Mantachie, Mississippi, saw its first murder in more than forty years on July 12, 2015, when 27-year-old Andre’ Stephone ’Dre’ Taylor Jr. was shot and killed on Museum Drive. Born in Memphis on September 2, 1987, Taylor had recently moved to the town and was a father to two daughters. What began as a plan to steal marijuana escalated into a fatal armed robbery that night.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Itawamba County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service investigated the case and arrested five people within 48 hours. Demarco Kelly, Tyjuan C. Metcalf, Tyandre D. Thomas, Kyra E. McClenton, and Tonisha A. Johnson were all charged with capital murder and denied bond at their initial appearance.

The cases were later severed. In May 2019, Demarco Kelly was tried and a jury convicted him of capital murder for Taylor’s death during a burglary; the court sentenced Kelly to life without parole. If anyone knew Andre Taylor, his movements in Mantachie, or has information about that night, please come forward.