An Indiana resident, Wyatt Taylor, 28, has been accused of shooting his father, Joshua Taylor, to death at their home, according to court records from Decatur County Superior Court. The incident unfolded in the early hours of a Tuesday morning when Wyatt Taylor made a cryptic phone call to his uncle, asking, “Should I do it or should I go to bed?” The uncle was unable to reach his brother, Joshua Taylor, who was presumed to be at home.
Shortly after the initial call, Wyatt Taylor contacted his uncle again, requesting a ride. The uncle reported to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department that he could hear smoke alarms sounding in the background during the call. Wyatt Taylor refused to put his father on the phone and abruptly ended the call. When the uncle called back, Wyatt Taylor claimed his father was asleep and dismissed the smoke alarms, stating he was merely cooking a pizza.
Despite repeated attempts, the uncle was unable to speak with his brother. Concerned, he called 911 at 12:05 a.m. on Tuesday to request a wellness check at the Taylor residence, located outside Greensburg. He informed the authorities about Wyatt Taylor’s history of depression.
Responding deputies arrived at the scene within 15 minutes and were greeted by Wyatt Taylor in his driveway. He reiterated his earlier claim about cooking a pizza and causing the smoke detectors to go off, insisting there was no need for assistance. The officers left but returned after the uncle requested another check.
On their second visit, the deputies were led into the house by Wyatt Taylor. They found Joshua Taylor’s lifeless body in a first-floor bedroom. Wyatt Taylor allegedly pointed to his father’s body and said, “He’s right there.” The officers confirmed Joshua Taylor’s death, noting gunshot wounds to his head and neck and multiple spent bullet casings in the room.
The officers then conducted a thorough search of the house, during which they found a firearm of the same caliber as the spent casings upstairs, along with an empty magazine that matched the number of spent casings. Wyatt Taylor’s wallet, hat, and a box of the same caliber ammunition were found next to the firearm. There was no evidence of a burnt pizza.
Wyatt Taylor was arrested and taken to the county jail. During an interview with Decatur County Sheriff Bill Meyerrose and a detective, he claimed his father had been displaying gang signs and described him as ‘bipolar’ and ‘very suicidal.’ He also stated that he had been in extreme fear for his life.
An autopsy performed on Wednesday revealed multiple gunshot wounds to Joshua Taylor’s head and neck as the preliminary cause of death. A bullet found in the body matched the casings found at the home. Wyatt Taylor is scheduled for a pretrial conference on Oct. 7, with his jury trial set to begin on Feb. 16 of next year.