A Tangled Web - Part 1 (Kevin James & George Taylor)

Summary

Anatomy of Murder: A Tangled Web - Part 1 (Kevin James & George Taylor) Host: Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi & Scott Weinberger
Release Date: May 6, 2025

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Introduction

In the inaugural episode of "Anatomy of Murder," hosts Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger delve into the perplexing murder case of Kevin James. This episode, titled "A Tangled Web - Part 1," unpacks the layers of the crime, the victim, and the ensuing investigation, weaving a narrative filled with suspense, human emotion, and investigative tenacity.

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The Murder Discovery

Timestamp: [20:20]

The episode opens with a chilling recount of January 1998 in Moreno Valley, California, when Kevin James was brutally murdered in his own home.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (20:30): "Moments later, incredibly, his 12-year-old son spotted a man running from the house and getting into a car impossible not to recognize. An enormous customized 1965 Buick Riviera."

This immediate eyewitness account sets the stage for the ensuing investigation, highlighting the initial shock and confusion surrounding the crime.

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Initial Investigation and Crime Scene

Timestamp: [05:54]

Retired Detective Michelle Amicone, with 29 years in law enforcement, provides an insider's perspective on the early stages of the case.

Michelle Amicone (05:54): "It was a call out. I was sleeping. It was like, I don't know, two in the morning or something."

Upon arrival, the deputies found Kevin James lifeless in his bedroom, executed with three gunshot wounds to the head—ruling out suicide and suggesting a targeted killing. Notably, there were no signs of forced entry or struggle elsewhere in the house, deepening the mystery.

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Suspects and Initial Leads

Timestamp: [16:38]

The investigation quickly zeroes in on George Taylor, a neighbor known for his distinctive 1965 Buick Riviera. The boy's eyewitness account becomes a pivotal lead.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (16:38): "And let me just add, he knew the owner as well. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that the Riviera belonged to a man named George Taylor, who lived just down the street from the James's home."

George Taylor emerges as the primary suspect due to the presence of his car at the crime scene. However, with no clear motive—Kevin James was described as a well-liked, easygoing family man—the case takes on a complex dimension.

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George Taylor's Involvement

Timestamp: [28:04]

Detectives interrogate George Taylor, uncovering inconsistencies in his alibi and revealing potential connections to illicit activities.

Scott Weinberger (28:04): "Taylor described his relationship with Kevin James as friendly. And the two often broke, bonding over their love of old cars."

Despite claiming a friendly relationship, George admits to selling small quantities of marijuana to Kevin, hinting at possible motives related to drug dealings.

Michelle Amicone (28:09): "All I know is he kept it in the garage... We'd sit there and, you know, for a little bit, talk about the cars."

These admissions, while not directly linking him to the murder, add layers to the investigation, suggesting that financial or criminal disputes might underlie the crime.

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Missing George Taylor

Timestamp: [36:53]

The plot thickens when George Taylor goes missing a month after Kevin James's murder, raising suspicions of his involvement or potential threats from other parties.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (36:53): "George Taylor had gone missing, which left two very real possibilities. He's either on the run or George Taylor is dead."

This development broadens the scope of the investigation, introducing new suspects and potential motives, and deepening the "tangled web" surrounding the case.

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Second Murder and Implications

Timestamp: [43:25]

Tragically, George Taylor is found dead, executed in a manner strikingly similar to Kevin James. Both victims were killed with gunshots to the head, and forensic evidence suggests the same caliber weapon was used.

Scott Weinberger (44:42): "The main suspect in the murder of Kevin James was dead. Both men executed with gunshots to the head and very possibly by the very same person."

This parallel execution implies a possible serial element or a more extensive criminal conspiracy, complicating the investigation and raising questions about other potential victims or accomplices.

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Investigation's Current Status and Next Steps

As the episode concludes, the investigators are left with a series of unanswered questions and a trail that is far from clear.

Michelle Amicone (45:05): "But you knew deep down, somewhere deep down inside yourself, this isn't some stranger who walked in your house and killed Kevin."

The unresolved nature of the case sets the stage for further exploration in subsequent episodes, promising listeners a deep dive into the complexities of the investigation and the human elements intertwined with the crime.

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Conclusion

"A Tangled Web - Part 1" effectively sets up a gripping true crime narrative, blending meticulous investigative detail with personal testimonies and psychological insights. The episode leaves listeners eagerly anticipating the unraveling of the case in future installments, underscoring the intricate dance between law enforcement and the often shadowy motives behind violent crimes.

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Notable Quotes:

• Michelle Amicone (06:20): "The first things that ran through my mind were, you know, home invasion, the wife. And those were really my two main thoughts."

• Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (12:13): "And so Lisa had fallen asleep in the same room of her 12-year-old son. But, but shortly before 11, she had woken up in a panic."

• Michelle Amicone (22:38): "My gut feeling at this point is no, she is acting how she's supposed to be acting. This isn't real trauma."

• Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (31:01): "But he was able to confirm that whoever he saw running from their house towards the car. He wasn't alone."

• Michelle Amicone (32:28): "I actually arrest George that night. Now, I know that I can hold him for 48 hours."

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Upcoming Episode: In Part 2, hosts Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger promise to continue unraveling the complexities of Kevin James's murder, exploring new leads and deepening the investigation into George Taylor's disappearance and death.

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About the Hosts:

• Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi: Former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction, bringing legal expertise and prosecutorial insight to the investigation.

• Scott Weinberger: Investigative journalist and former deputy sheriff, providing on-the-ground law enforcement experience and investigative acumen.

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Stay tuned for the next episode of "Anatomy of Murder" to continue following the intricate investigation into Kevin James's untimely death.

Transcript

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

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[Scott Weinberger]

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[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

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[Michelle Amicone]

She knows there's no video. She knows there's no tape going. She knows it's just me and her. And she says to me, you're never gonna solve this. And I just looked at her and I said, I am gonna solve this and when I'm done, you're gonna be in prison.

[Scott Weinberger]

I'm Scott Weinberger, investigative journalist and former deputy sheriff.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

I'm Anna Sega Nicolasi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction.

[Scott Weinberger]

And this is Anatomy of Murder.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

If you're a longtime listener of this show or just a true crime fan in general, you probably can't count the number of times you've heard how DNA or modern forensics have helped solve a crime or catch a killer. So it's sometimes hard to believe just how new most of this science really is.

[Scott Weinberger]

And you may be asking, what did investigators do before these techniques became so commonplace? I mean, fingerprinting has been around for most of the 20th century. But even when I started my law enforcement career in the 1980s, things like DNA profiling, GPS tracking, even doorbell cameras, they all sounded like stuff of science fiction.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And the answer, what we often describe as old school detective work. Gathering facts, building a timeline, and speaking with people, witnesses, sometimes over and over, until the potential lies are exposed and the truth shakes out.

[Scott Weinberger]

Because while the hard proof can often be revealed in a piece of science, at the heart of every crime is a story, an intricate web of human desires, fears and frailties. And with just the right combination of patience, logic and gut instinct, a good investigator can unravel that web and reconstruct a story that may have begun with a single dark thought, but ended in murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

This was truly detective work to me. This is what an investigation should have been. You know, it wasn't send some DNA swabs off, send some foot impressions off. It was myself and my partners working together and just keeping at it like every single day until we solved it.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Retired Detective Michelle Amicone worked in law enforcement for 29 years, 20 of which were spent as a homicide detective in Southern California. And it is no exaggeration to say that she was a trailblazer.

[Michelle Amicone]

When I went to homicide in 1994, I was the only female homicide detective in the whole County.

[Scott Weinberger]

In 1998, Michelle was a detective with a sheriff's office in Riverside county, an area that spans from greater Los Angeles to the Arizona border. And she was first on the call sheet on January 12th when a frantic 911 call came in just past 11pm from a home in the Moreno Valley.

[Michelle Amicone]

Somebody broke into our house and we heard gunshots. When did they bring into your house?

[Scott Weinberger]

Just now.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

The caller was a 12 year old child. He and his mother were asleep in his bedroom when they were awakened by the sound of multiple gunshots from inside the house.

[Michelle Amicone]

Who's crying? My mother. Who broke into your house? Here. Hello? Who broke into the house? I don't know who broke into the house. All I know is I think my husband is shot. And I did not want to go look. I did not want to look.

[Scott Weinberger]

The boy's mother, Lisa James, believed the gunshots came from the bedroom where her husband had been sleeping. And as you can imagine, she feared the absolute worst.

[Michelle Amicone]

Okay, ma'am, we have several people on the way, okay? Yes, okay. Do not hang up the phone.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Sheriff's deputies were the first to arrive. When they entered the primary bedroom, they were met with a horrific scene. Lisa's husband and the 12 year old's father, Kevin James, Was lying lifeless under blankets, stained with a massive amount of blood.

[Michelle Amicone]

It was a call out. I was sleeping. It was like, I don't know, two in the morning or something. The first responding deputies were already there. And the information that I had was that there was a lone male who had been shot three times in the head while he was sleeping. He was still in his bed.

[Scott Weinberger]

And while every detective is trained to keep an open mind, you can't help but start thinking about the most likely scenarios.

[Michelle Amicone]

The first things that ran through my mind were, you know, home invasion, the wife. And those were really my two main thoughts. I think when I was heading to the scene was, okay, home invasion or, you know, the wife. The wife's the only one in the house.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

The James home was located in a middle class neighborhood, not an area with a particularly high crime rate. So with the arrival of police on the quiet suburban street, neighbors were understandably alarmed.

[Michelle Amicone]

That was your typical trapped home neighborhood. Pretty dense. I mean, the houses were close together. It was raining that night. There was a large amount of people already gathered, Neighbors, family members of Kevin James, the victim.

[Scott Weinberger]

Their shock and confusion was soon followed by the unmistakable dread of seeing crime scene tape and the arrival of a county coroner.

[Michelle Amicone]

The scene was taped off as usual, and the deputies walked us through the scene. So it was a two story house. You walk into a pretty big living room. There was nothing in the living room, kitchen, dining room or anything. At least no evidence that anything happened down there as far as blood or disturbance or anything like that.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

So no immediate signs of a break in. No broken glass, overturned furniture, or rummaged drawers. Nothing out of the ordinary. But in the primary bedroom, the. That was a different story.

[Michelle Amicone]

So when we walked in there, the bed was immediately to the right of the door. He was in bed. He was laying on his right side, still covered up. He had like a couple blankets on him. There was a pillow laying next to his head, and then a pillow under his head and the pillow next to his head, a lot of blood on it. And you could tell that there were what appeared to be, at the time, bullet holes in that pillow.

[Scott Weinberger]

There were three.40 caliber bullet casings recovered from beside the bed, but no gun left at the scene, which, however, unlikely considering the multiple shots, immediately ruled out death by suicide.

[Michelle Amicone]

When we took the blanket off of his head, it was clear that there were three gunshot wounds right in the temple area. They were very close to each other, A lot of blood.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Not only were there no signs of a struggle, it appeared that Kevin had been shot point blank. In the head, likely while he was still asleep.

[Michelle Amicone]

It was very execution style. He was on his right side. His right hand, my memory is, was, like, under his head, like you would sleep. And then the other arm was just like. His left arm was, like, thrown across his body. Like, his position in bed looked very relaxed.

[Scott Weinberger]

And the last clue that Kevin was caught totally unaware is his eyes not open in horror or recognition, but still closed.

[Michelle Amicone]

His eyes were shut. It just looked like he was sleeping. I mean, until you got close to the bed and saw what was happening, it just looked like he was still asleep in bed.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

There were no signs that Kevin ever had a chance to defend himself or posed any threat at all to the shooter. So the theory that he might have surprised a home invader in the act of a robbery seemed unlikely.

[Michelle Amicone]

We did check the front door for any signs of forest entry. None. Nothing looked like it had been touched. Same in the kitchen. TVs, still, you know, where it appeared they belonged. You know, anything of value that you could immediately see just seemed to be in its place. And they also found, I want to say, like, $800, I believe, in Lisa's purse. So not a burglary, not a robbery.

[Scott Weinberger]

Kevin's murder had all of the markings of an intentional targeted killing. So who was Kevin James, and why would anyone want to kill him?

[Michelle Amicone]

So Kevin James, he was a mechanic. He and Lisa had been together for a long time. Their oldest boy was 12, so it was over 12 years old. And then they had a younger son, 7. So he was a dad. He was a mechanic. From all accounts, a really nice guy. Super nice, really friendly. Everybody in the neighborhood liked him. He was just a really nice guy, according to everybody.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

By all accounts, Kevin was an easygoing family man with no enemies. And so far, the crime scene itself was not offering investigators any clues about who might have wanted him dead.

[Michelle Amicone]

Other than the shell casings, there is absolutely no physical evidence in the house. None. I mean, we have the shell casings, and we have Kevin's body and the blood, and that's about it. They're not seeing any, like, shoe impressions in the carpet? No mud tracked in? No. I mean, anything that you would. There's no. There's no forced entry. There's, like, nothing.

[Scott Weinberger]

But the one thing Michelle did have were witnesses, Because Kevin's wife, Lisa, and their two sons were all in the house. And their accounts of what they saw and heard would be critical in starting to piece together the tragic details of Kevin's murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

We were told that the deputies had spoken briefly with Lisa James, the wife, and she told them that she had been sleeping in her oldest son's room because she had lupus. Kevin James Sr. The victim, had a cold flu kind of thing, so she didn't want to sleep with him that night because she didn't want to catch anything because her immune system was compromised.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And so Lisa had fallen asleep in the same room of her 12 year old son. But, but shortly before 11, she had woken up in a panic.

[Michelle Amicone]

She had also told deputies that when she was sleeping, what woke her up was she heard what she felt was someone breaking into the house through the slider in the master bedroom, and then she heard three gunshots.

[Scott Weinberger]

So let's talk crime scene. There had been no signs of forced entry on the first floor, so the idea that the killer may have entered through the sliding door on the second floor was a possibility. But when they took a closer look, detectives again were stumped by the lack of evidence.

[Michelle Amicone]

No fingerprints, no handprints, nothing on it that would indicate that someone touched it. None. It was clear that no one came in through that slider.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Not only had no one come in through the sliding door, there was no sign anyone could have accessed the second floor at all.

[Michelle Amicone]

It was raining and their backyard had no grass. It was all mud. And they had a Rottweiler in the backyard. So we went over and looked over the balcony. There's no ladder. There's, there is nothing that you could have gotten up to the balcony and into the slider width that's still either attached to the balcony, leaning against the balcony, or even laying in the yard. It's just mud. And the only prints in the mud are dog prints. There's no footprints, nothing that would indicate that anyone came through there to get up to the balcony to go through the slider. So those were the two main red flags right there. Like no one came through that slider or the backyard.

[Scott Weinberger]

So, Anasega, let's be clear right here. These are really good observations that Michelle and her team made in the moment, but at this point, they're just observations. I mean, there could have been other ways an intruder could have gotten into the home.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But, you know, let's think about what Lisa says. Like, yes, on its face, it doesn't sound likely with the things that were observed by Michelle and the other investigators. But again, having seen it many times, I have to say that when people panic at times they can lose that focus, especially after hearing gunshots. In a few moments, she realizes her husband is dead. Like, there is so much going on, at least Temporarily, it could have been a blur, you know, but here there was another witness in the house that was able to give police his account of that night. And that was Lisa and Kevin's 12 year old son. And as you can HEAR in the 911 call, he demonstrated remarkable composure and maturity when talking with the police. And that continued when he was interviewed by Michelle.

[Michelle Amicone]

He clearly was upset and he had bits of crying and true crying and clearly was upset, but he really handled himself amazingly well and was able to talk to me and answer my questions and really stepped up and like I said, really well spoken, really mature. For 12 years old, I thought.

[Scott Weinberger]

Her son confirmed his mother's story that they were asleep in the bedroom when she woke up saying she had heard strange sounds in the house while they were sleeping.

[Michelle Amicone]

She woke him up and said that she thought she heard someone coming in the slider in the master bedroom and that someone was breaking into the house. She told him to get on the floor, he did. She laid on top of him.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Then they both heard the unmistakable sound of three gunshots in quick succession from inside the house. But while his mother's account ended with what she heard, this young boy was able to also tell police what he saw.

[Michelle Amicone]

He then began struggling because he wanted to get up and look out the window and see if he could see anyone coming or going. Lisa was holding him down on the floor and telling him, stay on the floor, stay on the floor, don't get up.

[Scott Weinberger]

But the 12 year old manages to get out from under his mother and ran to the bedroom window which faced the front of the home.

[Michelle Amicone]

And he goes to the window, is looking over the front and he sees a guy running from the direction of his front door across the lawn getting into a car. He can't say for sure who this guy is, but he knows the car.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

The car was a distinctive 1965 Buick Riviera, a one of a kind vintage car that was even customized to be heard from blocks around.

[Scott Weinberger]

And let me just add, he knew the owner as well. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that the Riviera belonged to a man named George Taylor, who lived just down the street from the James's home. The victim's own son had provided what was potentially a huge break in the case.

[Michelle Amicone]

He knows George and he knows this car. And when I asked him, you know, could you say who it was for sure running out of the house, he said, could have been George. But he said, I can't 100% say who it was.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But he was able to confirm that whoever he saw running from their house towards the car. He wasn't alone.

[Michelle Amicone]

There was a driver because this person running out of the house got into the passenger seat and the car took off. But he couldn't see the driver. He couldn't see if anyone else was in the car.

[Scott Weinberger]

Within hours of that desperate 911 call, detectives had a strong person of interest in Kevin James execution style murder. But the investigation was far from over.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

This was just the first first thread in a tangled web of lies, betrayal, manipulation and murder.

[Scott Weinberger]

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[Scott Weinberger]

In January of 1998 in Moreno Valley, California, Kevin James was shot three times in the head while he was sleeping in his own bed.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Moments later, incredibly, his 12 year old son spotted a man running from the house and getting into a car impossible not to recognize. An enormous customized 1965 Buick Riviera.

[Michelle Amicone]

And the car belongs to George Taylor, who is best friends with next door neighbor Shelby Harris. And George is often at Shelby's house. And he knows George and he knows this car.

[Scott Weinberger]

This is obviously a huge break. And the priority for investigators is clearly to track down that car, its owner, George Taylor, and eventually anyone else who may have been in that car.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But in the meantime, it was also important to find out from Kevin's wife, Lisa, if she knew any reason why this George Taylor would have wanted to kill her husband. Because apparently George was not just a neighbor, but a friend of both Kevin and Lisa James. And so Michelle and her partner intended to find out the answer to that question. But this is where she ran into a bit of a roadblock.

[Michelle Amicone]

So we get to the neighbors and Lisa is sitting in a chair. She was kind of in this, what I can only describe as a catatonic state where she was just staring straight ahead, sitting in a chair and just staring straight ahead with this blank look on her face. And I kind of knelt down in front of her so I could get eye to eye. And I said, lisa. She just kept staring. Lisa. You know, this went on for a minute and then she finally, like, made eye contact, immediately started screaming and crying hysterically.

[Scott Weinberger]

There was a very good possibility that Lisa was in shock or that her emotions were just too overwhelming for her to be able to answer the questions. But Michelle's veteran instincts told her that there was something just a little bit off about Lisa's behavior.

[Michelle Amicone]

I get it, everybody reacts differently. But the interesting thing was not a tear was coming out of her eyes during all this screaming and kind of crying hysterically. My gut feeling at this point is no, she is acting how she's supposed to be acting. This isn't real trauma. This isn't real bereavement. And I'd seen a lot, and I know everybody reacts differently. It wasn't real to me.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And like Michelle said, you never know how different people are going to react in high stress moments. But when you've worked a lot of homicide cases, including those initial conversations with family, you sometimes just get that feeling and you have to trust that feeling or at least follow where it leads.

[Scott Weinberger]

Not only that, but it also makes Michelle question. If Lisa's account of hearing the sliding door open despite being no evidence at all that anyone came through the second floor was more than just a mistake, perhaps it was an Attempt to mislead police.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Which unfortunately also brings into question why Lisa was lying on top of her son and telling him not to get up. It was supposedly to keep him safe after hearing the gunshots. But was it?

[Michelle Amicone]

Lisa was holding him down on the floor and telling him, stay on the floor. Stay on the floor. Don't get up. Now, you could take that one of two ways. Is she being a protective mother, or does she not want him to see something?

[Scott Weinberger]

Now, there was no gun found at the scene, and it was clear that Lisa had not fired a weapon herself. But clearly, Michelle's suspicions are piqued that maybe she was involved in the shooting somehow or at least withholding information.

[Michelle Amicone]

And so detective Fernandez and I. He was my second. Detective Thompson stayed at the scene, and as we're walking outside, we both looked at each other, and I immediately said, okay, she's involved. I knew there was a long way to go, but it immediately centered my focus on her.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But in the meantime, thanks to Lisa's son, investigators did have another very real person of interest. The owner of that 65 Riviera that was seen speeding away from the scene.

[Scott Weinberger]

Lisa was able to eventually tell detectives that she did, in fact, know George Taylor, but she couldn't think of any reason George would have anything to do with the killing of her husband. And while they weren't close friends, they certainly weren't enemies.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But there was one person that Michelle hoped might know a little bit more, and that was the woman George Taylor lived with. Lisa's close friend and neighbor, Shelby Harris.

[Michelle Amicone]

I asked the deputy to contact Shelby and bring her to the station, because now we want to talk to her about George. And so Shelby is at the station fully cooperative.

[Scott Weinberger]

Shelby Harris confirmed much of what Lisa said, that Kevin had no enemies that she could think of, and there was no beef between him and her roommate, George Taylor, that she was aware of.

[Michelle Amicone]

Did he have a gun with him.

[Scott Weinberger]

Today when you saw him, or last night when you saw him?

[Michelle Amicone]

No, didn't see him with. I didn't see him with a gun. Did he mention Kevin at all? No. Any problems between him and Kevin that you know of? Arguments.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Shelby also told police that she didn't know of any problems in Lisa and Kevin's marriage. Certainly nothing that would precipitate murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

You know Lisa fairly well?

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Yeah.

[Michelle Amicone]

Okay. How did her and Kevin get along? Real good. So they had a good relationship? Yeah. I was doing stuff with the kids. Any domestic problems at all? No. They. As far as I know, no. They were always doing stuff together. Always doing Stuff with the kids. You ever heard of him?

[Scott Weinberger]

Like maybe abusing her?

[Michelle Amicone]

Spousal abuse type thing, Hitting her or anything like that, or shooting him or. Devin's not like that. He's pretty mild kind of guy. Yeah, he really is. He's real kind of drinks every now and then. And most men, when they drink, they start getting real stupid. He's not. He's nothing like that. He's a real. He was a real good guy. She knew of no trouble in the marriage. They seemed like the happiest, happiest couple. She's just shocked by this. George's car being there. Well, she doesn't know about that. But George is her best friend, and she can get George down to the station, and she'll make that happen for us. We went over that. Oh, she was happy to help. And she would get George down here to talk to us.

[Scott Weinberger]

According to Shelby, her friend George had a bit of a checkered past and present. While he had gotten into some trouble for selling drugs and was often seen running with a tough crowd, she described him more as a kind of wannabe.

[Michelle Amicone]

Was he selling weed? George thinks he sells weed. Okay. I mean, really. I mean, George thinks he's something he's really not. So he's got connections or he thinks he has connections. He thinks he has connections.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And so George Taylor was brought in for questioning, and he agreed to talk to Michelle and explain his whereabouts and his cars on the night of the murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

Now, you obviously know where you're down here. Yeah, I want to know what's happening.

[Scott Weinberger]

Taylor described his relationship with Kevin James as friendly. And the two often broke, bonding over their love of old cars. Our main thing was love for old cars.

[Michelle Amicone]

Cause he had the 67 Barracuda.

[Scott Weinberger]

I always wanted a 65.

[Michelle Amicone]

I always wanted a 65, but I didn't want an Impala. I didn't want a Chevelle. I wanted something that nobody really has.

[Scott Weinberger]

And that Riviera just looked too nice.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But then he went on to claim that on occasion, he would buy small quantities of marijuana from Kevin.

[Michelle Amicone]

All I know is he kept it in the garage.

[Scott Weinberger]

The garage was.

[Michelle Amicone]

He would shut the garage, I'd wait.

[Scott Weinberger]

Outside, and then he'd open the garage back up, and he'd hand me what I had in hand, cash.

[Michelle Amicone]

We'd sit there and, you know, for a little bit, talk about the cars.

[Scott Weinberger]

Drink a beer, and then I'd be on my way. Clearly, selling marijuana is hardly a capital offense. But if true, it does offer a hint of a possible motive. Because as we know where drugs and cash are present. Violence often follows.

[Michelle Amicone]

Ever been up to his room? Up to his kids room? Never, ever. He kept wanting me to know that he was very gangster, and those are his words, that he was very gangster and he had some gangster ties and that I didn't know anything about his life. But it was very dangerous for him to be at this police station, and his life could be on the line.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

According to Taylor, that was why he had not stayed at Shelby's that night as usual, and why his car might have been seen parked near Kevin's house on the night of his murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

There were some people out, a Mexican gang out to steal George's car. And he had been followed that day. And he was afraid for himself and for Shelby. And so he and Shelby decided to go stay in a motel for the night. And according to Shelby, it was just her and George in the motel. No one else was there. So you ran in and told Shelby about this third carjack or attempt carjacking?

[Scott Weinberger]

Yeah.

[Michelle Amicone]

And whose suggestion was it to get a motel room?

[Scott Weinberger]

I don't know. I honestly don't remember at that time.

[Michelle Amicone]

My heart was beating so fast.

[Scott Weinberger]

I was so.

[Michelle Amicone]

But somebody says, let's go get a motel room.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And you can just imagine as George is talking and giving all these details about where he was and with whom, that Michelle is. Just because, like we've said, it's not always the truth that you expect to get from these interviews. Sometimes you're just gathering information that can either be corroborated or proven to be false. And for those of us that have worked in this line of work, we all know it can be just as valuable.

[Scott Weinberger]

Michelle went on to tell Taylor that Kevin's son had seen his car in front of their home at the time of the murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

How can you explain that? And he said, oh, yeah, at one point, he had been afraid that the Mexican gang had shown up at Shelby's anyway, and so he wanted to just go check Shelby's house and make sure nothing was going on at Shelby's house.

[Scott Weinberger]

And here is where we start to see the little inconsistencies with his story. And I'm sure Michelle was seeing them as well, and they were raising all kinds of red flags.

[Michelle Amicone]

He's really trying to explain why his car is in front of Kevin James house at the time of the shooting. And he's coming up with all kinds of stuff, might have gone back a second time. He knows for sure he didn't go back to the motel right away. He went to the orange groves and slept for a while. Didn't have a real explanation for that. He just went all over the place with where he was that night. And I want to say it was like a three hour interview. And nothing was consistent. From the beginning to the end. He changed his story two, three times. I mean, nothing was consistent.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Things were not looking promising for George Taylor. His car was seen fleeing the scene of a murder. He was clearly lying to police about where he was on the night of the murder. And while Michelle hadn't uncovered any reason why George might have targeted Kevin or any evidence yet that could put him at the scene, she also knew that there was a good chance that he was a flight risk, and she was wary to let him out of her sight.

[Michelle Amicone]

I actually arrest George that night. Now, I know that I can hold him for 48 hours, and then I know when he's getting out of jail, and we can set up a surveillance and follow him and see where he goes and what he does.

[Scott Weinberger]

But before that, Michelle and her partner decided to take one more shot at getting him to talk, thinking that the murder charge hanging over him might convince him to play ball.

[Michelle Amicone]

Because I'm also thinking he knows that I think he's lying. I mean, we were clear in the interview. And if someone put him up to this, if he's the one who did it, if he was the one running out of the house now, give him a night to sleep on this, and maybe in the morning, he'll come to his senses and want to tell us what happened, if other people are involved, which at this point is my theory.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And so the detectives return the next day to pay George Taylor a visit in jail and give him another chance to come clean.

[Michelle Amicone]

But fairly quickly, he says, you know, I've already talked to an attorney, and I think I should talk to him before I talk to you guys anymore. So we stopped the interview. Didn't know you had an attorney. Yeah. So we leave. So that interview goes nowhere.

[Scott Weinberger]

But thanks to their first interview, they had locked him into a statement which included a pretty shaky alibi. And his time in custody gave them the time they needed to initiate surveillance on him as soon as he stepped out of jail.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

The idea here is to see where he goes, who he talks to, and whether he is making any efforts to cover his tracks. But it doesn't exactly go according to plan.

[Michelle Amicone]

We follow him. He goes directly to his mother's house, also lived in Moreno Valley. And we watch him go into the house, and we're sitting in a van outside quite A ways down the cul de sac, his mom Tina comes out of the house and makes a beeline for the van and starts pounding on the windows and telling us she knows we're the cops and she knows we're in there and oh my God and get out of here.

[Scott Weinberger]

Despite the strong lead, with no physical evidence placing Taylor at the scene, the case was in danger of stalling.

[Michelle Amicone]

I mean, we're two days in, we're 48 hours in, and I know that unless we get someone to talk, I don't think this is going anywhere.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

But two weeks after Kevin James murder, the investigation took a very unexpected turn.

[Michelle Amicone]

And then stuff. February 2nd, I get a call from George's girlfriend and mother of his child who tells me that George is missing.

[Scott Weinberger]

George Taylor had gone missing, which left two very real possibilities. He's either on the run or George Taylor is dead.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

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[Scott Weinberger]

But a month later, police had received word from Taylor's girlfriend that he had gone missing, which could mean he was in danger or he was on the run.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

According to the girlfriend, Taylor was last seen leaving with two friends, Terrence Bledsoe and Joe Jensen, but she hadn't seen him since.

[Michelle Amicone]

Now these are new characters that we haven't heard about. So now we start getting information on Terrence Bledsoe and Joe Jensen, who live Together, who are very, very good friends with George and Shelby. And the four of them hang out all the time together at Shelby's house. So now, okay, let's talk to Terrence and Joe.

[Scott Weinberger]

So you remember when George Taylor's mom blew the COVID of the surveillance van by banging on the window and chasing them from her home? Well, now that her son is missing, she's become much more cooperative with police.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And according to her, these so called friends, Terrence and Joe, she knew they were trouble. But the person she feared the most was the person around whom the group seemed to gravitate, Shelby Harris.

[Michelle Amicone]

They are part of what Tina, George's mom, refers to as Shelby's gang. And so Tina is the one who puts George, Terrence, Joe, and Shelby as this little gang that are doing criminal activities together.

[Scott Weinberger]

There were rumors about guns, drug dealing, even bank robberies. But at this point, it was impossible to know what was real and what might have been exaggeration.

[Michelle Amicone]

George came in with all this bravado about being a gang member. And so I don't know if this is what his mom has picked up from him, what he's told her, or if it's actually true. But the one thing I do know is the four of these people are hanging out together, and someone else was driving that car that took George away from Kevin's house. And so good possibility, it's Selby, Terrence or Joe. Now I've got two more people that are possibly involved.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

And now one of those people was missing. George Taylor's mother was convinced that something terrible had happened to her son.

[Michelle Amicone]

There was a time where Tina told me that George went to Florida for a year or so. She thought that might have had something to do with some criminal involvement, that he had to get out of California for a while. And so I kept saying to her, you know, maybe he's just left the state. And she was adamant. I'm telling you, Michelle, Shelby had him killed. Shelby had him killed.

[Scott Weinberger]

So let's just set the table and say that Shelby had already talked to police and she was being cooperative. So Michelle had come up with some theories. And I could see two potential and opposite reasons. Being as cooperative as you can, you've got nothing to hide, so be open and forthright when answering questions. And number two, you know, it makes me think of the movie the Usual Suspects. And Jessica at this point, with so many potential suspects being involved in the case, maybe she was trying to get ahead and see if police would provide any information back to her, or even maybe she was looking for an opportunity to be the first one to get a deal.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Yeah, I think I agree. Look, I mean, she definitely seems cooperative. She's offering whatever info she has, so that goes against it. But again, like, as we know, like, most things are possible, but if true that she was involved or behind it, it's puzzling why? And I think there we have to really think about, well, how could George's disappearance be connected to Kevin's murders? And just like you talked about there, there's these two distinct paths I think here, too. Right. If he was involved, well, then he could be on the run, and that would make perfect sense. You don't want to get caught and be held accountable. But, you know, if he's not on the run but he still committed the crime, could it be that someone was seeking retribution? We know that that happens. People don't want to leave it to the police, and sometimes they want to get revenge on their own. Or maybe if he did it, I don't know, maybe he wasn't alone, and this way, people could. Or someone could forever keep him quiet.

[Scott Weinberger]

So up to this point, has Michelle been able to develop a real criminal conspiracy here? And, you know, we can look at the fact or even raise the question, was the disappearance even connected to Kevin's murder? And to be able to establish that, they would have to begin with their search for George Taylor. Investigators did set their sights on tracking down two of the men last seen with him. But on the morning of February 10th, Joe Jensen beat them to the punch.

[Michelle Amicone]

I get a phone call from Joe who just would go by Joe. It was by telephone, wasn't coming to the station, wasn't giving me any other information other than his name was Joe. I don't even want to get involved in nothing. I understand you don't want to, but you kind of are. He knew nothing. You know, run everything by him on the phone. He knows nothing. He doesn't know what I'm talking about. Yeah, he hung out with Shelby and George, but not that much. And it just really went kind of nowhere. Did George ever talk about having problems with Kevin or anything like that? Wanting him dead or threaten him in any way or. I had not known George like that.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

However, Joe's buddy, Terrence Bledsoe proved to be a little more forthcoming.

[Michelle Amicone]

Well, like I told you on the phone, there's. There's two different areas I need to talk to you about, okay? One being the night that Kevin was shot, and the other being now George has come up missing.

[Scott Weinberger]

According to Bledsoe, he. Joe And Shelby and George were all in the motel room on the night of Kevin's murder, but claimed that after a night of partying, he fell asleep and never left the room.

[Michelle Amicone]

So you read about the shooting the next day in the paper? Yeah. Did you ever talk to Shelby about it and ask her, hey, you know, what happened? Or anything like that? When I went, you know, when I went to ask her, she didn't, you.

[Scott Weinberger]

Know, she didn't talk about it.

[Michelle Amicone]

Did you say anything else about it, who did it or who she thinks did it or. No, she didn't say anything. But I remember she said, now who am I going to get to work on my car? I remember that. You know. You know, that was.

[Scott Weinberger]

You know, that was about it.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

He also claimed he knew nothing about the disappearance of his buddy George Taylor, but as it turned out, his location would not be a mystery for much longer.

[Michelle Amicone]

And so then Also on the 10th, deputies respond out to the very east end of Marino Valley to a dead body that's found.

[Scott Weinberger]

The body of an unidentified man had been dragged and dumped in a remote part of Moreno Valley.

[Michelle Amicone]

Dave Fernandez says, so, you know, you booked George. Did he have any tattoos or any identifying? Because the victim is face down, we can't see his face. So I said he had a tattoo of a great big genie on his back. And so Fernandez says, we got George.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

George Taylor had been shot once in the back of the head.

[Michelle Amicone]

George is laying on his stomach. His hands are out, fully extended and above his head. His legs are fully extended behind him and kind of not straight down, like, kind of in a triangle right from his body. I mean, it looks like he was dragged there and then left exactly how he had been dragged there and laid.

[Scott Weinberger]

The lack of blood at the scene supports the theory that Taylor was killed in another location and his body was dumped in this remote part of the desert.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

A forensic examination would reveal that Taylor was likely killed by a.40 caliber handgun, the same caliber weapon that killed Kevin James.

[Scott Weinberger]

So the main suspect in the murder of Kevin James was dead. Both men executed with gunshots to the head and very possibly by the very same person.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

All detectives could do was keep pulling the thread and see what unraveled. And we'll unravel the rest of this story in part two. So be sure to listen on the.

[Scott Weinberger]

Next Anatomy of Murder.

[Michelle Amicone]

So when you found out about George, did you. When I found out about him, I got really scared. I got really scared. What'd you think then? I was thinking, okay, Georgia, dead. You know what I'm saying? And okay, who's next? That's what I was thinking. But you knew deep down, somewhere deep down inside yourself, this isn't some stranger who walked in your house and killed Kevin.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Tune in next week for another new episode of Anatomy of Murder.

[Scott Weinberger]

Anatomy of Murder is an audio Chuck.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

Original, produced and created by Weinberger Media and Frasetti Media.

[Scott Weinberger]

Ashley Flowers is executive producer.

[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

This episode was written and produced by Walker Lamond, researched by Kate Cooper, edited by Ali Sierwa and Phil Jean Grande. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve?

[Scott Weinberger]

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[Anna Sega Nicolasi]

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