The Unsolved Murder of Taylor McAllister
Taylor McAllister was 22 years old and living in St. Petersburg, Florida, when her almost nude body was found in an alleyway on December 22, 2016. Taylor was in the alley behind 63rd Avenue South. Along the South side of the alley, there are different fences and gates to the homes that face 63rd Avenue South. On the North side of the alley, there is an approximately 5-foot chain-link fence with brush that puts a divider between the alley and the Bay Point Villa Apartments. Taylor’s head was facing east, with her legs facing west. She was observed wearing only a grey t-shirt that was pulled up to her neck. Both of her arms were lying by her side. Her left leg was slightly bent, and her right leg was straight out. There were tire marks on her left arm and leg; someone had run her over as they left the scene. It did not appear that lividity had set in yet. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was slightly open. There were ants covering parts of her body. There was what appeared to be bruising around her vagina and wrists.
Sounds awful. I have seen the crime scene photos. Taylor’s parents, Bill and Leslie McAllister, posted them on Facebook in a desperate attempt to get attention to Taylor’s murder. You see, much like what happened with Kyle Byrtus, the St. Petersburg Police did not seem to be giving Taylor McAllister’s murder the attention she deserved because Taylor was a drug addict and had been dabbling in sex work.
I can’t remember exactly how I contacted Bill McAllister, but I remember introducing myself and asking for his blessing to cover Taylor’s unsolved murder case. He had been waiting for so long for someone to listen to his story. Taylor’s story. We had a lengthy phone conversation; I mostly just listened to his memories of his beautiful daughter and their efforts to get the person responsible for Taylor’s murder behind bars. It was heartbreaking. Bill and Leslie gave me their blessing to cover Taylor’s case and provided me with thousands of documents, police reports, autopsy reports, and videos related to the case. They had been fighting for justice for years at this point. The hashtag #JusticeForTaylor22 was already trending on social media before I got involved.
When discussing Taylor’s journey and challenges, the McAllisters were a lot like Kyle Bytus’ mom, Lynne (whom I wrote about in my last article). They told me Taylor had a passion for music, something I am passionate about, and she loved to sing and play guitar. She taught herself to play the guitar around age 14 and played nonstop. She would sit and record herself in her bathroom and come running out to show the family whenever she learned a new song. Beautiful videos on her Facebook page and YouTube channel show her playing guitar and singing. Listening to Taylor’s melodic voice and watching her strum the guitar in those videos became a personal connection as I delved into her story. It was a way to bridge the gap and understand her essence beyond the struggles she encountered. In those moments, the image of a beautiful blonde girl immersed in music on a bathroom floor resonated deeply with me — a glimpse into the faithful Taylor, untainted by the hardships that later befell her. In one video, she covers the song Creep, initially by the band Radiohead. If that video does not give you chills, are you even human?
Confession: I woke up early one morning while working on this case. I could not fall back asleep, so like I often do, I opened my laptop and started working. I ended up on Taylor’s YouTube page, watching her videos and listening to her sing for over an hour. Ken finally woke up and walked out into the kitchen just in time to catch me with tears in my eyes.
Taylor was a woman with a deep appreciation for the simple joys in life. Being at the beach or on the boat was one of her favorite pastimes. The gentle rocking of the waves and the vast expanse of the sea gave her a sense of peace and freedom. Watching the dolphins swim alongside the boat was a special moment for her, profoundly connecting her to the beauty of nature.
Family was everything to Taylor, and she cherished every moment spent with her loved ones, especially her twin daughters. The bond she shared with them was unbreakable, and she took great joy in watching them grow and thrive.
Taylor’s passion for all things vintage reflected her old soul. She had a knack for creating unique and stylish outfits. Her love for vintage extended to her hobbies as well, with a talent for doing hair and makeup that harked back to classic styles from decades past.
Taylor’s generosity and creativity shone through in her willingness to help her friends with their hair and makeup for special occasions like homecoming and prom. Her attention to detail and artistic flair made her a sought-after stylist among her peers, and she took pride in making others feel beautiful and confident.
Taylor’s passion for the beach, family, and helping others shone brightly in all aspects of her life. Her spirit and talents left a lasting impression on those around her, making her a beloved and cherished presence in their lives.
Bill describes Taylor as a compassionate and generous individual who consistently showed genuine concern for others. From a young age, Taylor was naturally inclined towards kindness and empathy, always striving to do right by those around her. During high school, Taylor’s compassionate nature shone brightly as she frequently contacted her parents to seek shelter for friends facing challenging family situations. Taylor’s kind-heartedness was not just a passing trait but a fundamental aspect of her character that guided her actions and interactions with others.
Drug use can have devastating consequences on individuals and their relationships. Taylor started using drugs recreationally around the age of eighteen. Then, she married James*, a drug user, in 2013 and moved with him to Seattle, Washington. James, who was in the Coast Guard, was scheduled to deploy overseas for a year, so when Taylor found out she was pregnant with twins, she moved back home with her parents in St. Petersburg and got clean.
Taylor’s descent back into addiction began innocently enough. After moving back home with Leslie and Bill, she faced the challenges of motherhood alone. The prescribed pain pills following her c-section provided temporary relief but soon became the catalyst for a dangerous addiction. What started as a seemingly harmless solution to post-operative pain quickly escalated into a reliance on harder drugs, primarily pain pills. The downward spiral of addiction took hold, leading Taylor down a path of self-destruction that would have lasting consequences.
Bill and Leslie did everything they could to help Taylor get clean again. They tried putting her in detox, rehab, and even sending her away to get clean. They tried “tough love” and had her on an almost lockdown status at their home. She stayed clean for about six months under these conditions.
In August 2016, Taylor left her parents’ home and began staying with a friend in Palm Harbor, just a little north of St. Petersburg. This is when, according to the witnesses interviewed in the police reports, Taylor’s drug use got worse. She also began advertising herself on Backpage as an escort. According to one witness interviewed, Taylor’s husband, James, was the one who created the Backpage account, and he was sending Taylor out on escort jobs. Taylor told her friend, the witness, that the decision was mutual and that James was not making her do anything she did not want to do. Around Thanksgiving 2016, Taylor’s husband went to rehab, but Taylor continued to use drugs and advertise herself on Backpage. During this time, through Backpage, Taylor met a 52-year-old man named Robert Butler III…
Robert Butler III is the heir to a successful local flooring company, Bob’s Carpet Mart and Flooring, which opened in 1969 and now has more than a dozen stores in West Florida. He lived in the upscale neighborhood of Cobb’s Landing in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Butler had a checkered past, filled with legal troubles, including drugs and violence. In 1992, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm in a domestic violence incident involving his ex-wife. He had multiple drug convictions over the years, another battery conviction in 2007, and he even had an arrest for urinating in public on a table in a restaurant.
One of his most recent charges, aside from the charges related to Taylor, which we will get to later, stems from his drug habit. He was charged with a money laundering scheme and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to his drug dealer, Deonte Baker, for cocaine and marijuana. He usually bought his drugs with checks, the records show, writing out some to girlfriends of his dealer from March 2013 to April 2016, in a system prosecutors said was meant “to conceal and to disguise” the nature of the transactions. In June 2016, the plea agreement says, Butler began writing checks to the girlfriends, eventually totaling $140,490. Baker, the accused dealer, also faces federal drug charges.
The relationship between Taylor and Butler took a troubling turn, as recounted by Taylor’s family and her husband, James. After their initial meeting, Butler’s behavior towards Taylor escalated into an obsession. He took her into his home, provided her with financial support and drugs, and established a dynamic resembling that of a “sugar daddy” and his companion.
In a statement to law enforcement, James revealed that Taylor had been living with Butler, whom he only knew by the nickname “Bertie.” James expressed concerns about Butler’s involvement in drug use, noting that Taylor had confided in him about feeling afraid of her living situation with “Bertie.” Despite Taylor’s intentions to leave Butler, as James mentioned, she struggled to follow these plans.
After Taylor’s lifeless body was found and investigators canvassed the neighborhood in which Taylor was found and found nothing, they responded to Butler’s home in Palm Harbor. Butler stated that he had known Taylor for a couple of months. He advised that he saw her Backpage “Escort” advertisement and arranged a meeting where he paid her for sex. He stated that she came over to the house a lot for sex, but she did not live there. He advised that he had not seen or heard from her since Saturday, December 17, five days before her body was found. He stated that he knew Taylor used drugs, primarily crack cocaine and Dilaudid, a powerful opioid painkiller. Butler told police that he and Taylor rarely used drugs together, and they did not take any medications on that previous Saturday night.
According to his statement, on December 21st, Butler woke up between 9:00 and 10:00 am and didn’t leave his home all day. He stated that his friend, Deonte Baker, had come around 11:00 am and borrowed his white Toyota Tundra truck. During the interview, officers observed Butler to have several minor scratches that appeared to have occurred in the last couple of days. Two scratches were just above his forehead. He also had scratches on the bridge of his nose and both forearms. Butler also had a fresh bruise on his right rear shoulder blade.
They requested that Butler provide a DNA sample from a buccal swab, at which time he asked if he could speak with an attorney. Butler advised that Attorney Kevin Hayslett was currently representing him on a recent DUI case. Butler spoke to his attorney privately and then put the phone on speaker. At that point, Hayslett advised that his client was not going to provide a DNA sample and requested that they terminate the interview.
Another vital person interviewed was one of Taylor’s friends, Jane*. Jane told investigators that “Bertie” would give Taylor money and drugs any time she needed it. “Bertie” became increasingly jealous of Jane’s relationship with Taylor and began limiting contact. Taylor eventually decided to move in with “Bertie” at the beginning of November. At that time, the sexual relationship began.
Jane’s account of Taylor’s relationship with “Bertie” paints a bleak picture of control, manipulation, and fear. According to Jane, Taylor’s involvement in certain activities was driven by drug use, while “Bertie” believed their relationship was based on love, albeit a twisted and possessive kind. This toxic dynamic became more apparent when Taylor moved in with “Bertie,” who exerted suffocating control over her. Taylor’s freedom was severely restricted, with “Bertie” rarely allowing her out of his sight and eventually forbidding her from seeing Jane alone. Jane stated ultimately, she was only able to see Taylor by tagging along with Smiley when he delivered drugs to “Bertie’s” house. Jane would ask to use the bathroom while Smiley and “Bertie” did the deal in the driveway. Jane would try to get Taylor to leave with them, but she never got her away from “Bertie.” She stated Taylor and “Bertie” lived like hermits and rarely left the house.
As a result of this oppressive environment, Jane observed a noticeable shift in Taylor’s behavior. She described Taylor as fearful of upsetting “Bertie” and constantly apprehensive of his reactions. Jane’s testimony highlights the insidious nature of manipulation and coercion in intimate relationships, where one person’s control over another can lead to profound psychological and emotional consequences.
On December 23, 2016, the day after Taylor was found in the ally, Deonte Baker voluntarily responded to the police station to be interviewed. Investigators showed Baker a picture of Robert Butler III, and he identified him as “Burt.” Baker was shown a photograph of the Victim, Taylor McAllister, and identified her as Taylor. He stated that he was living at the house with Butler and Taylor, but recently, he’d been staying away because they were bringing people into the house he didn’t trust. Let’s not forget that Deonte Baker is a drug dealer…
Baker stated that Butler met Taylor through Backpage and that she had been living at the house for a couple of months. He said that he frequently brought drugs, crack cocaine, and marijuana to the house for Butler and Taylor to use. He said that Taylor also used Dilaudid, but he did not have access to that drug, so Taylor was having other dealers bring it to the house.
Baker gave several inconsistent accounts of his movements from when he woke up on December 21st until he visited Butler on December 22nd. After being questioned about the inconsistencies, Baker stated that he did not remember anything from the afternoon of the 21st until going up to Butler’s around 11 a.m. on the 22nd. He advised that Quran Archer drove him up around 11 a.m. on December 22nd to pick up Butler’s truck.
They were originally going to buy a couple of bikes from Walmart for Christmas presents, but Quran was complaining about the dog smell in the truck, so they changed their plans and dropped the truck off at a car wash. He advised that they did not pick up the truck until around 6 p.m., then headed back up to Butler’s house. When they got back to Butler’s home, Butler told them the police had been there, and he told them about Taylor’s death.
Next, Quran Archer voluntarily came into the station for an interview. Archer stated he met Butler through Baker about three or four months ago. He said he has been friends with Baker for six to seven years and has been driving for him for three or four months. He drives Baker and his girlfriends around in one of Baker’s cars. Drug dealers have their drivers…
Archer stated that he had seen Taylor at Butler’s house several times but did not know her. Unlike Baker, Archer gave a very detailed account of what he did on December 21–22, 2016:
He woke up at 7:30 a.m. on December 21st, gave a friend a ride to work, and then went to his mother’s house for 3–4 hours. He then picked up Baker at a Comfort Inn, and they brought food to one of Baker’s girlfriends, Kelly*, at her job. They then dropped him off at another friend’s house, a woman named Mary*.
Archer stated he took a nap until 5:00 p.m., then went to pick his girlfriend Tiffany* up from work. They then picked up Tiffany’s daughter from school, and he dropped them off at their house. He then drove to the Bethel Heights apartments to hang out with friends, then back to Kelly’s place of work around 9 p.m. and met up with Baker.
At approximately 10:30 pm, he and Baker followed Kelly to the Comfort Inn. Archer stated that he and Baker picked up McDonald’s while Kelly registered for the room. He advised that he let Baker and Kelly at the hotel around midnight and returned to his apartment.
Baker called him around 1:15 a.m. and had him drive him to a woman named Tammy*’s house. Archer stated he left Baker there and went back to his apartment. Baker called him again around 2:40 a.m. and had him drive him back to the Comfort Inn. Archer advised that he went back to Bethel Heights but only stayed for a little bit because no one was out. He then went back to the apartment by around 4:00 a.m. and went to bed.
On 12/22, Archer stated he woke up at 7:00 a.m. and left to pick up Tiffany at 7:30. He advised that he took her child to school and then took Tiffany to work.
Archer stated he got to Bethel Heights again around 9:30 a.m. and hung out with friends until about 11:00 a.m. when Baker called him and wanted to go Christmas shopping. He picked Baker up from Comfort Inn around 11:20 a.m., and they went straight to Butler’s house. He stated they stayed at Butler’s house for about twenty minutes and only saw Butler and his dog.
Archer stated that he drove Baker’s Dodge Challenger, and Baker drove Butler’s truck when they left the house. They stopped at an apartment complex near Gandy Boulevard and left the Challenger there. They took the car to Walmart in south St. Petersburg, bought two girls’ bikes, and took them to Tammy’s grandmother’s house in Childs Park. He then drove Baker to Walgreens, at which time Baker left with an unknown girl at around 3:00 p.m.
Archer then took Butler’s truck to the carwash at Central Avenue and 28 Street to get it detailed. Kelly picked him up in her Mercedes and brought him to her work. He left Kelly and drove the Mercedes to Bethel Heights, where he stayed from 4:15 to 5:00 pm. He then had to pick up Tiffany and her child from school and work.
Archer advised that he and Baker eventually picked up the truck, at which time they went to Butler’s house to return it. He advised that Anthony Sullivan, AKA “Coach,” Tiffany, and her child went up to Butler’s, too, and they were all there for a little while. He stated that he and “Coach” left in the truck, and Baker, Tiffany, and the child left in the Challenger.
That is a lot of detailed information. Maybe too many details?
During the investigation, authorities interviewed a woman named Mary*. Mary was one of Deonte Baker’s girlfriends. She owns a BMW and a white Dodge Challenger, which he lets Deonte Baker and his driver, Archer, use. She told authorities that on December 22nd, she drove her BMW to Robert Butler’s house to clean. This was not unusual; she cleaned his home every month or so
Mary stated that an older black male named “Coach” was there when she arrived, and he was already cleaning the house. Mary stated that it was not normal for “Coach” to help her clean, but he does occasionally do “odds and ends” for Deonte.
Mary stated that Robert had been sleeping on the living room couch the entire time she was there. She said “Coach” was mopping the kitchen, bathroom, and Robert’s bedroom floors while she was cleaning the bathroom and bedroom. She told police there was nothing unusual noticed during the cleaning. She did not notice any bodily fluids, i.e., blood, in the bedroom or the bathroom, but she did remember seeing a black purse in the bedroom. Mary left the residence around 1:00 pm, and Robert still slept on the couch.
According to the police report, Mary was very nervous, shaking, and crying during most of this questioning. Mary denied several times that she had any knowledge related to Taylor McAllister dying at the residence she cleaned up. She did provide police with a buccal swab for DNA and allowed them to search her black BMW that Deonte Baker drives sometimes. The police found nothing of value in the vehicle in this case.
Detectives Chris Herron and James Regula spoke to Baker again when they asked him to make a controlled phone call to Butler. During the conversation, Baker told Butler that the police had been questioning him all day. He told Butler that he needed to tell him what happened to the girl, at which point Butler told him to come to the house and he would tell him.
After the phone call, Detective Herron, Lieutenant Shannon Halstead, and Detective Regula kept talking with Baker. During the conversation, Baker changed his story and told them Butler had called him to come to the house. He stated that he and Archer went to the house, at which time Butler said to them that Taylor had overdosed. He stated he saw Taylor McAllister in Butler’s bed, and she was obviously out of it. He noted that Archer wanted to call 911, but Butler said no. He told police he got Archer to help him get Taylor to a hospital.
Baker stated that Taylor was put in the backseat of Butler’s truck, and Archer drove it. He followed them in the BMW, but Archer started going fast, and he eventually lost sight of the car. Archer then called Baker and told him that Taylor was gone, meaning deceased.
Baker stated that Archer said they couldn’t take a dead, naked, white girl to a hospital because they were black. He called Butler and told him they had to bring her back to the house, but Butler told them not to come back there. Baker stated that Archer panicked and took off with Taylor. Baker noted that he couldn’t get ahold of Archer until after he had left the body in the alley.
Detectives Renee McKinney and Sherry Clester contacted Archer again and transported him back to the station. Archer eventually made a statement that was consistent with Baker’s statement. He stated that he was driving around when he found the alley. He was alone, so he pulled Taylor out of the truck and left her there. He then drove the car back to Butler’s house and had his sister pick him up.
On March 28, 2017, Analyst Mike Celona provided mapping information for the cell phones belonging to Butler, Baker, and Archer. The maps showed that Butler‘s phone did not leave his residence during the incident, but Baker‘s and Archer‘s phones traveled together almost all day on 12/21/2016.
At approximately 7:25 pm on 12/21/2016, both phones leave Butler’s residence and travel to St. Petersburg. From approximately 8:40 pm until approximately 8:51, both phones were in the area where the Taylor was located. They return directly to Butler’s residence and arrive shortly after 9:20 pm. Baker’s phone leaves Butler’s residence at approximately 11:18 pm and returns to St. Petersburg. Archer’s last ping at Butler’s residence occurred at approximately 10:37 pm and pinged in north St. Petersburg at approximately 11:44 pm.
It further showed Baker’s phone in the area where the victim was located at 12:04 am on 12/22/2016. Archer’s phone continued to head in a southbound direction, but he did not receive any calls or texts after 12:06 am on 12/22/2016. At that time, Archer was in the area of 15 Avenue South and Dr. Martin Luther King Street South. Baker’s phone last pings in the area at approximately 12:06 am. By 12:33 am, both phones appear to be together again in north St. Petersburg.
So eventually, it would come to light that when Taylor died in the backseat of Butler’s truck, Archer called Baker, and they met up. Archer did not panic and took off with the body, despite what he had told the police earlier. The men discussed what should be done.
Archer suggested that they find a secluded spot to bury her where she would never be found. Baker disagreed because he knew and liked Taylor; he wanted her body to be found quickly. He said in a statement, “She deserved better.” So, they both decided to leave her in the ally, where she was eventually found
After dumping Taylor’s body in the alleyway, the two men returned to Butler’s home, at which time they collectively undertook a series of steps to conceal their involvement in her death. Butler instructed Archer to purchase some lighter fluid, and, upon doing so, all three of them burned the clothes they were wearing in Butler’s fireplace. They also burned items they had removed from Butler’s truck and items belonging to Taylor that she kept at Butler’s home.
The “box” that captures and stores the Video footage on the security camera system installed at Butler’s home was physically removed (presumably destroyed). The following day, Butler’s truck was also taken to a “detail shop” and thoroughly washed and cleaned.
So…how and why did Taylor McAllister die? Let’s take a look at the autopsy report. Taylor’s parents provided this report to me. I’m only going to name the findings in the report related to this case; everything else is irrelevant…
Autopsy findings:
· Petechiae of the eyelids and periorbital skin.
· Petechiae and bleeding of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctivae of the eyes.
· Petechiae of the labial mucosa of the mouth. ‘
· Abrasions of the mouth.
· Area of submucosal bleeding of the mouth.
· Congestion of the skin of the head and upper chest.
· Abrasion of the head.
· Areas of dried gray—white material on the forearms and the upper portion of the left cheek.
· Abrasions of the anterior-right aspect of the neck.
· Areas of muscular hemorrhage of the neck.
· Areas of muscular hemorrhage of the torso.
· The anterior aspect of the right side of the neck has three abrasions, which range in most significant dimension from 0.2 cm to 1 cm.
· The skin of the anterior aspect of the upper portion of the chest is congested.
· The central portion of the chest has numerous minor abrasions over 10 cm, the seven most significant of which measure 0.4 cm.
· The right breast has a 2 cm, linear to irregular abrasion and a 0.4 cm abrasion.
· The left side of the chest has multiple petechia.
· The lateral aspect of the lower portion of the left side of the chest has a 2 cm, faint purple ecchymosis (bruising).
· The posterior aspect of the right axillary region has numerous petechiae over approximately 7 cm.
· Cause of Death: Asphyxia
· Contributory Conditions: Acute and Chronic Drug Abuse
· Manner of Death: Homicide
During the autopsy, they found male DNA on Taylor’s body. DNA from Taylor’s neck and underneath her fingernails matched Robert Butler. A warrant was finally obtained for Butler’s DNA, and he provided a buccal swap. But that was explained away by the fact that she lived with Butler. The report mentioned Taylor’s body being found with a white substance on her arms and cheek. According to the FBI lab, that substance was consistent with an adhesive material. Duct tape, maybe?
Even though the autopsy said Taylor McAllister was killed, investigators still did not know where or when she died, who was responsible, and if there was any intent to kill. This is important. To prove a murder had occurred, prosecutors must prove that there was mens rea, which is the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing, and actus reus, which is the physical act of committing a crime. Oh, those fancy Latin words again…
In December 2017, Robert Butler III was charged with failure to report a death, felony possession of marijuana, and felon in possession of ammunition. The second two charges stemmed from a warranted search done on his home. Denote Baker and Quran Archer were both charged with failure to report a death as well. No murder charges were filed…
Something that I want you to know because it will come up from time to time: there was another man involved during all of this; I will not name him because he has not been charged, and his name does not even come up in the police reports. We can call him “Dick”.
This name only came up about a year after Taylor was murdered, and authorities were told that “Dick” was with Archer and Baker and threatened to “put a bullet in their head” if they ever told the truth about what happened that night.
Butler, Baker, and Archer were all terrified of this man. This is why it was not until a year later, when “Dick” was picked up on other drug-related charges, that Baker, Archer, and Butler finally came clean about some of the events of Dec. 22nd, 2016.
Another topic that needs to be addressed is the federal trial that was happening almost simultaneously with the investigation of Taylor’s murder. Butler and Baker were charged in federal court with a money laundering scheme. Butler paid Baker hundreds of thousands of dollars for cocaine and marijuana over several years.
He usually bought his drugs with checks, the records show, writing out some of the checks to Baker’s girlfriends in a system prosecutors said was meant “to conceal and to disguise” the nature of the transactions. He bought drugs from Baker from March 2013 to April 2016 and gave him a total of $194,150 during that period.
Once the men were all in jail, Leslie bravely decided to visit Deonte Baker. The family gave me a video recording of this visit. Leslie begged Baker to tell her what happened to Taylor. Baker claimed he didn’t know anything that happened before he went there that night to dispose of her body essentially. But he admitted to what he had done and even admitted to accidentally running over Taylor’s leg as they sped away. I don’t know if that brought them any closure, but Baker had been the only one to come completely clean about what he did that night. I’m not saying this makes him a good person; what he did was horrible. But at least someone is taking responsibility for part of this crime.
Archer pled guilty and was sentenced to 6 months in jail and $850 in court costs. Baker pled No Contest and was sentenced to 364 days in prison, with 343 days credit for time served, plus $450 in court costs. Butler pled guilty and was sentenced to 36 days in jail with one day credit for time served and $450 in court costs.
Bill McAllister told the Tampa Bay Times, “We’re disgusted,” “We’re going to court for a misdemeanor because that’s all failure to report a death is. It’s mind-blowing how easy it is for someone to get away with murder.” (3)
“To charge somebody with a murder, I’ve got to have evidence that the person committed the murder,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said. “There’s a lot of suspicion, a lot of fingers pointing. … I’ve got to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury down the road.” To date, no one has been charged with Taylor McAllister’s murder.
The St. Petersburg Police Department has told the McAllisters that Taylor’s case is cold and will not be investigated further. The case will be reviewed once a year on the anniversary of her death, and unless more evidence comes to light, there is nothing more they can do. Excuse me, what? You’re just going to give up? Hell no…
So again, this case got a little personal for me. Talking at length with Bill and Leslie, learning everything I could about Taylor, and watching her videos on YouTube, much like Kyle Byrtus, I felt like I knew Taylor. I thought that a friend had been murdered. It is a surreal feeling. I do not know if it’s even explainable…
The tragic death of Taylor McAllister in 2016 left a profound impact on the lives of Bill and Leslie McAllister, who had long sought a platform to share their story and speak their truth. It wasn’t until 2020, when we interviewed them for our podcast, that they were allowed to do so, and the relief and gratitude they expressed for being able to voice their experiences finally were palpable. The McAllisters’ story sheds light on the countless families who have suffered similar tragedies yet remain unheard and unseen in their grief.
The pain and anguish that families like the McAllisters endure in the aftermath of such devastating events are immeasurable. The lack of platforms for these families to share their stories and seek solace only adds to their burden. The yearning to reach out and help every single family facing such heartbreak resonates deeply with those who understand the power of empathy and compassion in times of immense loss.
In a world where stories like Taylor’s are all too common, providing a voice to the voiceless and a platform for the unheard cannot be overstated. The power of storytelling in bringing about awareness, understanding, and potentially even change is undeniable. It is a reminder of the resilience and strength that can be found in sharing one’s truth and seeking support from a community willing to listen and offer empathy in times of darkness.
As we reflect on the McAllisters’ journey and the countless families who share in their pain, the desire to extend a helping hand to every one of them becomes a call to action. It is a reminder of the importance of standing in solidarity with those grieving, lending an empathetic ear to those struggling to be heard, and offering compassion to those navigating the unfathomable depths of loss. May their stories serve as a beacon of hope and resilience for all those in similar circumstances, and may their voices continue to echo in the hearts of those who listen with empathy and understanding.
The McAllister family has faced unimaginable hardships, having lost another daughter several years ago. Their journey has been filled with challenges and heartache, yet Bill and Leslie continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and unwavering strength.
I have done everything I can over the years to try and help this family in their quest for justice. I referred them to other podcasts and television producers and shared Taylor’s story everywhere I could. Since we did our episode on Taylor’s murder, her case has been covered by many other podcasts, YouTube personalities have featured it, and Investigation Discovery even did a segment about Taylor on their show Still a Mystery. And I will continue to be praying for justice for Taylor Ann McAllister. #JusticeForTaylor22
*Names have been changed.