April Quick

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder

Episode: April Quick

Release Date: February 23, 2025

Overview

In this gripping episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder, broadcasted by Oxygen, listeners are taken through the tragic and tumultuous life of Phil Taylor, a dedicated father battling addiction, and the complex relationships that ultimately led to his untimely death. The episode delves deep into the circumstances surrounding Phil's murder, the ensuing investigation, and the pivotal role played by April Quick and her partner, Amy Herring, in unraveling the mystery.

Phil Taylor's Early Life and Personal Struggles

Phil Taylor, born in 1966 and raised in Florida, developed a passion for cars early in life. Dropping out of high school to pursue his automotive dreams, Phil worked diligently, eventually opening his own mechanic shop in Norwood, Missouri, after relocating from Florida. Despite his professional success, Phil grappled with personal demons, notably the loss of his father at a young age, which left a lasting void in his life.

Family Member (06:07): "His dad passed away when he was really young and that really bothered him a lot. And he had a lot of trouble with that."

Relationships and Downward Spiral

In Norwood, Phil met Melina Cooley, a single mother and waitress. Their relationship blossomed, leading to marriage in 1994 and the addition of two daughters, Ashley and Shelby, to their family. However, Phil's stability was short-lived as he fell into substance abuse, which strained his marriage and led to infidelity.

Phil's involvement with April Quick, a 17-year-old at the time, marked the beginning of his downfall. Their affair, which began as a teenage crush, intensified over time, leading Phil to divorce Melina in 1998. Relocating with April to Florida, Phil's addiction worsened, culminating in missed child support payments and a stint in jail in 2007. Upon returning to Missouri sober and determined to rebuild his life, Phil reopened his mechanic shop and sought to reconnect with his children and ex-wife.

Melina Aldridge (12:22): "He was a good guy, hard working, cared a lot for us kids. He would do anything for them."

The Murder of Phil Taylor

Five months after his return to Missouri, Phil's renewed commitment to his family came to a tragic end. On a peaceful September evening, Phil was found dead at a remote roadside park in Ava, Missouri. The initial investigation revealed multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound to his left temple, indicating a brutal and personal attack.

Detective (14:14): "Generally, when you see that type of aggression, you have some type of personal connection."

Investigation and Suspects

The investigation initially focused on two primary suspects: Phil's new girlfriend, Tammy, who was still married at the time, and his ex-girlfriend, April Quick. However, a crucial breakthrough occurred when Phil's cell phone activity suggested he was being followed, leading detectives to uncover surveillance footage of a woman unrelated to April, connected through stolen items reported the night of the murder.

This revelation pointed towards Amy Herring, April's partner, creating a tangled web of relationships and motives. As evidence mounted, April and Amy's alibis unraveled, revealing inconsistencies and connections to the crime scene.

Detective (21:12): "We had the girlfriend in Marshfield or we had April Quick in Mountain Home, Arkansas."

The Confrontation and Confession

April Quick eventually confessed to the murder during an intense interrogation. She recounted how a confrontation between Phil and her led to a physical altercation, during which Amy intervened by stabbing Phil to protect April. In a panicked attempt to divert suspicion, they staged a robbery by stealing Phil's wallet contents and attempting to destroy evidence.

April Quick (38:54): "He said, you remember where we used to meet? We used to meet there when he was murdered. Melina."

Despite her confession, discrepancies between her account and the forensic evidence kept investigators skeptical. Further pressure and additional evidence, including burned items believed to be related to the crime, solidified the case against both April and Amy.

Detective (41:28): "They planned this murder and then they filed a false report in Mountain Home, Arkansas to say that your home was burglarized and the murder weapon was stolen."

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Faced with overwhelming evidence, both April Quick and Amy Herring opted to plead guilty to second-degree murder. Their plea bargains spared them from first-degree murder charges, resulting in significant jail time.

Detective (46:30): "Amy Herring and April Quick were charged with second-degree murder. They eventually pled guilty and Amy was sentenced to 15 years in prison. And April Quick was sentenced to 20 years."

Impact and Aftermath

The murder of Phil Taylor sent shockwaves through his tight-knit community, leaving family members and friends grappling with the loss. Melina Aldridge, Phil's ex-wife, mourned the loss of a man she believed was rebuilding his life for the sake of their children.

Melina Aldridge (47:10): "He was remembered as a family man. He was hard working and caring. He would do anything for his kids. Just a good brother. Uncle."

The case serves as a poignant reminder of how personal struggles and complicated relationships can escalate into tragic outcomes. It also highlights the intricate process of criminal investigations and the pursuit of justice in the face of deception and hidden motives.

Conclusion

The Snapped: Women Who Murder episode on April Quick offers a comprehensive exploration of Phil Taylor's life, relationships, and the heartbreaking circumstances leading to his murder. Through meticulous investigation and unwavering determination, the episode unravels the layers of deceit and emotional turmoil that culminated in this tragic event, providing listeners with a deep understanding of the complexities involved in true crime cases.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

He was a man on a mission to get his life back.

[Witness or Friend]

He was a full fledged alcoholic. He said I'm ready He says, I'm done with all that. He loved going to church.

[Family Member]

He was a different person. He came back here and opened up his own mechanic shop and he was a really good father.

[Narrator]

But his efforts are cut short. One September evening in a peaceful roadside.

[Investigator]

Park, the body was still warm.

[Detective]

When you have a lot of stab wounds, it's something very personal.

[Investigator]

Why was he there?

[Narrator]

Investigators suspect that a complicated love life led to bloodshed.

[Witness or Friend]

He always had a girlfriend.

[Detective]

Those relationships go south. People make poor decisions and bad things happen.

[April Quick]

It's a river dog he screwed around with wrong guy's life.

[Narrator]

Ultimately, investigators find one ex lover with a wicked plot no one saw coming.

[Melina Aldridge]

I didn't even know she had a girlfriend.

[Family Member]

It was new news and they had.

[Investigator]

To formulate a plan to keep from disrupting the family that they built.

[April Quick]

And it was just out of control.

[Witness or Friend]

I never dreamed they was capable of what they done.

[Narrator]

Ava, Missouri, a tiny town of just under 3,000 nestled in the picturesque Ozark Mountains.

[Investigator]

It's a very rural and it's a tight knit community. It's very common to walk into all the stores and people see you and speak to you.

[Narrator]

On September 10, 2010, a call comes into the Douglas County Sheriff's department just after 10:30pm From a roadside park north of town.

[Detective]

It's a very pretty little roadside park on Highway 5. It's very undeveloped. It's just a couple of picnic tables and things like that. There was just two random people that had driven through the roadside park.

[Investigator]

They had stopped by to rest. As they were leaving, they were driving out and they observed a body lying in the road.

[Narrator]

Within minutes, deputies arrived to find a man face down in the road in a pool of blood.

[Detective]

The first thing that was obvious to me was a gunshot wound to his left temple.

[Investigator]

The body was still warm when we first arrived, so we were quite confident that he hadn't been laying there very long.

[Narrator]

Deputies questioned the two people who called 911.

[Investigator]

They were searched and there was no firearms. There was no knives that were found in their vehicle or on their person. We were able to talk to them and find out why they were there and we were just essentially able to rule them out.

[Detective]

They were purely witnesses that had driven upon this scene and called it in. Out of concern.

[Narrator]

Police check the man's wallet for an ID and run the tags on the pickup truck parked nearby. Both belong to 43 year old Philip Taylor.

[Investigator]

He lived in an adjoining county. I contacted the sheriff in Wright county and asked him if he was familiar with him and he was the Sheriff.

[Detective]

Was able to come down and confirm, look at him and say, yes, that is Philip Taylor. Without a doubt, he knew him.

[Narrator]

Born in 1966, Phil Taylor was raised in Florida. He grew up close with his brothers and sister. But there was a hole in Phil's life he could never get past.

[Family Member]

His dad passed away when he was really young and that really bothered him a lot. And he had a lot of trouble with that.

[Witness or Friend]

His brother's real close and he had a sister too. You could tell the way there was a real good family togetherness there with them.

[Narrator]

When Phil was a teenager, he developed a love of cars and a passion for learning how they worked. He dropped out of high school to pursue his dream.

[Witness or Friend]

One of his first jobs was working at a Ford dealership in Florida. The big motor companies will send you through school, long as you work for them, see. And that's where he got a lot of his training.

[Narrator]

By his mid-20s, Phil was looking for a change. He left the sunshine and salty air of Florida for the lush green Ozarks. There he met Marvin Elliot.

[Witness or Friend]

I had a shop in Norwood, Missouri. We became friends and he went to work for me. Easy to talk to and just a nice guy. And I knew he was a good mechanic and that's how it started.

[Narrator]

While in Norwood, he found himself drawn to a down to earth single mother and waitress, Melina Cooley.

[Family Member]

I was working at a little place, it was a little restaurant in town and he was working at a tire shop behind it. And he came up there and got food, drinks, whatever. That's how we met.

[Narrator]

In 1994, Phil married Melina. He moved in with her and her three year old daughter, Ashley.

[Family Member]

I was single for a long time, single mother and he said a lot of the right things kind and I guess just gentlemen toward me.

[Narrator]

About a year later, Phil and Melina welcomed a daughter of their own, Shelby.

[Family Member]

He was good with the kids. To take them fishing, he was always coming up with a four wheeler or a dune buggy that they would have a lot of fun on.

[Melina Aldridge]

He was a good guy, hard working, cared a lot for us kids. He would do anything for them.

[Narrator]

After a couple of years of playing house with Melina and the girls, Phil grew restless. He started spending time with a younger, faster crowd. While hanging with his new friends, an attractive young woman caught his eye.

[Family Member]

That's how we met April. He got mixed up with the wrong crowd and they just kept coming around, kept wanting him to come out, come out and join the party. And he was a little older than them and he Got to partying, drinking, and then the crowd he was hanging around and they were all. They were friends with April.

[Melina Aldridge]

She was really young. I think he's close to 10 years older than her.

[Narrator]

It was clear to Phil that 17 year old April had a crush on him. But it didn't take long for Phil to feel the same and their affair began.

[Family Member]

She would sit and wait at the convenience stores, hoping he would come through town just so she could see him. She just kept chasing him till she got what she wanted. She was adamant on getting him away from me. We'd try to get back together and then she would be coming around.

[Detective]

April Quick was an affair that he was having on the side. He even got her a place to live in Mansfield, basically for his side chick.

[Narrator]

Before long, April was more than Phil's side chick. He was in love with her.

[Family Member]

I got where I didn't trust him because she was always coming around. And so I was about a year and a half of their relationship, I was like, that's enough. I was just like, okay, this is not good for my kids. So I eventually filed for divorce.

[Narrator]

In 1998, after a year and a half of Phil being unfaithful, Phil and Melina finalized their divorce and Phil and April moved to Florida on a whim, leaving his family behind in Missouri. There, 18 year old April became pregnant. Almost immediately, Phil struggled to transition from party life back to family life.

[Witness or Friend]

He was a full fledged alcoholic. I mean, he had to drink all the time. You know, when you become an alcoholic, your priorities are not your family. Most of them, they're getting that next drink.

[Narrator]

See, not long after their first child was born, April became pregnant again. But as their family continued to grow, so did Phil's addiction. And by early 2001, it was worse than ever.

[Detective]

He began to abuse drugs and alcohol again and the relationship really went bad.

[Witness or Friend]

He got so bad he had to do a major surgery and it almost killed him.

[Detective]

Eventually they had both moved back to Missouri and he had gone into rehab. When he got out of rehab, they moved into her parents house and she became pregnant with their third child. But once they moved out of there into another place, he began to abuse drugs and alcohol again. Eventually, Philip moved back to Florida and she stayed in Missouri with the kids.

[Narrator]

After moving back to Florida, Phil spiraled and in 2007 he missed child support payments and it landed him in a Florida jail cell.

[Family Member]

After he had been arrested and put in jail, it's like it dried him up. They got drug free and he was like a different person. And that's when he came back here.

[Narrator]

A newly clean and sober Phil vowed to Melina and April that he was ready to be the father his five children needed him to be.

[Witness or Friend]

He had a tunnel vision of what he was going to do, and it was for his kids. He had his mind right on track. He just concentrated on working and doing good things. He loved going to church.

[Family Member]

He reached out to my mother and wanted to try to build a relationship with me again. And so he started emailing me. And it just kind of grew from there. He tried to make up for lost time and tried to get close to Shelby, and he was like a different person. He came and opened up his own mechanic shop and was doing really good.

[Narrator]

But five months after his move back to Missouri, Phil's fresh start comes to a tragic end. At a remote roadside park, his wallet.

[Detective]

Had been taken out of his pocket. There was blood transfer on his pocket, and the wallet was laying between his legs. So it appeared that somebody had robbed him.

[Narrator]

But when investigators take a clue, closer look at Phil's body, they make a disturbing discovery.

[Investigator]

You've seen the gunshot wound to the head. Then as we started examining and looking at things closer, there were stab wounds to the back of the head. It was obvious he was attacked from behind, which kind of led me to believe that there was two people. You know, maybe he was talking to someone and then someone jumped out from hiding and attacked him from behind.

[Narrator]

Was the robbery a cover up to hide a more cold blooded motive?

[Detective]

There was two stab wounds to the chest. There were several to the back, several to the back of the head. One of his elbows, one of his forearms.

[Investigator]

Generally, when you see that type of aggression, you have some type of personal connection.

[Narrator]

Coming up. Had Phil gotten mixed up with the wrong woman?

[Investigator]

He had a new girlfriend. Her name was Tammy, but she was.

[Detective]

Still married at that time.

[Narrator]

And investigators discover that a dead man, man's cell phone is still on the move.

[Investigator]

It was hitting towers. We were able to see that phone definitely tracking south.

[Detective]

More than likely, whoever has this phone was involved in the murder.

[Narrator]

On September 10, 2010, authorities are trying to determine who stabbed and shot local mechanic Phil Taylor at a roadside park in the Ozark.

[Investigator]

It appeared that he was attacked initially from behind with a knife and at some point was on the ground and someone came up and shot him.

[Narrator]

The single gunshot wound went directly into Phil's left temple.

[Detective]

It appeared to be a close contact type wound. As you can tell that from looking at the wounds, from the stipling and different things around it, the Powder burns. So it appeared to be a close up close and personal wound.

[Narrator]

The location of the stab wounds on Phil's head and torso indicate they probably came before the gunshot, likely in an attempt to incapacitate him. Whoever killed Phil left only one clue behind.

[Detective]

One of the the main things that we found was a.22 caliber brass that was near the body. So we're looking at some type of semi automatic weapon.

[Narrator]

Other than that, the remote crime scene yields little information.

[Detective]

You're out in the middle of nowhere. There's no surveillance systems. There's, at that point, you know, initially, no suspects. You're starting from scratch. But we're in rural communities where the sheriffs and police officers know a lot of the people in that area and the sheriff had dealings with them in the past. And so we knew he was from Wright county, had a repair shop up there that he was running.

[Narrator]

Early the next morning, investigators head to Phil's auto repair shop and meet with Marvin Elliott, Phil's friend and landlord.

[Melina Aldridge]

Marvin owns a mechanic shop and Philip had a little shop to the side that he rented out and did his mechanic work.

[Narrator]

Marvin tells detectives, while Phil had his struggles in the past, he was currently devoted to two things, his children and his sobriety.

[Detective]

He was trying to make things right in his life. He'd started paying child support and basically was trying to turn his life around and start doing the right things.

[Witness or Friend]

When he came back, he was like his old self. He had his life in line. He was all lined up. He knew what he had to do, wanted to do.

[Narrator]

Phil had been living in a trailer on his property, but was in the process of buying his own home.

[Witness or Friend]

He'd just been approved, Phil got the loan and so he was typical about that.

[Narrator]

Marvin says he last saw Phil Yesterday at around 6pm as he was leaving the shop.

[Detective]

He'd worked all day that day and had been tired, didn't feel like going out that evening and had a lot of work to do the following day.

[Narrator]

As far as a social life goes, Marvin admits that Phil did like to have a lady by his side.

[Witness or Friend]

He always had a girlfriend, you know what I mean? He didn't get serious very much.

[Narrator]

In fact, he shares that Phil had just met someone new online.

[Investigator]

Marvin had indicated to us that he had a new girlfriend. Her name was Tammy.

[Witness or Friend]

I'd heard about her, but he wasn't serious or nothing about her.

[Narrator]

Rumor had it that Phil had recently taken Tammy on a date that had gone sideways.

[Detective]

Everybody knew that he had been seeing her and had taken her to the river and There had been a confrontation there. They were having a nice day, kind of hanging out. And while they were there, they'd ran into a previous girlfriend of Phil's, and there'd been a little bit of a heated exchange between this previous girlfriend and his current girlfriend.

[Narrator]

What's more, Phil's new love interest, Tammy, was still married.

[Detective]

She was in the process of going through a divorce, and that she was still married at that time.

[Narrator]

With relationship drama becoming a consistent trend in Phil's life, detectives are left to consider if this led to Phil's murder.

[Detective]

In almost all homicides that I've worked, it's been somebody that's close to the victim. So you're looking for those relationships that go south. People make poor decisions at the time, and bad things happen.

[Narrator]

Marvin agrees to let investigators into Phil's trailer.

[Investigator]

We went into the trailer after Marvin opened it up, and it was small. You know, you could obviously tell that a single guy was living there.

[Narrator]

Inside, they find an empty cell phone box. Only investigators note they didn't find a cell phone at the crime scene.

[Investigator]

We're able to find out that he had recently purchased a cell phone. So with that, we were able to obtain a cell phone number for him from that cell phone box. We're able to do an emergency circumstance ping, and that allows us to get limited information off of that phone in order to be able to track it.

[Narrator]

As investigators continue to search the trailer, they discover another clue. A post it note with the name Tammy written on it, as it had.

[Investigator]

Her name on it. Then there were handwritten directions to her house in Marshfield.

[Narrator]

Just before they leave, investigators find something else.

[Investigator]

We also located a certified letter to an April Quick. She lived in Mountain Home, Arkansas. It was an actual copy of a letter that he sent her indicating that he wanted to spend more time with his children and kind of get back involved in his children's lives.

[Detective]

The letter said that he had previously sent another letter to her that she had never responded to. So he had stated he'd been paying child support for two years and that if he wasn't allowed to see his children, he was going to take her to court.

[Narrator]

The letter is dated just two days prior, and it demands a response From April by September 18, just a week after Phil's murder.

[Detective]

This letter was absolutely a red flag. It said Phil had planned on getting an attorney and wanted to see his children.

[Narrator]

Investigators leave the trailer with not one, but two potential leads.

[Investigator]

We had the girlfriend in Marshfield or we had April Quick in Mount Homo, Arkansas.

[Narrator]

Both women are located about an hour away in opposite directions.

[Investigator]

Initially, we were focused on Tammy. With the information that we had. We felt that we needed to start towards Marshfield.

[Narrator]

Investigators start the drive 40 miles north towards Tammy's house in Marshfield, Missouri. But just as they reach the county line, they get a call from the phone company and it's a game changer. Phil's cell phone is stick still powered on?

[Detective]

More than likely, whoever has his phone was involved in the murder was there when it happened.

[Investigator]

It was hitting towers. We were able to see that phone definitely tracking south towards Arkansas. This information came through and then we immediately turned from there and headed back in the direction that we came. We had two things to go on at that point. We were following the evidence that we had in hand.

[Narrator]

Coming up, investigators confront their two suspects.

[Detective]

It was still a fairly new relationship, but she seemed upset.

[Narrator]

And later could supermarket surveillance footage hold the key to finding Phil's killer?

[Detective]

The woman on video was a fairly short, stocky lady with short hair. From what we could tell, obviously was not April.

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[Narrator]

Missouri investigators looking into the murder of Phil Taylor are following two leads. Phil's current love interest Tammy and his ex girlfriend, April Quick. But the investigation takes a sharp turn when they discover Phil's cell phone is powered and moving south towards Arkansas.

[Investigator]

April Quick lived in mountain Home, Arkansas.

[Narrator]

While Missouri detectives have yet to rule Tammy out as a person of interest, they also put out a BOLO for April Quick. In the meantime, they contact Phil's first wife, Melina.

[Family Member]

It was hard to believe that it happened. I just hate it for the girls, you know, sad to see the pain, you know, from him basically leaving their life twice. Last time you know, permanently.

[Detective]

She was, you know, in a decent relationship with him and they talked occasionally and she was fine with him seeing her daughter.

[Narrator]

Phil had confided in Melina that April Quick was less willing to let him back into her life.

[Family Member]

He had been trying to see his kids and told her he was back in Missouri and wanted to, you know, try to make up for last time.

[Detective]

He'd been out of her life for years and was trying to basically get back into her life and the children's life, and she didn't want him there.

[Family Member]

Phil told me he finally decided to send a certified letter.

[Detective]

If she didn't respond to him. He was contacting attorney to start the process of getting custody of the children.

[Narrator]

Did the letter push April over the edge? Before investigators explore that question, they need to rule out their other lead, Phil's online love interest, Tammy.

[Detective]

Tammy voluntarily came in to talk to us. I mean, it was still a fairly new relationship, but she seemed upset that he was gone and the relationship had been good. There was no problems. They had plans for the weekend after he was killed, and she'd been trying to call him and he hadn't contacted her back and she was worried about him.

[Narrator]

But detectives previous suspicions about Tammy subside when she explains her whereabouts the night of the murder.

[Detective]

I think she had an alibi for where she was that night that we were able to check out. There was no red flags at all during her interview. Nothing that caused me to think that she had anything to do with it.

[Narrator]

Investigators receive Phil's phone records for September 10, the night of his murder and immediately noticed two incoming calls. At around 9:30pm there were two phone.

[Investigator]

Calls from an 870 number. That was an Arkansas number. So we wrote a search warrant to obtain the information on the phone.

[Detective]

We learned that phone was a track phone out of Arkansas that was bought at a Walmart.

[Narrator]

The Walmart is just minutes from the home of April Quick.

[Detective]

So we sent officers to that Walmart to try to identify who had purchased the phone. They were able to obtain video surveillance of the lady that had put those minutes on the phone. The woman on the video was a fairly short, stocky lady with short hair.

[Narrator]

When investigators compare the woman in the footage with April Queen driver's license photo, they are in for a surprise.

[Detective]

We could tell it obviously was not April. So we need to identify who this person is. April, of course, is on the radar. She's moving towards the front of the list. But we still need to figure out who this other woman is and what relationship she had with Philip Taylor and why she's contacting him.

[Narrator]

Hoping to catch a break, the investigators send a still from the surveillance video to the mountain home police.

[Detective]

It didn't take long before an officer looked at it and he said, that is Amy Herring. In fact, I was just called to her house where they reported some money and jewelry and a.22 caliber pistol stolen from the residence on Friday night. The same night that Phil was murdered.

[Investigator]

We had a.22 casing at the scene and now we have a person the same night of a murder reporting a.22 pistol stolen.

[Narrator]

The officer has more to share.

[Detective]

That officer also knew that Amy Herring was in a relationship with April Quick. At that residence was April Quick and her children that she had with Philip Taylor and Amy Herring. That kind of helped tie a lot of things together as far as what the relationship is and why she would be having contact with Philip Taylor.

[Narrator]

Between the phone evidence and the stolen.22, Investigators feel they have enough to pay a visit to April Quick.

[Investigator]

At this point, we've been able to rule out any other names that have came up. And right now I think that the evidence is 100% leading towards April Quick and Amy hearing.

[Narrator]

On September 14, four days after the murder, investigators contact April Quick for an interview.

[Detective]

April voluntarily came to the sheriff's department. We were following up on Philip Taylor's death, which, of course, she had heard about.

[Narrator]

When they sit down with April, she is eager to talk about her relationship with Phil, one that she says began when she was only 17.

[Detective]

She started in a relationship with him, unaware that he was married to Melina Taylor at the time is what she said, but that he'd gotten her a place to live in Mansfield and that they continued their relationship for quite some time. Was he doping back then pretty heavy?

[April Quick]

He wasn't when we first got together. Okay, he was just totally alcoholic.

[Detective]

Totally alcoholic.

[Narrator]

April claims that after they moved to Florida, Phil's drug use escalated and he became abusive.

[April Quick]

He would smack me, hit me, shove me in the wall. He threw me into the big ball and fractured my hip. And then somehow he managed to make me feel like I was. It was my fault.

[Narrator]

Once she became pregnant for the third time, April dumped Phil and headed back home.

[April Quick]

Just let me raise my children. I said, unless you can straighten your ways and be a father, just leave us alone.

[Narrator]

Once back in Missouri, April found love in the arms of a woman, Amy Herring. For the past three years, she and Amy have been in a relationship, co parenting April's three kids.

[Detective]

So those kids are almost like her own to her, aren't they?

[April Quick]

Oh, yeah.

[Detective]

She's pretty good with them.

[April Quick]

She actually.

[Narrator]

Investigators ask April about the letters Phil sent requesting to see his kids again.

[Detective]

And she really basically had no contact with him, and she thought he was on probation or parole, so she really wasn't too concerned about it. And she pretty much just ignored that letter. And then she told me that she'd gotten another letter on Friday, the 10th.

[April Quick]

Well, then I get a letter last week, Friday, that states that he is living in Missouri, maybe owns his own shop, and that he wants to see his kids.

[Narrator]

April says before she could respond, she got the news that Phil had been murdered. News that was sad, but not unexpected.

[April Quick]

The rumors are he spread around with grown guy's life. You know, some rumors have just been coming.

[Narrator]

When investigators question April on her whereabouts the night of the murder. April states that she and Amy dropped the kids off with her mom so they could go on a date to the movie.

[Detective]

And she said they went to a movie at 9 o'clock and got home about midnight, and they noticed that their place had been broken into.

[Narrator]

That's when they called police and Reported some stolen jewelry, money, and a.22 caliber pistol. Investigators seized the opportunity.

[Detective]

April, I know without a doubt that quite a bit of what you told us is a lie. Okay, I've got a lot of evidence that's stacked up against you.

[Narrator]

But instead of changing her tune, April shuts down the interview.

[Detective]

How are this going?

[April Quick]

I'm done.

[Detective]

Hold on.

[Narrator]

I'm done.

[Detective]

April.

[April Quick]

April, I'm done. I'll get a lawyer. I'm done.

[Narrator]

Coming up, April drops a hint.

[April Quick]

Nothing's premeditated.

[Narrator]

And a search warrant causes a change of heart.

[Investigator]

We were able to locate some burnt items in the backyard. You could tell it was a cell phone.

[Detective]

How did you decide where you were meeting?

[April Quick]

He said, you remember where we used to meet? We used to meet there when he was murdered. Melina.

[Narrator]

Investigators are interviewing April Quick about the murder of her ex, Phil Taylor, when she suddenly asks for an attorney. Right before she leaves the room, April makes an offhand but revealing comment.

[April Quick]

I'll say nothing's premeditated, but I wouldn't want.

[Investigator]

It was a very weird statement. I mean, if she's trying to pass blame that it was somebody else that murdered Philip, why would she. Essentially, to confess to murdering but say it wasn't premeditated?

[Narrator]

April's girlfriend, Amy Herring, also requests an attorney. Ultimately, both women are charged with Phil's murder, and investigators head to their home to gather more evidence.

[Investigator]

We were able to search and locate some burnt items in the backyard in a bag. Initially, looking at it, you could tell it was a cell phone.

[Detective]

It was burned beyond the point where we could positively identify it as Phil's phone. But what we believe was his cell.

[Investigator]

Phone, there was clothing in there that was partially burnt, and then the knife, we believe that used in the murder as well. So we photograph it, we seize it.

[Narrator]

Before heading back to the station. Armed with even more evidence, investigators do a quick check on April and Amy's alibi.

[Detective]

We went and obtained a video surveillance from the movie theater, and they were not at the movie.

[Narrator]

Before investigators can make their next move, they learn that April is ready to talk.

[Detective]

If you want to talk to us about what happened, we're here to listen.

[Family Member]

I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

[Detective]

I advised her of her rights. I again told her, I respect your rights as an attorney, and the only reason you're here is because you want to talk to me. I think at that point, she kind of knew the gig was up, knew that we knew that they had done it, and wanted to explain her side of the Story.

[Narrator]

April tells detectives that she called Phil after receiving the second letter.

[April Quick]

He asked how the kids were. I told him how the kids were, and he said, I wanted to see him and we can discuss that. And he said, yes, I would love to meet you.

[Detective]

How did you start where you were meeting?

[April Quick]

He said, you remember where we used to meet? We used to meet there when he was married to Melina.

[Investigator]

She stated that she set up the meeting at Roadside park to talk to him about the kids.

[Narrator]

Given her past with Phil, April brought Amy and the.22 for protection because she.

[Detective]

Said she was scared of Philip Taylor, that he had been very violent in the past.

[Narrator]

The women arrived at the park first. April asked Amy to hang back and stay hidden.

[April Quick]

I didn't want to have to explain the lesbian thing. That's why I wanted her to hide, because I was afraid he would use that and try to get a kiss.

[Detective]

A little later, Philip had arrived, and he had parked and gotten out. And they were talking between the vehicles.

[April Quick]

I said, do you expect me to want you to see the children? I said, they don't even know who you are. And then he said, you're not gonna keep my children away from me, you bitch. And he grabbed me, and it just started.

[Detective]

So you were there about a minute or less?

[April Quick]

Yes. And it was just out of control, pulling the back of my hair, telling me I wasn't gonna keep him away from his kid going off like you.

[Investigator]

She stated at that point that Amy jumped out from her hiding spot and began stabbing Philip in the back to get him off of her.

[Narrator]

April says that Amy yelled for her to get the gun. Fearful now for her lover's safety, April did just that.

[April Quick]

You're a little heavy handicapped in the truck. And she said, they were struggling. So I got the gun, and I ran over on the gun, and I went both of my hands on the gun. The gun goes off right on his head. And I really freaked out.

[Narrator]

April says afterward, they took the cash from Phil's wallet to make it look like a robbery. They also took his cell phone, and.

[Detective]

They put his phone, their clothing, a knife, and all those things in a bag and stopped on Highway J and set that bag on fire. They left. They said they threw the gun out the window of their car, and then they went home.

[Narrator]

The next day. April grew concerned that someone might find the bag with the burnt evidence. She returned and brought it back home.

[Detective]

We've seen that several times in cases where people burn ev related to the crime. And we're able to sift through that to Find out that they were connected to the crime.

[Investigator]

The thing that did surprise me is that they took it back to their house.

[Detective]

The knife, the phone and all that. He burned the knife too.

[April Quick]

She had everything in the bag. I just picked it up, but it didn't burn.

[Investigator]

Okay, when you get home.

[Detective]

Whose idea was it to report the.

[Investigator]

Gun and stuff stolen?

[April Quick]

It was hers, but I agreed to it.

[Narrator]

April also confirms the knife found was the one used in the attack. Investigators finally have a confession, only it doesn't quite match the evidence.

[Investigator]

I felt that she was being somewhat accurate with. With most of the information that she was providing us, except everything with the gunshot. The gunshot wound evidence indicated that it was made at close range. And for her to be merely grabbing a gun from a vehicle and handing it to Amy and it just accidentally goes off to. Did not meet the evidence that we were looking at.

[Narrator]

Then investigators learned that they might have one more shot at getting the truth.

[Investigator]

The detention officers there at Baxter county came up and told us that Amy Herring would now like to speak with us.

[Narrator]

Coming up, Amy takes the fall for her lover.

[April Quick]

I stepped into the. Until we hit the ground that I shot him in the head.

[Narrator]

And investigators must determine was this self defense or cold blooded murder.

[Investigator]

They didn't contact the authorities. They tried to destroy all the evidence in this case.

[Narrator]

Four days after the murder of Phil Taylor, April Quick has just confessed to accidentally killing him following an altercation at a roadside park. Then April's lover, Amy Herring, comes forward with her version of what happened that night.

[Investigator]

She stated that they tried to contact Philip to speak about the children.

[Narrator]

He was threatening lawyers and everything else.

[April Quick]

We decided that since we were in.

[Family Member]

Town that we should call him, you know, speak to him.

[Investigator]

They had met there at the roadside park and that he had gotten physical with April. And then she. She stated that she jumped out and stabbed him.

[Family Member]

And he's pushing on her and he's.

[April Quick]

Too busy worried about her.

[Family Member]

He didn't even see me finally riding around the truck. I start stabbing him in the back of the neck. And he's like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[April Quick]

And I stabbed him until he hit the ground. Then I shot him in the head. Cause he was pushing on her.

[Investigator]

April had told one of the other.

[Detective]

Guys that you had told her to.

[Investigator]

Get the gun and that both of you guys had hold the gun when it went off.

[Family Member]

She didn't have a hold of.

[Detective]

She didn't.

[April Quick]

Maybe I didn't.

[Family Member]

I did tell her to get the gun.

[Investigator]

I don't want to answer that because.

[Detective]

I don't remember she even made a lot of statements, basically volunteering her guilt but not giving the whole story. I thought some of the statements were a little far fetched, but it became very obvious that we had the right people.

[Narrator]

With the two women in custody, investigators take a close look at the claims Phil was abusive. They find no police reports to back the accusations. They reach out to the woman who knew Phil in both the depths of his addiction and heights of his recovery. Phil's first wife, Melina Aldridge.

[Family Member]

He was not a violent person when he was there and was not into alcohol or drugs. He was a really good father.

[Investigator]

You know, as a part of this investigation, we, we did a lot of follow up interviews with people that knew were acquainted with Philip and people that may have been involved in past relationship with him, ex wives and girlfriends. When asked if he'd ever been violent with them, all of them said no. You know, aside from April Quick, that's the only person that we found that indicated Philip had any type of violent past.

[Narrator]

As for their claims that Phil attacked them on the day of the murder, if he did, both Amy and April walked away unscathed.

[Investigator]

Had this really been a self defense, I would have expected them to have shown up at my office showing me some type of injuries. They didn't contact the authorities. What they did is they took a hundred bucks out of his wallet, they stole his cell phone, tried to destroy all the evidence in this case. They knew that they were on a killing.

[Narrator]

When it comes to what happened that night, to investigators, there's only one explanation.

[Detective]

I think that they planned to meet him there.

[Investigator]

The letter just kind of pushed things over the edge and they snapped. They planned this murder and then they filed a false report in Mountain Home, Arkansas to say that your home was burglarized and the murder weapon was stolen.

[Narrator]

Facing overwhelming evidence against them that they conspired to kill Phil Taylor, both Amy and April agree to plead out.

[Investigator]

Their only way of escaping a first degree murder conviction was to take a plea bargain to a second degree murder.

[Detective]

Amy Herring and April Quick were charged with second degree murder. They eventually pled guilty and Amy was sentenced to 15 years in prison. And April Quick was sentenced to 20 years.

[Family Member]

People I talked to, they're like, I cannot believe that's all she got. What do you do? It's like, I think she deserved more.

[Melina Aldridge]

I think he was remembered as a family man. He was hard working and, and caring. He would do anything for his kids. Just a good brother. Uncle.

[Family Member]

I can't ever see him. I can't hug him. Can't walk me down the aisle. I miss my dad and there's something that will bring him back.

[Host or Advertiser]

April Quick will be eligible for parole in September 2025. Amy Herring became eligible for parole in 2022 and has been released under suicide supervision.

[Melina Aldridge]

Have you ever gotten a message out of the blue? Maybe you ignore them, or maybe you end up in conversation. Maybe they tell you about an amazing offer.

[Detective]

I can really show you how to.

[Melina Aldridge]

Make some money, and maybe that gets you into a lot of trouble. But this isn't a story about people like you, the people receiving these messages. This is a story about the people behind the message. On the other end of the line, thousands of them, working in a microcity built for scammers. From Wondery, the makers of Dr. Death and Kill List, comes Scam Factory, a new series about survival at the expense of others. Follow Scam Factory on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Scam Factory early and after ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.