back to the bathroom.” Neighbors testified that they heard cursing, grunting, and scuffling noises coming from Taylor’s apartment.

A neighbor reported hearing noises between 1-2 a.m. described as someone “falling on the floor.” Another neighbor said he heard grumbling and what sounded like someone moving something heavy across the floor. Another neighbor, Lorenzo Nealious, said he heard cursing, grunting and scuffling through his bathroom wall that abuts Taylor’s apartment.

Taylor had told a neighbor that she and Crew were arguing and that she was frustrated with being his caretaker. Neighbors also said Taylor was tired of cleaning up after Crew.

Investigators said they found a plastic lawn chair with blood on and around it and a trail of blood leading to the bathroom inside the apartment. Crew was found lying nude on the bathroom floor covered in blood, and his clothes were in the bathtub. Deputies smelled bleach. In accounts of the investigation, bleach was used to attempt to clean the bathroom, and a carpet in the main living area was mentioned.

Taylor’s mother and aunt, who lived in an apartment across the Applecross Apartments complex, initially said Taylor spent the night, then later recanted and told investigators that Taylor arrived that morning with a bag. Investigators said the bag contained bloody clothes. A box cutter was found in a wooded area behind the complex.

Investigation

A box cutter was mentioned as being recovered near the scene. Investigators also reported blood spatter in the living room and described the blood trail leading from the living room chair to the bathroom. They recovered an overturned plastic lawn chair with blood on and around it and a trail of blood leading to the bathroom inside the apartment.

Columbia County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ken Summers testified about blood patterns in court. Prosecutors and defense disagreed about the thoroughness of the investigation and evidence collection.

Taylor was repeatedly denied involvement in Crew’s death during a videotaped interview with investigators. She later spoke to jailers at the Columbia County Detention Center.

During closing arguments, defense counsel Amanda Morris said investigators “targeted” Taylor early as an easy suspect and criticized what was not done in collecting and testing evidence. Morris argued that investigators did “sloppy police work” by not collecting and testing all of the evidence they should have, and specifically said investigators did not send samples of blood from all spattered walls, floors and other surfaces to be tested and did not fingerprint front and bathroom door knobs. Morris said testing could have led to the identification of a suspect other than Taylor.

In sentencing, District Attorney Ashley Wright described the community threat analysis and asked for life without parole.

Arrest and detention

Yvette Taylor was arrested Feb. 11 in connection with the death of Theodore Crew. She was held in the Columbia County Detention Center without bond after her arrest.

A judge denied bond to Taylor at a bond hearing in Evans. Superior Court Senior Judge Bernard J. Mulherin Sr. said, “I think she poses a threat to the community,” when denying bond.

In the bond denial reporting, Taylor told Columbia County sheriff’s investigators that she left the apartment she shared with Crew at about 1 a.m., briefly went to a neighbor’s home, and spent the night with her mother. She said she returned about seven hours later to find Crew unresponsive on the bathroom floor.

Trial

Charges and jury verdict

Taylor was charged with murder in connection to the February 2012 death of Theodore Crew. A Columbia County jury convicted Taylor, 47, of felony murder, but acquitted her on a malice murder charge in connection to the February 2012 death of Theodore Crew, 63.

The trial began Wednesday and jurors deliberated nearly four hours before the verdict Friday afternoon.

The jury deliberated until they reached a verdict or until they decided they could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Trial proceedings and evidence

The prosecution played Taylor’s videotaped interview with Columbia County Sheriff’s Office investigators for the jury.

During the trial, Taylor repeatedly denied any part of Crew’s death, and she said “I don’t have anything to hide,” and “I didn’t kill him.”

Taylor called 911 early Feb. 11, 2012, and stated: “When I woke up this morning, my friend was dead.” Another quoted statement said Taylor told the dispatcher: "When I woke up this morning, my friend was dead." (These phrases appear as the same quoted sentence.)

District Attorney Ashley Wright described the death and argued against the idea that a stranger or intruder was responsible. Wright said Crew’s death was a very personal and passionate crime and referred to the idea of a stranger, an intruder, as the killer as “preposterous, fanciful, ridiculous and unsupported by evidence.”

In court closing arguments, Morris said: “Why should the police thoroughly investigate a case because they’ve already picked out an easy target,” Morris said during her closing arguments. “The most important part of this investigation is what was not done.” Morris said investigators did “sloppy police work” by not collecting and testing all of evidence they should have.

Wright said: “How convenient she wasn’t there the one time her roommate is brutally beaten to death,” Wright said.

Wright also said: “In this case, the silent witness continues to lead us to the truth.” The “silent witness” was described as several reports from neighbors who heard noises and the copious amount of blood inside the apartment showing Crew was initially injured in a chair in the living room and walked himself to the bathroom where he later died.

Statements by Taylor to investigators and jailers

Taylor repeatedly denied any involvement in Crew’s death during a videotaped interview with investigators.

After her arrest, Taylor spoke about the incident to jailers in the Columbia County Detention Center. Deputy April March said Taylor told her during a smoke break at the jail: “‘I cut him, I admit that, but I didn’t kill him,’” and “‘I asked him if he wanted me to take him to the hospital because he freaked me out. He said he had it and went back to the bathroom.’”

During investigation reporting, Taylor was also quoted as telling investigators hours after Crew died: “I don’t have anything to hide,” and “I didn’t kill him.”

Witness and neighbor testimony

Neighbors testified that they heard cursing, grunting, and scuffling noises coming from Taylor’s apartment.

Lorenzo Nealious said he heard cursing, grunting and scuffling through his bathroom wall, which abuts Taylor’s apartment. Nealious said: “Guilty or not, I just know how I felt,” and he said: “I felt weird.”

Another neighbor described seeing Taylor on the verge of tears earlier in the evening and said Taylor told her she and Crew were arguing and she was frustrated with being his caretaker.

Some of Taylor’s neighbors told deputies they heard noises from the apartment early that morning including grumbling and what sounded like someone moving something heavy across the floor.

Sentencing

After the verdict, Superior Court Judge Carl. C Brown Jr. sentenced Taylor to life in prison without the possibility of parole on February 8, 2013.

The judge sentenced Taylor to life without parole because he believed she was a threat to the community.

District Attorney Ashley Wright asked for life without the possibility of parole at the sentencing hearing. Wright said: “We believe (Taylor) is a threat to the community,” and she said: “We believe that’s the only way to protect the community from (Taylor).”

Taylor’s attorney, Amanda Morris, said a pre-trial psychological evaluation showed Taylor is schizophrenic.

Outcome

Yvette Taylor was convicted of felony murder and acquitted on a malice murder charge in connection to the February 2012 death of Theodore Crew. She received a sentence of life in prison without parole on February 8, 2013.

Other details

At the time of bond denial reporting, Taylor told investigators she briefly went to a neighbor’s home and spent the night with her mother, and she returned about seven hours later to find Crew unresponsive on the bathroom floor.

Crew was described as 62 in one bond hearing account, and described as 63 in multiple other accounts.

In the bond hearing account, Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins said Crew died from blunt force trauma, but gave no indication of the murder weapon.

Taylor opted not to testify on her own behalf, and the defense presented no evidence or witnesses.

Taylor told jailers, “I cut him,” and that she was in an abusive relationship. She had told neighbors she was tired of cleaning up after Crew.

Taylor’s mother and aunt initially said Taylor spent the night and later recanted, telling investigators Taylor arrived that morning with a box cutter and a bag of bloody clothes.

Investigators found items behind a fence in a wooded area behind the complex, and found a box cutter in that area. A plastic lawn chair with blood on and around it and a trail of blood leading to the bathroom were described as being found.

Taylor called 911 and stated her friend was dead, and first responders found a bloody scene inside the Applecross Apartments residence, described as: “Throughout this apartment from the very entrance, there was blood everywhere.”

Deputies found blood on and around an overturned lawn chair in the living room and a “trail of blood lead from the chair to the bathroom.” In one account, Crew was naked in the fetal position on the bathroom floor.

A transcript-style quotation said Taylor stayed her “friend was dead.” Another account quoted her as telling the dispatcher: “When I woke up this morning, my friend was dead.”

In a 2011 bond denial report, Taylor was described as 46 years old, having been arrested Feb. 11 in connection to the death of Theodore Crew, 62. In the trial reporting, Taylor was described as 47 and Theodore Crew as 63.

The 2011 bond denial report also stated that Taylor was previously incarcerated for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of her younger brother in Richmond County.