Chaos Divers Jacob Grubbs and Lindsay Bussick place a remote controlled sonar boat in a pond off Miller Lane in Columbus, searching for the remains of James Ryan Taylor.
Family members, law enforcement officers, and other city and county leaders gathered at the Columbus Riverwalk Wednesday as a dive crew looked for evidence in an ongoing murder investigation.
Fourth suspect charged in Columbus man’s murder
By Dispatch Staff Report May 11, 2021
Javaris Decedric Johnson
Lowndes County deputies have arrested a fourth suspect in the murder of a Columbus man who has been missing for almost a year.
Javaris Decedric Johnson, 36, of Columbus, has been charged with murder in the suspected death of James Ryan Taylor, Sheriff Eddie Hawkins confirmed to The Dispatch on Monday.
Johnson is the third suspect charged with murder in Taylor’s death, with a fourth suspect charged with accessory after the fact. Investigators still have not found Taylor’s body, but Hawkins previously told The Dispatch they are still piecing together how Taylor was killed and are hopeful they will recover his remains.
Three arrested in murder of missing Columbus man
By Dispatch Staff Report 6 hours ago
Lowndes County investigators have arrested three people in what they believe to be the murder of a man missing since last summer.
Joseph Lane Purcell, 29, and Allan Michael Farley, 27, have both been charged with murder for the death of Columbus resident James Ryan Taylor, according to a Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office press release. Deputies also arrested Deborah Johnston, 55, who has been charged with accessory after the fact.
Taylor’s family last saw him July 14, 2020, according to Taylor’s mother, Laura Taylor. He was reported missing to Columbus Police Department, which has been searching for him primarily on The Island, where he was last seen at the Plaza Hotel the same night. His disappearance sparked local searches and prompted the family to offer a $5,000 reward for information on his whereabouts in February.
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