The Murder of Whitney Gray
For this case, I watched an episode of See No Evil. It’s season 12 episode 9, titled ‘Not a Social Person.’
A young mother of 2 is shot in front of her children.
Background
Whitney Gray was a 22-year-old mother of 2 young children, who were just 3 years old and 6 months old at the time. Whitney lived in Independence, Missouri with her children and boyfriend.
Whitney’s family said that she loved her children more than anything. They also said she had a good heart and good morals.
Whitney Gray
The 911 Call
On October 16, 2016, a 911 call came in around 7:38 pm. The caller said there had been a shooting between 2 motorists. The only other information that the police received was that a woman had been shot and was in distress.
When the police arrived at the scene, Whitney’s teenage niece and 2 young children were still in the car. Whitney had been shot in the middle of her chest and passed away at the scene.
The police learned from witnesses that there had been an altercation between Whitney and another vehicle. The other driver had cut Whitney off, shot her, and fled in a white truck or SUV.
The shooting had occurred a few blocks away from where Whitney’s car was found. A single bullet casing was found on the road. Whitney’s car had ended up in a residential area. After Whitney was shot, her niece was able to grab the wheel and guide the car onto the lawn of a home. She and the children were unharmed.
The Surveillance Footage
The police canvassed the area in search of surveillance cameras. They located one home that was about 100 yards away from where Whitney’s car was found.
The video was blurry, but Whitney’s car could be seen coming to a stop around 7:38 pm. Just a few seconds later, a white SUV passed by the camera after the shooting. The camera was too blurry to capture a license plate number.
At the station, the police interviewed Whitney’s niece for more information. She was in shock. She said that another car had been tailgating them and had passed them. She admitted to throwing a cup of liquid at the car as it passed them. She then heard the gunshot when they pulled up to the light.
They had been on their way home from the grocery store, Price Chopper.
Whitney was seen on surveillance footage walking into the grocery store with her kids and niece. There was no altercation inside the grocery store between Whitney and anyone. They were in the store for a few minutes and left around 7:30 pm.
The White SUV
Just after Whitney pulled out of the parking lot, the white SUV came into view and could be seen driving behind her. The SUV had to slow down as Whitney had pulled in front of them.
The police also obtained surveillance footage from the Taco Bell directly across the street from the grocery store.
They also found surveillance cameras from a QuikTrip about 3-4 miles south of Price Chopper. Luckily, the white SUV, which they identified as a white Toyota Sequoia pulled into the parking lot about 10 minutes before the shooting.
A white male could be seen getting out of the car wearing a hat. The man left without purchasing anything. Based on his body language, the police determined that he was angry. The QuikTrip was closing the next day so they didn’t have much merchandise left on the shelves. The police were able to get a clear shot of him and capture the license plate number on his car.
The police ran the license plate number. The address listed was an apartment in Independence and was registered to James Taylor.
The Suspect
A team of undercover police officers surveilled the apartment complex where James lived. As the police approached him, he told them that they were probably looking for his son, Chris. He cooperated and went to the police station for an interview.
At the police station, James said it was hard for him to think that he had a son who was “wanted for something like this.” James had seen the news and saw a clip of the story that the police released.
James described Chris as being anti-government, a prepper, and a survivalist. He described him as not being very social, hence where the episode title came from.
James told the police that he was surprised when Chris wanted to enlist in the military but thought that it was very honorable. James said Chris worked after he left the military, and he thought everything was fine.
James said he didn’t know where Chris was, but that a lot of his personal property, including a handgun and camping gear, and his car were gone.
James said he believed Chris was hiding from them in the woods.
The Manhunt
James revealed that he had purchased the car from a buy-here-get-here car lot. The lot was known to put GPS devices on their cars in case one of the buyers missed a payment.
The police contacted the car lot and they revealed that the car was in Rapid City, South Dakota. The car was located at a La Quinta hotel. The Rapid City police were contacted.
Chris’ white Sequoia was located in the La Quinta parking lot. Chris had checked into a room under his name.
The police came up with a ruse to stage a car to ram into Chris’ car. They hoped this would eliminate any chance that Chris would have to shoot at them. A SWAT team had quietly gone door to door to get the other guests out of the building. The front desk contacted his room and told him about the car accident.
The ruse worked and Chris Taylor was arrested as he left his hotel room. He and his vehicle were taken into custody. The police located the handgun, a rifle, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and bows and arrows.
Chris admitted to the Rapid City police to shooting Whitney.
Chris Taylor
Justice for Whitney
At Chris’ trial, the surveillance footage laid out the events that occurred leading up to the shooting.
Chris was angry about not finding what he wanted at QuikTrip. He left at a high-rated speed and had to slow down after Whitney pulled out in front of him. He pulled next to Whitney and an argument started. A cup of liquid was thrown which angered him even more, and he shot her.
Chris’ defense argued that the shooting was involuntary as Chris had panicked. They said that his military training had caused him to pull the trigger. He was sentenced to 7 years for involuntary manslaughter and 17 years for armed criminal action, which will run concurrently.
Other
I have linked the Justice for Whitney petition on Change.org.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Whitney’s family is very angry about the sentence which is understandable because I also agree that it is a bullshit sentence. Chris Taylor knew what he was doing. He was pissed that he didn’t get his way and was even angrier when he had to slow down to drive behind Whitney. Of course, she was driving slowly, she was in the car with her children and niece. He may not have known that there were children in the car, but he didn’t care about anyone but himself when he shot through the car. My heart breaks for Whitney and her family and will make me think twice about getting angry if I get stuck behind a slower driver.
I do also have to say, I did have sympathy for Chris’ dad, James. James knew that his son was not a very social person, but probably never thought he would do this. He seemed very heartbroken over Whitney losing her life at the hands of his son.
Sources
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article217271870.html
https://www.change.org/p/mike-parson-justice-for-whitney-gray-c652f6c4-b165-4ca1-b306-189aa8d912d7
