Page 4 - Guy Crystal News Today

Remembered seeing c-styles fleeing the crime scene. >> and what did you hear? >> it was like a, um -- like a gunshot, like a big noise basically. >> what next occurred? >> we seen somebody running past us. >> reporter: prosecutors then had to connect c-styles with derek smyer. for that they relied on two eyewitnesses. detective williams told the jury he was pretty sure c-styles was with derek at the park on the day crystal taylor was ambushed and murdered. >> it wasnt until you actually saw him ...

Worked out a deal. c-styles would pull the trigger. and derek smyer would owe him a favor. >> did he promise you money or did he promise you dope? >> it was just a mixture. he basically promised me loyalty or whatnot so thats why i say money wasnt really a factor cause it was gonna be more beneficial down the line. >> thats how this works? i always thought that when you wanted somebody killed, you had to pay money for that. >> everybody glamorizes it and thinks its that way. but in skylers mind,...

The conversation changed -- turned into "dont worry about him." "dont worry about him helping with the baby." >> reporter: they thought thats all it was, derek didnt want to help raise his child. now they replayed that moment over and over. >> we shouldve said, "wait, what did he say -- what did he say to you?" but instead of that we were like, "we dont need him. like, just hang up. dont even talk to him." you know, that kind of just -- >> yeah, thats exactly what we said. >> showing her the kin...

In 2011. >> did derek ever mention he had gotten a girl pregnant and was concerned about that? >> no, he didnt tell me about that. >> reporter: and he was adamant theres no way her brother hung out with a gang banger. skyler moore, aka c-styles. ever meet him? >> no. >> ever hear derek talk about him? >> never hear derek talk about him. >> derek friends with any gang members? >> my parents are extremely traditional. they werent into gang violence or any of that nonsense. derek would not bring ga...

Not always the truth, you know what i mean? >> did he acknowledge that crystal was pregnant with his child? >> he acknowledged that she was pregnant but came short of acknowledging that the child was his. >> youre the father of her child or she thinks you are? well, anyway. [ laughter ] >> you had a basic description of someone that witnesses saw running from the scene. >> yes. african-american male wearing a dark-colored hoodie with a scarf around his head, or handkerchief around his head. smal...

More important, both men had alibis. witnesses put them nowhere near crystals apartment at the time of the murder. the same was true for derek smyer. his neighbors saw him at home at 7:30 that morning, meaning he couldnt have shot crystal. doesnt sound like theres enough to hold anybody on at that point. >> no. >> but soon enough there would be another person police would be looking at. coming up -- >> i came around the corner, and it was a guy. he was sitting on the stairs. he startled me a l...

Juries like dna. >> dna, blood trail. in this case, a money transfer. in this case, the lack of cell phone records attaching the two defendants together. >> reporter: the only thing connecting derek to the murder was the confession of the triggerman. skyler moore, aka c-styles. but there was no guarantee the jury would take the word of a gang banger over the word of the clean-cut derek smyer. so it was with nervous anticipation that crystals family filed into the courthouse on july 11th, 2016. >...

You know that. >> youre told from when theyre young kids, you know, "snitches get stitches." and you dont talk to the police. so when they finally break that barrier and they come and you open the floodgates, they have a tendency to talk then. and all the things that bothered them when they were in the life begin to come out. >> and thats what happened here? >> yes. >> bit by bit, c-styles started to talk. turns out, that was him in the park with derek. he met derek playing pick-up basketball at...