In the late summer of 2014, a quiet Kansas City neighborhood was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of an elderly couple. George Taylor, a man in his 80s, and his 86-year-old wife, Ann, were viciously attacked in the basement of their home on September 2nd. The severe beating left both with critical injuries, necessitating life support to keep them alive.
The alleged perpetrator of this heinous crime was 34-year-old Brandon Howell.
Following the assault on the Taylors, Howell is said to have fatally shot three of their neighbors: 88-year-old Alice Hurst, her 63-year-old son, Darrel Hurst, and 69-year-old Susan Choucroun. He then reportedly fled the scene in the Taylors' SUV. It was a desperate 911 call from Ann Taylor that first alerted authorities to the unfolding tragedy.
A week after the savage attack, the difficult decision was made to remove George and Ann Taylor from life support. They passed away on the same day, a heartbreaking end to their life together. Howell, a convicted felon with a prior history of violence, was apprehended by police shortly after the killings. He was found walking along Interstate 29 with a loaded shotgun in his pants.
Brandon Howell was subsequently charged with a litany of felonies, including three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of the Hursts and Susan Choucroun. Following the deaths of the Taylors, it was anticipated that the charges against him would be amended to reflect their passing as well. The motive for the brutal home invasion and subsequent murders was not immediately clear, though charges of burglary and motor vehicle theft were also filed against Howell.
