Bethany Police Identify Suspect In Connection To 2021 Murder

Bethany Police have identified a suspect from a 2021 homicide. Joseph Taylor is wanted on a first-degree murder complaint, accused of killing his uncle two years ago.

Police say Taylor is a transient that’s been seen between Oklahoma City and Spencer.

“He was a person of interest, but now we believe there's enough to charge him with homicide,” said Lt. Brady Schmiedeberg, Investigations Division with Bethany Police Department.

Police believe that Taylor murdered 43-year-old Clifton Taylor. 

“In June of 2021, there were human remains found in the city of Bethany, and there were injuries consistent with homicide,” Lt. Schmiedeberg.

According to an affidavit filed this week, Clifton was found in a pit in his backyard, and had suffered from “multiple blunt force injuries and sharp force injury.”

Court documents reveal details in the case leading police back to Joseph Taylor.

“There were some developments in evidence over the last couple of years that led us to Joseph Taylor,” said Lt. Schmiedeberg.

The documents detail Clifton's last phone call that was made to Adult Protective Services around his time of death. 

The documents say:

“Clifton then starts saying “Don’t come near me, don’t come near me.” Then it sounds like a physical altercation with Clifton Taylor stating, “Joseph stop stop stop” Clifton Taylors tone of voice sounded as if he is whimpering before Clifton Taylor goes silent and the line is disconnected.”

Bethany Police interviewed Joseph Taylor in June of 2021. At the time, he was in custody at the Oklahoma County Detention Center on an unrelated charge.

Taylor told police that Clifton “always had a death wish.”

Court documents say Taylor knew “how the pit was arranged, where the knife was located and the description of the knife.” They also say, “Joseph was not told about Clifton being deceased or any details as to the scene and details were not released to the media.”

“He knew details about the crime scene that no one else would have known,” said Lt. Schmiedeberg.

In an interview last March, Taylor's father told police that Joseph admitted to the murder; saying “he said that he killed him on accident and then panicked,” according to court documents.

Taylor was released from Oklahoma County Detention Center after serving time on the unrelated charge. When News 9 asked the police where Taylor had been all this time, Lt. Schmiedeberg said, “He's just been walking around town.”

Now, the police believe they have what they need to charge Taylor for this murder and are working to track him down. Oklahoma City Police and other surrounding area law enforcement agencies are working with Bethany Police to track down Joseph Taylor.

“Everyone's looking for him right now so that's our major focus is locating him right now so nothing else happens to anybody else,” said Lt. Schmiedeberg.

Police say if you see Joseph Taylor, do not approach him and call 911.