Rocky Lane Taylor, 25, was last seen in Fort Pierce, Florida, in May 1988 and was never heard from again. For over three decades, his disappearance was considered a cold case with limited details available to the public. However, the case took a significant turn when human remains, discovered in a citrus grove in St. Lucie County in May 1988, were positively identified as Taylor's in 2021 through DNA testing. This breakthrough shifted the investigation from a missing person case to a homicide.
The remains, found by a man mowing a citrus grove, were in an advanced state of decomposition. Investigators at the time suspected the body might be Taylor's, but a positive identification could not be made. The victim had been shot once in the back and twice in the head with a 20-gauge shotgun, and three shotgun shells were found near the body. Despite having clothing on, there was no identification found with the remains.
In the years following the discovery, investigators received a tip from a witness who had been friends with both Taylor and his then-boyfriend, Michael Lewis Akins. The witness described Taylor and Akins's relationship as tumultuous, marked by frequent physical and verbal fights. He also told investigators that Akins had referred to Taylor as a "user" and a "hustler" and had expressed that he was fed up with being used by Taylor. After the positive identification of Taylor's remains in 2021, the investigation concluded that Akins was the primary suspect in his murder. However, Akins had died of natural causes in 2015, so no arrest could be made. Following the identification, Taylor's remains were returned to his family, and a funeral service was held in his hometown of Dozier, Alabama, 33 years to the day after his body was discovered.
Last Seen: May 01, 1988
