Published: October 20, 2009 07:15 pm      

Murder suspect back in J’ville

Taylor arraigned after capture in Rusk County



By Nathan Straus

nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Gregory Charles Taylor II, a 22-year-old Jacksonville man wanted in connection with a murder that occurred in Jacksonville on Oct. 7, was arrested in Rusk County.

According to Jacksonville police officers, Taylor was arraigned late Monday afternoon and transferred to Cherokee County Jail. His bond was set at $200,000.

Sgt. Daniel Franklin, a detective at the Jacksonville Police Department, said Taylor was apprehended at around 5 p.m. Sunday. The catch, he said, happened on a county road near Reklaw.

“A tip was given that he was at an address in Reklaw,” he said.

Franklin said a Cherokee County dispatcher contacted Rusk County to fill them in on Taylor’s possible location. He also said when Rusk County officers arrived at the suspected site, they obtained consent to search and found Taylor.

“It was a collaborative effort between our agency and Rusk County to get someone off the streets that definitely needed to be arrested,” Franklin said.

The original incident involved the murder of 28-year-old Jacksonville resident Kendrick O’Neal. O’Neal was found to have been shot twice in the forehead at Jacksonville’s Sweet Union Apartment complex at around 4 a.m.

According to police records, the suspect has a history of contact with the Jacksonville Police Department dating back to 1997 at 10 years old.

Reece Daniel, Jacksonville police chief, said Taylor has three-and-a-half pages of contacts with the police department in Jacksonville. These range from investigations for assault with bodily injury to evading arrest.

Taylor’s arraignment came from Justice of the Peace Bob Richardson. The warrant for his arrest was signed by Municipal Magistrate Pete Menefee.

Reece Daniel said a key factor in the case might be O’Neal’s girlfriend, who police believe had past involvement with Taylor.