A federal jury in the Eastern District of Oklahoma has delivered a guilty verdict in the case of Elijha Dewayne Taylor, 34, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, who was accused of committing first-degree murder in Indian Country.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the jury found Taylor guilty of one count of Murder in the First Degree in Indian Country, one count of Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), and one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The jury trial began on Monday, April 22, 2024, and concluded on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with the guilty verdicts. The government presented evidence that on March 4, 2023, Taylor approached a Muskogee apartment building, entered an apartment, and then intentionally shot the victim with a .22 firearm before fleeing. The victim later died at an area hospital.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The crimes occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Lorenz and Gregory Dean Burris represented the United States in this case. The case is a grim reminder of the devastating impact of violent crime in our communities and highlights the importance of law enforcement’s tireless efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
Related Federal Cases
- Broken Bow Killer Sentenced to 14 Years for Second-Degree Murder · Mississippi
- Violent Crime Spikes in Indian Country · Mississippi
- Seminole Man Sentenced for Murder · Mississippi
- Inmate Kenneth Thomas Gets 22 Years for Prison Murder · Mississippi
- Murderer Taylor Sentenced to Justice · Mississippi
Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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