<b><i>This is the third in a series of stories about four cold case murders under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff's Office.</b></i><br />
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GAINESVILLE - Rashaun Miguel Taylor - known to everyone as Shaun - was just 24-years-old when he was shot to death four days before Christmas in 2013.<br />
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By all accounts, Shaun had everything going for him - he was developing his own clothing line and he was involved in rap promotions in Atlanta.<br />
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"He was an entrepreneur at such a young age," said Hall County Sheriff's Office Lt. Scott Wiley, the lead investigator in Taylor's unsolved murder.<br />
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In addition, Taylor had been a caregiver for five years for the autistic son of a Gainesville school teacher. The boy's grandmother described Taylor as "intelligent, witty and very caring." She said Taylor spent eight hours a day, five days a week with her grandson, participating in activities such as watching television and taking long walks with the dogs. <br />
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There was no indication that Taylor would have been involved with anyone who would have wanted to hurt him, and that, said Wiley at a Monday press conference, is one of a number of elements in the murder case that is puzzling.<br />
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Wiley said the night Taylor was murdered, he was with a friend; the two went to the QuikTrip on Athens Highway in Hall County between 7 and 8 p.m.<br />
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"While they were there at the QuikTrip, he told the friend 'they're here' and wanted him to follow him. Sean then exited the car and went to a black passenger vehicle several spots away from where he and the friend were sitting," said Wiley.<br />
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Wiley said Taylor got into the black passenger vehicle, and it left the convenience store. He said the friend tried to follow the car, but he lost sight of it.<br />
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"The friend tried texting him and Shaun texted back [telling him] to go meet him at the Gainesville High track and wait," said Wiley. "Shaun indicated he would be there in about 20 minutes."<br />
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Wiley said the friend waited for two hours - and Taylor never showed. The friend went home, according to Wiley, and a short time later, Taylor's body was found in the road on Tulip Drive. Investigators said Taylor was shot to death, although they are not revealing how many times he was shot.<br />
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Wiley said when investigators arrived, they found no cell phone and no identification on Taylor. When they questioned the friend, they found out Taylor had left his wallet in the friend's vehicle.<br />
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As far as the occupants of the black passenger car, Wiley said the friend thought there were two men in the car, but he could not give a description to investigators.<br />
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Wiley said Taylor's other friends and family have not been able to shed any light on who the people in the vehicle might have been.<br />
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"I don't think they're holding back - I just think that they do not know," said Wiley.<br />
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The friend who was with Taylor the night he was killed is not considered a suspect, according to Wiley. <br />
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"He was very forthcoming," said Wiley. "He was always willing to talk to us. He would give us leads to say 'you might want to talk to this guy'...and we'd go talk to them."<br />
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But, after more than two years, Hall County investigators are still looking for hard pieces of evidence that will lead them to Shaun Taylor's killer, or killers.<br />
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Anyone who has information on the Taylor case - or any of the other three cold cases under investigation by Hall County - is encouraged to call Lt. Scott Wiley or Hall County's anonymous tip line at (770)503-3232.<br />
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AccessNorthGa.com will profile three other Hall County cold case murders this week.<br />
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Tuesday, February 10: David Sanchez<br />
Wednesday, February 11: Hannah Truelove<br />
Friday, February 13: Holly Strickland
