Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Review of injury lawyer orange county::How Does a Restraining Order Work? - Norton Safe Search







Review of injury lawyer orange county::How Does a Restraining Order Work? - Norton Safe Search








Hollywood               has               had               more               than               its               share               of               mysterious               deaths               over               the               years,               but               before               "The               Black               Dahlia",               before               George               Reeves,               before               Marilyn               Monroe,               there               was               the               mysterious               murder               of               William               Desmond               Taylor.

The               time               that               the               murder               was               committed               was               at               the               beginning               of               Hollywood's               ascendancy               as               the               capitol               of               the               motion               picture               industry.

The               "pirate"               filmmakers               who               had               gone               west               to               escape               the               Edison               Trust               had               grown               into               legitimate               companies               and               silent               film               was               entering               its               golden               age               as               established               stars               like               Mary               Pickford,               Charlie               Chaplin,               and               Harold               Lloyd               were               being               joined               by               newcomers               like               Gloria               Swanson,               Clara               Bow               and               Rudolph               Valentino.

The               formula               had               been               established               and               everyone               was               getting               rich,               but               then               a               series               of               scandals               threatened               to               bring               it               all               tumbling               down.
               William               Desmond               Taylor               was               a               successful               and               well               respected               director               having               risen               to               prominence               just               as               Hollywood               was               becoming               established.

He               was               known               as               a               more               artistic               rather               than               realistic               director               and               his               films               tended               to               be               better               accepted               by               the               critics               and               performing               community               than               the               public               at               large,               but               they               made               money.

He               was               probably               best               known               as               a               stable               and               hardworking               director               who               got               good               performances               out               of               his               actors               and               got               his               films               done               on               time               and               within               budget.
               Taylor's               murder               was               the               first               big               Hollywood               mystery               and               at               the               time               it               occurred               Hollywood               was               in               the               throes               of               Roscoe               "Fatty"               Arbuckle's               third               trial               for               the               death               of               Virginia               Rappe.

The               biggest               problems               in               solving               the               case               lay               in               the               hysterical               nature               of               the               reporting               of               it               and               the               gross               incompetence               of               the               LAPD               in               investigating               it.

The               LAPD               was               much               less               professional               than               it               is               now               and               had               been               rocked               by               several               scandals               of               its               own.

At               the               time               there               was               no               formal               training               of               police               officers               in               Los               Angles,               and               as               late               as               the               1960s               there               were               still               officers               on               the               LAPD               who               had               not               attended               a               law               enforcement               academy               [1]               .

Forensic               investigation               was               just               in               its               infancy               and               there               were               almost               no               procedures               for               handling               a               crime               scene               at               any               rate.
               In               the               wake               of               the               Fatty               Arbuckle               scandal               Taylor's               employers               at               Paramount               took               actions               and               made               statements               that               led               to               even               more               lurid               reporting               than               what               would               have               occurred               if               they               had               just               left               well               enough               alone.

Driven               by               competition               to               scoop               their               rivals,               reporters               will               report               rumors               and               innuendoes               as               if               they               were               facts.

That               is               true               enough               today,               but               in               the               yellow               journalism               of               the               early               twentieth               century,               if               real               facts               weren't               available,               reporters               felt               free               fabricate               their               own.

On               top               of               that,               in               a               publicity               addicted               Hollywood,               several               people               made               outlandish               statements               to               the               press               about               the               case               just               to               get               their               names               in               the               papers.

In               this               atmosphere               the               chances               of               the               crime               being               solved               were               almost               non-existent.

Over               time               the               suspects               multiplied               until               the               rumor               mongers               began               to               center               on               the               ones               that               they               could               write               the               most               salacious               stories               about.

It               reached               the               point               that               the               press               coverage               was               driving               the               investigation               rather               than               the               other               way               around.

Meanwhile               best               possible               suspect               was               forgotten.
               On               its               surface               Taylor's               murder               was               fairly               mundane.

Finding               someone               shot               to               death               is               not               all               that               uncommon,               and               for               the               murder               to               go               unsolved               even               less               so.

From               1980               to               2008               there               were               nearly               185,000               homicides               in               the               United               States               that               were               unsolved               [2]               .

Even               in               this               age               of               highly               developed               investigative               techniques               and               resources,               nearly               one-third               of               all               homicide               investigations               fail               to               end               in               an               arrest               [3]               .

The               only               thing               that               made               this               murder               different               was               the               notoriety               of               the               people               involved               and               the               revelations,               both               real               and               fabricated,               which               followed               it.
               In               this               essay               I               will               reveal               the               person               who               I               think               committed               the               crime.

I               rely               on               the               available               physical               and               circumstantial               evidence               along               with               a               little               supposition               of               my               own.

Before               going               into               who               did               it,               we               need               to               look               at               the               crime               itself,               so               let's               go               back...
               It's               7:30AM,               February               2,               1922.

Douglas               and               Faith               MacLean               had               just               awakened               when               they               heard               a               commotion               in               the               courtyard               outside.

William               Desmond               Taylor's               houseman,               Henry               Peavey               was               screaming               hysterically               that               Mr.

Taylor               was               dead.

MacLean               quickly               got               dressed               and               went               outside               to               investigate.

Emil               Jesserun,               the               owner               of               the               apartments,               had               emerged               from               his               own               home,               and               he               along               with               MacLean               went               inside               Taylor's               bungalow               at               404-B.

When               they               opened               the               door               they               found               Taylor               lying               on               the               floor,               very               dead.

The               body               was               on               its               back               and               there               was               no               apparent               injury               other               than               a               small               trickle               of               blood               from               his               mouth.

Strangely               the               left               foot               of               the               body               was               under               the               desk               chair,               which               was               sitting               alongside               the               desk               next               to               the               front               door.

It's               the               only               item               in               the               room               that               was               seemingly               out               of               place.

The               corner               of               the               carpet               was               also               turned               up               as               if               someone               had               tripped               on               it.
               A               crowd               of               onlookers               gathered               in               the               small               living               room               and               soon               the               police               arrived.

In               the               crowd               there               was               a               man               claiming               to               be               a               doctor               and               he               announced               that               Taylor               had               died               of               a               stomach               hemorrhage.

Then               he               left.

He               never               examined               the               body               or               offered               his               name,               but               the               police               took               him               at               his               word               and               thinking               that               the               death               was               from               natural               causes,               allowed               the               crowd               to               remain.
               There               were               two               other               men               present               who               busied               themselves               gathering               up               items               from               around               the               home.

The               two               men               were               Charles               Eyton,               Operating               Manager               of               Paramount               Studios,               and               Harry               Fellows,               Taylor's               assistant               director.

Who               notified               them               of               the               death               and               exactly               when               they               arrived               is               a               matter               of               debate,               but               it               is               actually               irrelevant               because               the               police               did               nothing               to               stop               them               as               they               searched               through               the               drawers               and               closets               in               the               small               bungalow.

Because               it               was               Prohibition               they               emptied               the               liquor               cabinet,               and               they               also               gathered               some               letters,               photographs,               and               other               items               into               a               wire               wastebasket.
               Eventually               the               coroner               arrived               to               remove               the               body.

Taylor's               corpse               was               in               full               rigor               mortis               and               it               was               with               some               difficulty               that               Charles               Eyton               and               the               coroner               rolled               the               body               onto               its               side.

When               they               did               they               found               the               carpet               soaked               with               blood;               Taylor               had               been               shot               in               the               back.

The               police               finally               took               control               of               the               crime               scene               and               removed               the               casual               gawkers.

Taylor's               body               was               taken               from               the               house               and               moved               to               the               Mortuary               of               Ivy               Overholtzer               for               autopsy.

In               spite               of               the               fact               that               they               had               discovered               that               Taylor's               death               was               a               homicide,               the               detectives               still               allowed               Eyton               and               Fellows               to               depart               with               their               wire               basket               of               Taylor's               belongings.

Nobody               knows               everything               that               was               in               that               basket               or               if               any               of               it               had               anything               to               do               with               the               crime.
               By               this               time               word               of               Taylor's               death               had               spread               and               outside               a               crowd               along               with               members               of               the               press               had               gathered.

In               the               wake               of               the               Fatty               Arbuckle               scandal               the               reporters               were               rabidly               hoping               for               another               sensational               story               to               keep               their               readers               on               edge               and               their               papers               flying               off               of               the               newsstands.

At               about               11:30               they               got               their               wish               when               a               small               blue               runabout               stopped               at               the               curbside               on               Alvarado               Street.

Emblazoned               on               the               door               in               gold               was               the               butterfly               monogram               of               actress               Mary               Miles               Minter.

The               pretty               blonde               girl               rushed               across               the               courtyard               and               attempted               to               enter               the               house               but               the               police               and               crowds               barred               her               way.

She               was               near               hysterics               when               someone               told               her               where               Taylor               had               been               taken,               and               she               quickly               returned               to               her               car               and               sped               off.
               Meanwhile               inside,               the               police               were               searching               the               house.

A               photograph               of               the               dining               room               looking               toward               the               kitchen               taken               shortly               after               the               body               had               been               removed               shows               a               neat               home,               tastefully               decorated               in               the               fashion               of               the               time               [4]               .

A               phonebook               is               opened               on               the               table               and               around               the               perimeter               of               the               room               on               a               high               shelf               are               numerous               inscribed               photographs               of               actors,               actresses               and               other               movie               people.

A               silver               tray               on               the               table               held               a               cocktail               shaker               and               two               cocktail               glasses.

Strangely               there               was               a               Chesterfield               cigarette               butt               and               burnt               match               on               the               tray               as               well.

Over               a               chair               near               the               kitchen               entrance               was               a               jacket.

A               second               police               photograph               of               the               sitting               area               shows               a               crowded               room,               the               tiny               desk               where               Taylor               was               working               on               his               taxes               when               the               killer               emerged               is               against               the               front               wall               next               to               the               entrance.

The               piano               and               Victrola               are               just               visible               to               the               right.

It               is               a               heavily               retouched               photo               with               a               drawing               of               Taylor               being               shot               by               his               assailant               which               makes               it               hard               to               make               out               the               details.

The               room               is               messy               compared               to               the               dining               room,               with               books               piled               on               the               sofa               and               an               unidentifiable               piece               of               furniture               is               in               the               middle               of               the               floor.

It               appears               that               someone               was               beginning               to               go               through               Taylor's               belongings               for               disposal               when               the               photo               was               made,               so               there               is               not               much               to               tell               about               the               crime               from               it.
               The               back               door,               which               led               from               the               kitchen               to               the               back               yard,               was               locked               with               a               hook               latch,               so               it               was               clear               that               the               killer               had               not               departed               that               way.

On               the               small               desk               in               the               living               room               they               found               Taylor's               tax               records;               he               had               clearly               started               working               on               them               when               the               killer               emerged.

In               the               desk               drawer               they               found               some               curious               items.

One               was               a               pawn               ticket               from               a               Sacramento               pawn               shop.

The               ticket               was               for               a               pair               of               cuff               links               that               had               been               stolen               from               Taylor               in               a               burglary               about               three               months               before               the               murder.

Along               with               the               pawn               ticket               was               a               note               that               read:
               "Sorry               to               inconvenience               you               even               temporarily.

Also               observe               the               lesson               of               the               forced               sale               of               assets.

A               merry               Xmas               and               a               happy               and               prosperous               New               Year."
               The               note               was               signed               "alias               Jimmy               V.",               an               allusion               to               the               fictional               safe               cracker               and               escape               artist               Jimmy               Valentine               from               O.

Henry's               A               Retrieved               Reformation.

The               character               was               popularized               in               the               stage               play               and               subsequent               film               Alias               Jimmy               Valentine.

The               name               on               the               ticket               was               William               Deane-Tanner,               Taylor's               real               name.

The               ticket               and               note               were               mailed               to               Taylor               about               three               weeks               before               the               murder.
               In               Taylor's               bedroom               dresser               the               police               found               a               pistol,               a               .32               caliber               Savage               Automatic.

Although               it               was               loaded,               it               was               determined               not               to               be               the               murder               weapon               because               it               had               not               been               fired               recently.

There               was               also               a               neatly               folded               pink               nightgown               and               two               lace               handkerchiefs.

The               handkerchiefs               were               embroidered               with               the               name               "Mary               Miles               Minter".

In               Taylor's               closet               the               detectives               found               another               handgun,               a               9mm               Luger               carbine.

This               was               a               unique               weapon               that               had               a               longer               barrel               than               the               standard               Luger               and               also               had               a               detachable               shoulder               stock.

This               gun               had               not               been               fired               either               and               was               also               dismissed.

A               quick               search               of               the               outside               of               the               house               revealed               one               last               piece               of               evidence,               behind               the               shrubs               on               the               west               side               of               the               house               the               police               found               a               gold               tipped               cigarette               butt.
               At               a               Los               Angeles               mortuary               operated               by               Ivy               Overholtzer               Taylor's               body               was               autopsied               later               that               day.

Taylor               was               shot               in               the               back,               the               bullet               entering               on               the               left               side               about               6               ½               inches               below               the               armpit.

It               passed               between               the               sixth               and               seventh               ribs               and               into               the               lower               lobe               of               his               left               lung.

It               traversed               his               thoracic               cavity               destroying               blood               vessels               as               it               went.

The               slug               passed               through               the               upper               lobe               of               his               left               lung               and               out               of               his               chest               cavity               just               to               the               right               of               the               centerline               and               behind               the               right               collar               bone.

It               finally               entered               his               neck               and               lodged               just               below               the               skin               where               the               neck               and               shoulder               meet.

When               the               slug               was               removed               and               examined               it               was               found               to               be               a               .38               caliber               soft               lead               projectile,               a               revolver               round.

While               this               type               of               projectile               is               still               in               use,               the               fact               that               the               bullet               lodged               in               Taylor's               body               without               having               struck               any               bone               indicated               that               it               was               a               .38               short               cartridge,               a               relatively               low               power               round.
               This               ammunition               could               have               been               what               is               referred               to               as               .38               Smith               and               Wesson               today               [5]               .

It               may               also               have               been               a               .38               Short               Colt               round               [6]               .

This               bullet               was               developed               for               guns               that               had               been               converted               from               cap               and               ball,               but               it               could               be               fired               in               other               Colt               revolvers.

Many               writers               today               state               that               these               were               both               obsolete               ammunition               at               the               time               of               the               murder,               but               this               is               not               true.

Although               supplanted               by               .38               Special               and               .357               Magnum,               both               of               these               rounds               are               still               readily               available               today.
               Examination               of               Taylor's               clothing               was               revealing               and               confusing               as               well.

He               was               wearing               a               jacket               and               vest               when               he               was               shot.

There               were               powder               burns               on               the               clothing               indicating               that               the               gun               was               close               to               Taylor               when               it               was               discharged,               but               not               in               contact               with               it.

The               holes               in               the               jacket               and               vest               did               not               line               up               naturally.

Although               the               police               reports               were               not               clear               as               to               the               relationship               of               the               holes,               one               of               the               detectives               described               them               in               an               interview               as               indicating               that               Taylor's               hands               were               raised               above               his               head               in               a               "...stick               'em               up..."               situation.

On               the               lapel               of               the               jacket               three               blonde               hairs               were               also               found.

These               later               proved               to               belong               to               Mary               Miles               Minter.
               The               path               that               the               fatal               bullet               took               makes               determining               the               positions               of               Taylor               and               his               assailant               at               the               time               of               the               shooting               difficult.

If               Taylor               were               standing               with               his               back               to               the               killer               and               his               hands               held               above               his               head               when               he               was               shot,               the               killer               would               have               to               be               lying               on               the               floor               within               a               couple               of               feet               of               Taylor               and               firing               upward               or               standing               close               to               Taylor,               holding               the               gun               at               his               waist               firing               upward.

Those               choices               are               very               unlikely.

If               Taylor               were               sitting               when               he               was               shot,               the               killer               would               at               least               have               to               be               crouching               down               or               holding               the               gun               very               low               and               Taylor               would               have               to               have               his               face               practically               in               his               lap,               with               his               arms               outstretched               across               the               desk.

This               is               also               unlikely.
               A               third               possibility               has               become               known               as               the               "Embrace               of               Death".

In               this               scenario               the               shooter               is               one               of               Taylor's               female               acquaintances,               usually               Mary               Miles               Minter               because               of               the               blonde               hairs               that               were               found;               but               sometimes               Mabel               Normand               or               one               of               the               married               women               that               Taylor               is               rumored               to               have               had               affairs               with.

The               theory               is               that               Taylor               and               the               lady               have               a               confrontation.

She               produces               the               gun               and               threatens               to               shoot               herself.

Taylor               is               able               to               calm               her               down               and               they               exchange               a               hug.

While               they               are               hugging               the               gun               goes               off               and               Taylor               is               shot.

Of               the               three               common               theories               of               how               Taylor               was               shot,               this               is               the               most               plausible               given               the               path               of               the               bullet.

But               there               are               other               possibilities               as               well.
               The               suspects               have               multiplied               over               the               years               and               it               can               be               difficult               to               sort               them               out.

Below               is               a               list               of               the               most               mentioned               possibilities:
               Actress               Mary               Miles               Minter               is               probably               the               most               commonly               mentioned               suspect               today.

She               had               worked               with               Taylor               in               four               films               and               made               no               secret               of               the               fact               that               she               was               in               love               with               him.

That               love               was               not               returned               by               Taylor               primarily               because               of               the               difference               in               their               ages,               at               the               time               of               his               death               Taylor               was               49               and               Mary               was               not               quiet               twenty.

On               December               23,               1921               Mary               went               to               Taylor's               home               just               after               midnight               and               begged               him               to               marry               her.

He               refused               and               an               argument               ensued.

After               a               while               Mary               left               and               returned               home.

The               theory               is               that               she               went               to               his               house               on               the               night               of               the               murder               to               again               beg               Taylor               to               marry               her.

This               time               she               was               armed               with               her               mother's               revolver.

When               he               refused               her               demand,               she               produced               the               gun               and               threatened               to               kill               herself.

He               calmed               her               down,               they               shared               a               hug               and,               still               holding               the               gun,               she               shot               Taylor               accidentally.
               Mary's               mother,               Charlotte               Shelby               is               also               a               popular               suspect.

Charlotte               was               said               to               have               been               the               prototypical               vicious               stage               mother               who               maintained               tight               control               over               her               daughter,               and               more               importantly               over               her               daughter's               earnings.

Her               motive               would               be               her               concern               that               if               Mary               and               Taylor               were               to               wed,               then               Charlotte               would               lose               control               of               Mary's               money.

An               alternate               theory               is               that               Charlotte               was               also               having               an               affair               with               Taylor               and               shot               him               out               of               jealousy.

Charlotte               owned               a               .38               caliber               Smith               and               Wesson               revolver               that               fired               the               same               type               of               ammunition               that               was               used               to               kill               Taylor               and               after               the               murder               no               one               could               find               that               gun.
               Actor               Carl               Stockdale               was               a               close               friend               of               Charlotte's.

Rumors               have               it               that               he               killed               Taylor               at               Charlotte's               behest.

There               are               reports               that               Stockdale               was               paid               a               stipend               of               $200.00               a               month               from               Charlotte's               estate               until               his               death.
               Thomas               Dixon               was               a               veteran               of               the               Army               Air               Service               and               the               son               of               a               wealthy               East               Coast               manufacturer,               his               father               was               the               owner               of               Dixon               Pencils               and               was               a               personal               friend               of               Charlotte's.

He               and               Mary               had               met               while               she               was               touring               the               country               during               the               war               as               part               of               the               Liberty               Bond               program.

Of               all               of               the               men               who               were               chasing               Mary               around,               Dixon               was               Charlotte's               favorite.

After               the               December               23rd               confrontation               with               Taylor,               Mary               and               Dixon               had               become               engaged.

He               went               home               to               New               York               for               the               holidays               and               returned               to               Los               Angeles               in               mid-January               whereupon               Mary               broke               off               the               engagement.

In               her               statement               to               the               District               Attorney               Mary               referred               the               engagement               as               a               "freak               of               despondency"               [7]               .

The               despondency               was               certainly               over               Taylor.

Perhaps               Dixon               killed               Taylor               to               break               his               hold               on               Mary.
               Marshall               "Mickey"               Neilan,               an               actor               and               director               for               Paramount               was               probably               Mary's               closest               friend.

It               was               he               who               advised               Mary               on               how               to               deal               with               the               aftermath               of               the               killing               and               arranged               for               her               to               be               accompanied               by               a               lawyer               when               she               spoke               to               the               district               attorney.

They               had               been               romantically               linked               in               the               fan               magazines               for               a               couple               of               years               although               neither               of               them               took               it               seriously.

Neilan               was               considered               another               of               Mary's               jealous               suitors               who               may               have               killed               Taylor.
               Mable               Normand               was               one               of               the               premier               comedic               actresses               of               the               silent               era.

She               had               made               a               number               of               films               with               Roscoe               "Fatty"               Arbuckle               and               she               convinced               Mack               Sennett               to               give               Charlie               Chaplin               another               chance               after               he               initially               had               trouble               adjusting               to               screen               acting.

She               and               Taylor               were               romantically               involved               but               he               was               rumored               to               also               be               having               affairs               other               women               as               well.

Her               motive               would               have               been               jealousy               of               Taylor's               affairs.
               Mack               Sennett               was               the               head               of               Keystone               Studios.

Sennett               had               been               involved               with               Mabel               before               she               came               to               Hollywood               and               the               breakup               was               traumatic               enough               to               prompt               Mabel               to               re-evaluate               her               life.

After               leaving               Keystone               and               Sennett,               Mabel               embarked               on               a               course               of               self               improvement               that               led               her               to               writing               and               directing               in               addition               to               her               acting               duties               and               Taylor               closely               mentored               her               in               these               endeavors.

It               was               rumored               that               Sennett               was               still               in               love               with               Mabel               and               killed               Taylor               out               of               Jealousy.
               James               Kirkwood               was               an               actor               and               director               who               had               had               an               affair               with               Mary               Miles               Minter               when               she               was               just               fifteen               and               he               was               in               his               forties.

Several               years               after               the               murder,               he               approached               Mary               and               asked               her               to               marry               him               even               though               he               was               married               to               actress               Lila               Lee               at               the               time.

She               refused,               saying               she               was               still               in               love               with               Taylor.

He               may               have               killed               Taylor               to               eliminate               him               as               a               rival               for               Mary's               affections.
               Did               drug               dealers               commit               the               murder?

Taylor               was               rumored               to               be               the               head               of               a               group               trying               to               drive               the               drug               trade               out               of               Hollywood.

He               had               written               a               few               letters               in               the               trade               magazines               decrying               the               evils               of               drugs,               but               he               was               far               from               a               crusader.

However,               of               all               of               the               women               in               Taylor's               life,               if               he               truly               loved               one               of               them,               that               woman               was               Mabel               Normand,               and               Mabel               was               said               to               have               had               a               drug               problem.

It               is               conceivable               that               in               trying               to               get               Mabel               off               the               drugs               that               Taylor               had               a               confrontation               with               one               of               her               suppliers               and               in               revenge               the               supplier               arranged               for               his               murder.
               Finally               there               is               Margaret               Gibson.

Margaret               was               also               known               as               Patricia               Palmer               and               had               acted               in               four               films               with               Taylor               when               he               first               came               to               Hollywood.

She               was               moderately               successful               as               an               actress,               appearing               in               147               films               between               1912               and               1929               and               had               been               a               leading               actress               in               several.

Her               career               faded               after               1917               and               she               usually               appeared               in               short               films               or               as               a               supporting               player.

Margaret               Gibson               confessed               to               the               murder               on               her               deathbed               in               1964               [8]               .
               There               are               other               suspects               as               well,               but               these               are               those               most               talked               about.

What               follows               is               my               theory               of               how               the               crime               occurred.

This               is               based               on               the               available               physical               evidence               and               endeavors               to               explain               all               of               the               conditions               that               existed               when               Taylor's               body               was               discovered.
               It's               7:10               PM,               Tuesday,               February               1,               1922.

At               404-B               Alvarado               Street               William               Desmond               Taylor               is               sitting               in               his               dining               room               with               actress               Mabel               Normand               discussing               a               book               that               he               had               bought               for               her               earlier               that               day.

Taylor               made               drinks               for               Mabel               and               himself,               orange               blossoms,               a               mixture               of               gin,               vermouth,               orange               juice               and               fine               sugar.

As               they               have               their               drinks               Mabel               sits               at               the               small               dining               table               smoking               a               cigarette               while               they               talk.

Their               drinks               finished,               they               get               up               to               move               to               the               living               room               and               she               crushes               the               cigarette               out               on               the               silver               tray               sitting               on               the               table.
               Next               door               to               Taylor's               home               is               the               apartment               of               Douglas               and               Faith               MacLean.

In               the               kitchen               their               housekeeper               is               just               finishing               the               dinner               dishes.

She               happens               to               glance               out               of               her               back               window               into               the               dimming               twilight               and               she               spots               a               man               walking               in               the               alleyway               behind               the               apartments.

She               thinks               nothing               of               it               and               returns               to               the               dishes.
               Taylor               and               Mabel               continue               their               conversation               in               the               living               room               and               Mabel               comments               on               Taylor's               new               piano               on               which               photographs               of               her               and               Mary               Miles               Minter               are               displayed.

She               jokingly               states               that               Taylor               is               "...getting               altogether               too               rich..."               having               both               a               Victorola               and               a               piano.

After               a               few               minutes               Mabel               gets               up               to               leave.

Taylor               asks               her               to               stay               a               while               longer               but               she               has               a               busy               schedule               the               next               day               and               begs               off.

Taylor               escorts               her               out               of               his               front               door               and               across               the               courtyard               to               Alvarado               Street               where               her               car               and               chauffer               are               waiting.

The               time               is               now               approximately               7:40PM.

As               Taylor               helps               Mabel               into               the               car               he               chides               her               about               the               copy               of               the               Police               Gazette               that               is               sitting               on               the               back               seat,               very               trashy               reading               in               contrast               to               the               Nietzsche               they               had               just               been               discussing.

They               have               a               brief               conversation               at               the               curbside               and               after               a               few               minutes               Mabel               drives               off,               blowing               a               kiss               back               at               Taylor.
               What               Taylor               didn't               know               was               that               while               he               was               at               the               curbside               with               Mabel,               lurking               along               the               east               side               of               his               home               was               a               man               smoking               a               cigarette.

When               the               intruder               saw               Taylor               leave               with               Mabel,               he               dropped               the               gold               tipped               cigarette               on               the               ground               behind               a               shrub,               crept               around               the               corner               into               the               front               door               and               hid               somewhere               in               the               home.

Unsuspecting,               Taylor               walked               back               across               the               courtyard               and               into               the               house.

He               sat               down               at               the               desk               and               began               to               work               on               his               taxes.
               The               killer               emerges               brandishing               a               gun.

Taylor               stands               up               from               his               desk               and               turns               to               face               the               intruder.

The               desk               chair               is               now               behind               him               and               slightly               to               his               right.

Words               are               exchanged               and               the               killer               advances,               stumbling               a               bit               on               the               edge               of               the               carpet.

At               the               same               time               Taylor               turns               to               his               right               and               moves               backward               away               from               the               attack.

As               he               does               so               he               falls               over               the               chair               extending               his               arms               to               break               his               fall;               and               at               that               moment               the               killer               fires.

The               bullet               strikes               Taylor               in               the               left               side               of               his               back               and               travels               upward               and               diagonally               through               his               chest               cavity.

It               pierces               both               lobes               of               his               left               lung               causing               massive               internal               bleeding,               finally               lodging               just               below               the               skin               at               the               base               of               his               neck               on               the               right               side.

Taylor               was               certainly               unconscious               within               seconds               and               dead               in               a               few               minutes               at               most.
               Next               door               Faith               MacLean               is               at               her               knitting               when               she               hears               a               loud               pop.

She               thinks               to               herself               that               it               must               be               a               car               backfiring               and               resumes               knitting.
               Taylor               is               lying               face               down               on               the               floor.

The               killer               moves               the               chair               out               the               way,               probably               tipping               it               over               in               the               process,               and               rolls               the               body               onto               its               back.

He               quickly               searches               the               body,               ignoring               Taylor's               wallet               which               contains               $78.00.

He               also               leaves               the               diamond               ring               Taylor               is               wearing               along               with               his               wristwatch               and               pocket               watch.

The               only               thing               he               takes               is               Taylor's               cigarette               lighter,               a               small,               personal               item.

The               killer               pockets               the               lighter,               picks               up               the               chair               and               places               it               neatly               against               the               wall               next               to               the               door.

Taylor's               left               foot               is               under               the               chair.

He               then               exits               through               the               front               door.
               Faith               MacLean,               thinking               that               perhaps               the               sound               was               too               loud               to               be               a               car,               goes               to               her               door               and               looks               out               over               the               courtyard.

She               sees               a               man,               short,               stocky,               and               strangely               dressed               emerging               from               Taylor's               home.

He               looks               up               and               sees               Faith               looking               at               him.

He               then               leans               back               into               the               door               and               appears               to               be               talking               to               someone.

The               man               then               pulls               the               door               closed               and               walks               back               around               the               corner               of               the               house,               into               the               alleyway,               and               disappears.

Faith               again               returns               to               her               knitting               little               realizing               the               pandemonium               that               was               to               ensue               in               just               a               few               hours.
               Around               8:00               PM               Henry               Fellows,               who               acted               as               chauffer               to               Taylor,               returned               with               Taylor's               car.

He               parked               the               car               at               the               curb               and               went               to               the               house               and               knocked               on               the               door.

The               lights               were               on               so               he               assumed               that               Taylor               was               still               awake               and               about,               but               no               one               answered               the               door.

He               tried               again,               but               still               received               no               answer.

Thinking               that               Taylor               perhaps               was               with               someone               and               didn't               want               to               answer               the               door               he               parked               the               car               in               the               garage               and               left.
               This               description               of               the               crime               is               of               course,               conjecture.

But               it               is               conjecture               based               on               the               physical               evidence,               and               witness               testimony               taken               immediately               after               the               crime.

Given               that               all               of               the               persons               involved               are               long               dead,               conjecture               is               the               best               we               can               do.

Much               controversy               has               been               made               over               the               specific               time               of               Taylor's               death               and               the               times               of               events               described               by               witnesses,               but               in               a               crime               this               old               we               shouldn't               get               too               wrapped               around               specific               times.

Time               pieces               were               not               as               good               as               they               are               today               and               even               setting               a               clock               accurately               was               difficult               because               there               was               no               readily               available               standard.

Unlike               today               where               our               cell               phones               are               all               automatically               synchronized               to               a               central               clock,               this               crime               occurred               even               before               radio               became               popular,               so               there               are               bound               to               be               variations               of               a               few               minutes               between               the               timepieces               available               to               different               people.

Whether               Faith               MacLean               heard               the               noise               at               7:45,               7:50               or               even               8:00               is               irrelevant.

The               facts               that               are               important               are               the               sighting               of               the               man               in               the               alley               by               the               MacLean's               housekeeper,               the               sound               that               both               Faith               and               Douglas               MacLean               heard,               the               man               that               Faith               saw,               and               the               fact               that               Taylor               did               not               answer               the               door               when               Henry               Fellows               knocked.
               Who               was               it               that               Faith               MacLean               saw               that               night               and               why               did               that               person               kill               Taylor?

To               investigate               that               question               we               have               to               look               at               the               events               leading               up               to               the               killing.
               Over               the               months               prior               to               the               killing               Taylor               had               expressed               to               several               of               his               friends               that               he               was               concerned               for               his               safety.

In               fact               he               was               so               concerned               that               he               kept               a               loaded               pistol               in               his               dresser               drawer.

There               is               some               confusion               as               to               the               actual               identity               of               that               pistol.

Charles               Eyton,               who               saw               it               at               the               same               time               as               Detective               Ziegler,               referred               to               it               as               a               revolver.

Detective               Ziegler               specifically               described               it               as               a               .32               Savage               Automatic.

Given               that               Ziegler               was               a               police               officer               and               certainly               more               familiar               with               firearms               than               Eyton,               that               he               made               a               specific               statement               as               to               the               make               of               the               pistol,               and               that               .32               caliber               is               an               unusual               round               for               a               revolver               I               tend               to               defer               to               Ziegler's               statement               as               being               correct,               with               Eyton's               reflecting               the               relative               newness               of               the               automatic               pistol               and               the               fact               that               many               people               referred               to               any               multi-shot               handgun               as               a               "revolver".

Even               though               this               pistol               was               certainly               not               the               murder               weapon,               its               presence               is               significant.

The               Savage               Automatic               was               what               was               known               as               a               "pocket               pistol",               small               and               easily               concealable.

It               was               in               an               open               box               in               the               top               drawer               of               his               dresser               where               it               would               be               easily               accessible.

A               person               who               is               familiar               with               firearms               would               have               certainly               selected               a               larger               caliber               for               home               defense,               so               although               there               is               no               testimony               to               support               it,               it               is               a               distinct               possibility               that               Taylor               carried               the               Savage               Auto               on               his               person.
               He               had               told               both               Harry               and               Henry               Fellows               as               well               as               Marshall               Neilan               that               he               was               being               harassed,               that               someone               was               calling               his               home               at               odd               hours,               and               when               he               answered               the               phone,               the               person               would               hang               up.

He               thought               that               the               caller               was               attempting               to               determine               if               he               was               at               home               or               not.

His               home               had               been               burglarized               at               least               twice.

Taylor               had               been               an               antiques               dealer               and               as               such               he               had               a               good               eye               for               fine               things.

His               home               was               full               of               small,               valuable               and               easily               sold               items.

None               of               this               was               taken.

Instead               the               burglar               helped               himself               to               food               from               Taylor's               kitchen               and               took               trinkets               of               jewelry,               cuff               links,               and               a               box               of               cigarettes.

These               burglaries               were               not               about               getting               money;               they               were               about               harassment.

In               the               second               burglary               in               which               the               cufflinks               and               cigarettes               were               stolen,               the               newspapers               wrote               that               the               killer               had               jumped               on               Taylor's               bed               leaving               behind               "dusty               footprints".

They               cleaned               it               up               for               print.

The               burglar               defecated               in               Taylor's               bed.
               Periodically               after               the               burglary               Taylor               or               his               valet,               Henry               Peavey,               would               find               one               of               the               gold               tipped               cigarettes               somewhere               around               the               outside               of               the               house.

In               spite               of               these               events               and               the               urgings               of               the               friends               who               he               had               told               about               them,               Taylor               took               no               special               precautions               beyond               keeping               the               gun               handy.

Unfortunately               for               him,               he               did               not               keep               it               handy               enough.
               As               mentioned               earlier,               Mary               Miles               Minter               is               the               favorite               suspect               of               most               modern               writers,               but               in               order               for               her               to               have               committed               the               crime               a               lot               of               assumptions               have               to               be               made.

Faith               MacLean               both               heard               the               shot               and               saw               the               killer               leave               Taylor's               home.

This               was               somewhere               between               7:45               PM               and               8:15PM.

At               that               time               Mary               was               at               home               with               her               mother,               grandmother,               sister,               two               members               of               their               domestic               staff,               their               chauffer               Chauncey               Eaton,               and               actor               Carl               Stockdale.

That               is               an               awful               lot               of               people               to               expect               to               lie,               risk               going               to               jail               for               lying,               and               take               the               secret               to               their               graves.
               In               his               book               Murder               in               Hollywood               Charles               Hingham               attempts               to               bypass               this               problem               by               having               Mary               sneak               out               her               house               after               midnight               and               go               to               Taylor's               house               where               she               accidentally               shoots               him.
               In               order               for               this               to               work               we               have               to               assume               everything               Faith               MacLean               saw               and               heard               either               didn't               happen               or               was               irrelevant.

We               have               to               assume               the               stalking               and               harassment               Taylor               had               undergone,               the               pawn               tickets,               and               the               note               sent               with               them,               are               unrelated               to               the               crime;               that               Charles               Maigne,               who               lived               in               the               bungalow               that               shared               a               wall               with               Taylor's               lied               about               not               hearing               the               shot,               and               that               Mary,               having               just               shot               the               man               she               loves,               had               the               presence               of               mind               to               cover               her               tracks               and               that               the               5'2"               112               pound               teenage               girl               managed               to               move               the               6'               0"               175               pound               corpse,               lay               it               out               neatly,               depart               the               house,               and               the               only               trace               she               left               behind               were               the               three               hairs               on               Taylor's               lapel.

In               fact               Hingham's               theory               rests               on               the               gushing               love               letters               that               the               young               girl               wrote               two               years               earlier               and               those               three               blonde               hairs.
               For               Charlotte               to               be               the               murderer               we               have               to               assume               that               everyone               who               was               in               her               house               that               evening,               a               total               of               seven               people,               four               of               whom               are               not               related               to               her,               is               lying.

The               whole               case               against               Charlotte               is               based               on               the               fact               that               she               owned               a               gun               that               was               capable               of               firing               the               type               of               bullet               that               killed               Taylor               and               that               her               gun               had               disappeared.

In               1937               her               oldest               daughter               Margaret               said               in               a               deposition               that               she               had               "protected"               her               mother               in               the               Taylor               case               and               that               is               enough               for               those               who               want               her               to               be               the               murderer;               but               they               fail               to               look               into               the               circumstances               surrounding               the               deposition.

Margaret               was               suing               her               mother               for               over               $40,000,               and               the               year               before               Charlotte               had               attempted               to               have               Margaret               committed               to               a               sanitarium               for               her               chronic               alcoholism               and               depression.

Margaret               was               angry               at               her               mother,               who               tried               to               have               her               committed,               and               her               sister               who               stole               her               spotlight.

Her               statement               was               her               revenge.
               Carl               Stockdale               was               a               close               friend               of               Charlotte's               and               was               familiar               enough               with               the               family               that               we               would               drop               by               unannounced.

But               for               him               to               have               killed               Taylor               we               again               have               to               assume               everyone               at               Charlotte's               house               that               night               lied               to               the               police.

Also               we               have               to               assume               that               Faith               MacLean               would               describe               the               tall,               lanky               Stockdale               as               short               and               stocky.
               Thomas               Dixon               was               initially               perhaps               the               best               suspect.

He               had               been               engaged               to               Mary               and               she               had               broken               it               off               over               Taylor.

Men               have               killed               for               less.

Unfortunately               at               the               time               the               murder               was               being               committed               he               along               with               another               man               and               two               women               had               just               finished               trashing               a               Hollywood               hotel               room               and               were               in               the               process               of               being               thrown               out               by               security.
               Mickey               Neilan               was               also               a               favorite               suspect               of               the               police,               he               even               smoked               gold               tipped               cigarettes,               but               when               the               murder               was               being               committed               he               was               on               location               at               the               Los               Angeles               and               Salt               Lake               City               Railroad               Station               shooting               the               film               Fools               First.

The               entire               cast               and               crew               provided               his               alibi.
               Mabel               Normand               was               the               last               person               to               see               Taylor               alive,               aside               from               the               killer.

She               could               not               have               done               it               because               both               she               and               Taylor               were               seen               walking               out               to               her               car,               which               was               parked               on               Alvarado               Street,               by               William               Lawrence               who               lived               in               400A.

Mable               was               seen               to               drive               off               with               her               chauffer               and               Taylor               returned               to               his               home.
               James               Kirkwood               has               been               mentioned               more               than               a               few               times               as               the               murderer               but               he               could               not               have               done               it.

On               the               night               Taylor               was               killed,               Kirkwood               was               at               sea               on               the               ocean               liner               Acquitania               returning               from               Europe.

One               of               his               fellow               passengers               was               Cecil               B.

DeMille.
               Margaret               Gibson's               confession               makes               her               a               powerful               suspect,               but               aside               from               the               confession               there               is               nothing.

She               and               Taylor               had               not               worked               together               since               1914,               and               although               they               surely               had               interaction               with               each               other               during               those               six               months               they               were               both               employed               by               Vitagraph,               there               is               no               evidence               that               they               socialized               or               even               saw               each               other               after               that               [9]               .

For               Margaret               Gibson               to               be               the               murderer               we               have               to               assume               that               none               of               the               events               leading               up               to               the               crime               are               relevant               and               that               the               stocky               man               Faith               MacLean               saw               was               actually               a               five               foot               tall               110               pound               woman.

People               confess               to               crimes               that               they               did               not               commit               all               of               the               time,               and               with               no               evidence               to               support               it,               a               confession               has               no               value.
               Since               all               of               the               popular               suspects               have               fairly               good               alibis,               who               does               this               leave?
               The               gold               tipped               cigarette               butt               found               in               the               shrubbery               indicates               that               the               person               who               burglarized               the               house               was               returning               to               the               scene               of               the               crime.

Periodically               after               the               burglary               in               which               the               cigarettes               were               stolen               either               Taylor               or               Peavey               would               find               one               or               more               of               the               butts               around               the               outside               of               the               house.

The               perpetrator               was               returning               to               the               scene               of               the               crime               and               returning               frequently.

Finding               one               of               these               butts               in               the               shrubs               alongside               Taylor's               house               indicates               that               the               person               who               burglarized               the               house               and               stole               the               cigarettes               was               lurking               around               the               house               and               was               probably               the               killer.

But               who               was               the               burglar?
               In               mid               1920               Taylor               had               hired               a               new               Valet,               a               man               by               the               name               of               Edward               Sands.

Sands               professed               to               be               English               and               affected               a               cockney               accent.

But               his               real               history               was               much               more               interesting               than               the               made               up               one               he               offered               his               new               employer.
               Taylor               placed               great               trust               in               Sands               and               when               he               departed               Los               Angeles               for               a               European               vacation               he               left               Sands               in               charge               of               his               home               and               affairs.

No               sooner               was               Taylor's               boat               over               the               horizon               did               Sands               begin               to               steal               things               from               Taylor's               home               and               either               sell               them               or               give               them               to               friends.

He               forged               checks               on               Taylor's               account               and               ran               up               bills               on               Taylor's               credit.

Finally               he               borrowed               Taylor's               car               and               wrecked               it.

Needless               to               say,               when               Taylor               returned               home               he               was               furious               and               promptly               swore               out               a               warrant               against               Sands               for               theft,               but               Sands               had               disappeared.
               One               of               the               more               interesting               things               about               this               story               is               that               almost               no               one               in               it               is               who               they               profess               to               be.

Mary               Miles               Minter               was               born               Juliet               Reilly               and               had               previously               gone               by               the               name               Juliet               Shelby               until               her               youth               became               an               obstacle               to               her               performing               professionally.

To               let               the               show               go               on               her               mother               co-opted               the               name               and               birth               certificate               of               a               dead               niece               for               her.

Taylor               himself               was               born               William               Deane               Cunningham               Tanner,               but               adopted               the               name               William               Desmond               Taylor               after               he               abandoned               his               wife               and               daughter               in               New               York.

Sands               perhaps               took               this               to               an               extreme.

What               follows               is               taken               from               the               excellent               work               of               Bruce               Long               in               Taylorology               #19.
               Edward               Sands               was               born               Edward               Fitzgerald               Snyder               in               Marion,               Ohio               on               April               4,               1894.

In               1911               at               the               age               of               17               he               enlisted               in               the               Navy               by               lying               about               his               age,               claiming               to               be               18.

It               was               a               minor               transgression               and               the               recruiters               were               not               too               picky               about               such               things               anyway.

He               rose               quickly               and               by               1914               he               was               promoted               to               the               rank               of               Yeoman               First               Class               and               stationed               on               the               USS               Paducah.

Assigned               to               the               ship's               store,               he               raised               the               cost               of               items               he               sold               to               the               crew               above               what               were               the               established               prices               and               pocketed               the               difference.

He               was               soon               caught               and               tried               by               court               martial.

After               serving               a               year               at               hard               labor               in               the               brig               at               Portsmouth,               New               Hampshire               he               received               a               dishonorable               discharge               and               was               sent               on               his               way.
               Two               weeks               later               Snyder               appeared               in               Boston               and               enlisted               in               the               Coast               Guard.

He               apparently               completed               this               enlistment               successfully               but               only               served               a               year.

In               October               of               1917               he               enlisted               in               the               Navy               Reserves               which               were               mustered               into               active               service               for               the               duration               of               the               war.

He               was               promoted               repeatedly               and               by               mid               1918               was               stationed               with               the               commissary               department               at               a               civilian               salvage               firm               called               P.A.

Scott               and               Company.

While               there               he               stole               a               car               belonging               to               one               of               the               civilian               employees               and               wrecked               it.

Released               on               the               condition               that               he               would               pay               for               the               damages,               his               commander               let               him               go               to               New               York               where               he               claimed               he               could               get               the               money.

Once               beyond               military               custody               he               deserted               but               took               the               time               to               send               back               a               taunting               message               that               they               would               have               to               come               and               get               him               if               they               wanted               the               money.

This               was               behavior               that               he               would               later               repeat.
               Just               over               two               weeks               later               He               appeared               in               Kansas               City               where               he               re-enlisted               in               the               Navy               using               the               name               Edward               Fitzwilliam               Strathmore.

A               short               time               later               it               was               discovered               that               he               was               actually               Edward               Sands.

Once               confronted               with               his               true               identity               he               simply               deserted               again,               traveling               back               to               his               home               state               of               Ohio.

He               enlisted               in               the               Coast               Guard               again               at               Cleveland,               OH.

He               was               repeatedly               absent               without               leave               and               after               a               month               simply               deserted               again.

In               late               May               of               1919               he               enlisted               in               the               Army               at               Columbus,               OH               using               the               Strathmore               name.

Telling               the               finance               officer               that               he               had               been               a               Chief               Petty               Officer               in               the               Navy               got               him               quickly               advanced               to               Sergeant               and               he               was               given               the               job               of               drawing               checks               to               pay               expenses.

He               quickly               cut               himself               a               check               for               over               $480               and               forged               the               name               of               the               finance               officer               on               it.

Deserting               again               he               tried               to               buy               a               motorcycle               with               the               forged               check               [10]               .
               The               next               time               Snyder               is               heard               from               he               surfaced               in               Los               Angeles               now               sporting               a               fake               Cockney               accent               and               going               by               the               name               Edward               Sands.

He               found               himself               a               job               at               the               Paramount               commissary               as               a               cook               and               was               eventually               recommended               to               William               Desmond               Taylor               as               a               valet.
               By               all               accounts               at               least               initially               Sands               was               a               reliable               employee               for               Taylor.

His               military               experience               ensured               that               he               kept               Taylor's               home               spotless               and               he               was               a               charming               man               who               seemed               to               know               the               right               things               to               say.

People               naturally               liked               him               and               in               a               short               time               Taylor               was               giving               him               more               and               more               responsibilities.

But               Sands               was               also               a               bit               strange.

He               seemed               slavishly               devoted               to               Taylor               even               at               one               point               writing               him               a               bizarre               letter               promising               to               be               his               slave               for               life.

Sands               had               told               some               of               his               friends               that               he               didn't               want               to               get               old               and               intended               to               shoot               himself               when               he               turned               35               because               he               thought               life               would               not               be               worth               living               past               that               point.
               This               was               a               repeat               of               his               earlier               behavior.

In               each               of               his               previous               incarnations               Snyder\Strathmore\Sands               would               initially               perform               his               duties               to               the               best               of               his               ability.

He               would               ingratiate               himself               to               his               employers               and               eventually               work               his               way               into               a               position               of               trust.

Once               in               that               position               of               trust               he               would               use               it               to               steal               from               the               very               people               who               trusted               him.
               Things               seemed               to               be               going               well               until               early               1921               when               Taylor               travelled               to               Europe.

While               he               was               gone               he               so               trusted               Sands               that               he               left               him               in               charge               of               his               home               and               affairs.

Taylor's               trust               was               ill               placed.

No               sooner               than               Taylor's               ship               was               over               the               horizon               did               Sands               return               to               his               old               form.

He               began               stealing               things               from               Taylor's               home               and               either               selling               them               or               giving               them               away.

He               ran               up               bills               on               Taylor's               accounts,               stole               his               clothes               and               wrecked               his               car.
               When               Taylor               returned               he               was,               to               put               it               mildly,               furious.

He               immediately               swore               out               a               warrant               against               Sands,               but               Sands               had               disappeared.

A               short               time               later               the               harassment               began.

This               culminated               in               the               December               21st               burglary               in               which               Taylor's               back               door               was               kicked               in,               the               jewelry               and               cigarettes               stolen,               and               the               calling               card               left               in               his               bed.

That               was               a               bad               week               for               Taylor.

On               Thursday               his               house               gets               broken               into               and               on               Saturday               a               hysterical               Mary               Miles               Minter               appears               at               his               door.
               What               is               seen               with               Sands               is               a               pattern               of               repeating               and               escalating               behavior.

In               his               first               Navy               enlistment               he               was               an               exemplary               Sailor,               rising               quickly               through               the               ranks               to               the               grade               of               Petty               Officer               First               Class.

He               was               then               put               in               a               position               where               he               would               be               minimally               supervised.

He               exploited               that               position               and               stole               from               his               crewmates               who               patronized               the               ship's               store.

The               theft               was               relatively               small,               but               the               punishment               was               harsh.

Conditions               in               the               Portsmouth               Naval               Brig               were               never               pleasant               but               in               the               early               1900s               there               was               almost               no               sympathy               for               miscreant               Sailors               or               oversight               of               their               zealous               Marine               guards.
               After               an               uneventful               Coast               Guard               enlistment               he               enlisted               in               the               Navy               Reserves.

In               the               expanding               wartime               Navy               he               rose               quickly               to               Chief               Petty               Officer               and               was               put               in               charge               of               the               commissary               department               at               a               civilian               company               that               had               a               Navy               detachment               assigned               to               it.

Last               time               he               stole               around               $100,               this               time               he               graduated               to               a               car.

Threatened               with               court               martial               and               with               still               fresh               memories               of               Portsmouth,               he               ran               away,               sending               back               a               taunting               message.
               Snyder               gave               the               Army               a               try,               he               returned               to               his               hometown,               changed               his               name               to               Edward               Strathmore,               and               enlisted.

In               a               very               short               time               he               rose               to               Sergeant,               and               was               again               given               a               responsible               position.

As               soon               as               the               opportunity               presented               itself               he               forged               some               checks               and               deserted.
               Based               on               the               available               evidence               and               testimony               the               following               can               be               surmised               as               most               likely               correct:
               1.

Allowing               for               the               possible               differences               in               witnesses'               clocks               we               can               surmise               that               the               crime               took               place               between               7:40PM               and               8:00PM               give               or               take               a               few               minutes.

The               MacLean's               housekeeper               saw               a               man               wandering               the               alleyway               at               approximately               7:25PM,               Douglas               and               Faith               MacLean               heard               the               shot               between               7:35               and               7:40,               Faith               saw               the               man               exit               Taylor's               home               at               approximately               7:45PM.

Henry               Fellows               arrived               at               just               after               8:00PM,               noticed               the               lights               in               the               house               burning,               but               did               not               receive               an               answer               when               he               knocked               on               the               door               because               Taylor               was               already               dead.
               2.

As               testified               to               at               the               coroner's               inquest,               the               body               was               in               full               rigor               mortis               when               the               coroner               arrived               [11]               .

This               supports               the               established               time               of               death               of               between               7:30               and               8:00               PM               rather               than               a               midnight               to               1AM               timeframe               as               theorized               in               some               books               on               the               murder.

In               general               rigor               mortis               sets               in               3               -               4               hours               after               death               and               reaches               maximum               intensity               at               about               12               hours,               then               subsides               gradually               over               a               period               of               30               -               72               hours.
               3.

The               harassment,               the               burglary               and               the               murder               are               connected               and               are               part               of               a               progressive               escalation.

The               perpetrator               graduated               from               harassing               phone               calls,               to               creeping               around               the               house,               to               breaking               in,               to               burglary               and               vandalism,               to               murder.

The               cigarettes               taken               in               the               burglary               were               found               around               the               house               at               various               times               leading               up               to               the               murder               and               on               the               day               after               the               murder.

Therefore               it               is               likely               that               the               person               who               committed               the               burglaries               also               committed               the               murder.
               Of               all               of               the               suspects,               Edward               Sands               is               the               most               likely               to               have               committed               the               crime               for               the               following               reasons:
               1.

Evidence               found               at               the               scene               (the               cigarette               butts)               indicated               that               the               person               who               committed               the               burglaries               was               the               killer.

The               handwriting               on               the               "alias               Jimmy               V."               note               and               the               pawn               tickets               is               consistent               with               Sands'               handwriting               [12]               .

Also               Sands               was               identified               as               the               man               who               pawned               the               items               in               question.

It               follows               that               Sands               was               the               burglar.
               2.

Taylor               told               friends               that               he               believed               that               Sands               was               harassing               him.
               3.

This               harassment               began               immediately               after               Sands'               firing               by               Taylor               and               escalated               as               time               went               on.
               4.

Faith               MacLean's               description               of               the               man               she               saw               closely               matches               Sands'               general               appearance               at               the               time               of               the               murder               (He               had               lost               weight               since               he               had               worked               for               Taylor).
               5.

Sands               was               seen               in               Los               Angeles               on               the               day               before               the               murder.
               6.

Sands               behavior               while               employed               by               Taylor               and               his               "suicide               at               35"               statement               to               friends               indicate               that               he               was               mentally               unstable,               which               fits               with               the               circumstances               leading               up               to               the               crime               and               the               crime               itself.
               7.

On               the               day               after               the               murder               a               policeman               on               Alvarado               Street               near               Taylor's               house               spotted               a               man               whose               description               fit               Sands.

The               man               left               as               the               policeman               approached.

One               of               the               gold               tipped               cigarette               butts               was               found               where               the               man               had               been               standing.

Sand's               repeated               enlistments               in               the               military               and               repeated               burglaries               of               Taylor's               home,               demonstrated               a               propensity               to               return               to               the               scene               of               the               crime.
               I               do               not               believe               in               conspiracies.

There               is               an               old               saying               that               "Three               people               can               keep               a               secret               if               two               of               them               are               dead."               I               take               that               to               heart               because               in               my               experience,               it               has               proven               to               be               true.

I               also               believe               very               strongly               in               Occam's               razor               which               tells               us               that               all               solutions               being               equal,               the               one               that               requires               the               fewest               new               assumptions               is               probably               correct.

These               are               some               hard,               fast               rules:               People               do               not               put               themselves               at               risk               for               nothing,               and               people               will               talk.

Nothing               needs               to               be               added               to               the               story               in               order               for               Sands               to               be               the               killer.

There               is               no               need               for               a               conspiracy.

There               is               no               need               for               the               crime               to               take               place               at               a               different               time               than               what               the               witness               statements               indicate.

There               is               no               need               to               cover               anything               up,               and               no               one               has               to               stick               to               a               made               up               story               for               the               rest               of               their               lives.
               [1]               Vincent               Bugliosi               and               Kurt               Gentry,               Helter               Skelter               New               York:               W.W.

Norton               Company,               1974,               Kindle               Edition
               [2]               Thomas               Hargrove,               Unsolved               Murder               Rate               Increasing,               WEWS               TV               5               Pittsburgh,               PA,               http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/crime/unsolved-murder-rate-increasing,               Accessed               3/29/2011
               [3]               Federal               Bureau               of               Investigation,               Uniform               Crime               Report,               2009,http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/clearances/index.html#figure               ,               Accessed               4/1/2010
               [4]               Larry               Harnish,               LA               Times,               The               Daily               Mirror,               Larry               Harnish               Reflects               on               Los               Angeles               History               http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2010/10/movieland-mystery-photo-3.html,               (Accessed               12               April               2011)
               [5]               Wikipedia.org,               ".38               Smith               and               Wesson,"               Wikipedia.org,               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_S%26W               (Accessed               14               April               2011)
               [6]               Wikipedia.org,               ".38               Short               Colt,"               Wikipedia.org,               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_Short_Colt               (Accessed               14               April               2011)
               [7]               G.H.

Boone,               Statement               of               Miss               Mary               Miles               Minter,               Office               of               the               Los               Angeles               County               District               Attorney,               Los               Angeles,               CA               2/7/1922.
               [8]               Bruce               Long,               Taylorology               #84,               Commentary,http://www.taylorology.com/issues/Taylor84.txt,               Accessed               4/9/2011
               [9]               Bruce               Long,               Taylorology               #84,               Commentary,http://www.taylorology.com/issues/Taylor84.txt,               Accessed               4/9/2011
               [10]               Bruce               Long,               Taylorology               #19,               http://www.taylorology.com/issues/Taylor19.txt,               April               2011
               [11]               E.

M.

Allen,               William               Desmond               Taylor               Inquest,               L.A.

County               Coroner's               Office,               Los               Angeles,               CA,               2/4/1922
               [12]               Bruce               Long,               Taylorology.com,               (April               2011),               http://www.taylorology.com/nonphoto/handwriting.pdf






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