An Amarillo man is accused of killing his pregnant wife.
Allen Taylor, 45, is formally charged with capital murder in the August 2015 death of Joyce Taylor, 26.
This is the second indictment for Allen Taylor who was previously charged with tampering with a human corpse.
Police had been investigating this case as a homicide since the discovery of the body but, could not nail down the exact cause of death.
The autopsy indicates Joyce Taylor was suffocated but her death also allegedly led to the death of her unborn child. That’s the reason for the capital murder charge.
Joyce Taylor’s body was originally found in a bedroom inside this home last August.
Investigators say it appears the body had been hidden in the room.
The body was discovered when the victim’s mother came to visit and detected a foul odor.
The Randall county District Attorney’s office says the body had been there for several days and was badly decomposed.
Assistant D.A. Robert Love says it was more than the autopsy that led to the capital murder charge.
“There were a number of factors that gave us the cause of death.” Love said. “Witness interviews, scene photographs and the autopsy as well was part of the decision that led us to believe what the cause of death was.”
Allen Taylor is being held on $100,000 bond on the capital murder charge. He also has a $50,000 bond on the original charge of tampering with evidence with the intention of hampering an investigation.
Since it is a capital murder case, Taylor could be facing the death penalty, but the D.A.’s office says they will not seek that punishment. He could however, be facing up to life in prison without parole.
(Information from MyHighPlains.com)