On April 25, 2014, police responded to a residence at 850 Beard Street in the Southwest/Delray area of Detroit and found 35-year-old William Taylor dead. The Detroit Police Department classified the death as a homicide, but initial public reports did not disclose specifics such as whether Taylor was shot or suffered other trauma.

Investigators canvassed the densely populated neighborhood, collected evidence and interviewed potential witnesses, but the inquiry produced no immediate leads identifying a suspect. No arrests or publicly named suspects have been announced, and the case is listed among cold cases. Family members and community advocates have periodically renewed calls for information that could break the case.

If anyone in Southwest Detroit remembers something about William Taylor or that April day in 2014, please come forward with tips that might help investigators.