In the small community of Walterboro, South Carolina, a tragic event unfolded on November 23, 2019, leading to the death of 31-year-old Shawn Maurice Taylor. A skilled master framer in the construction industry, Taylor was known for his ability to build homes from the ground up and his deep love for his children and family. He was a man who would readily give of himself to anyone he felt was in need.
On that Saturday, shortly after noon, emergency services were dispatched to a singlewide
mobile home located in the 15000 block of Round O Road following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, firefighter-paramedics discovered a man who was not breathing and immediately began resuscitation efforts. He was quickly transported by ambulance to the Colleton County Medical Center, with additional personnel on board to continue providing care. Despite the relentless efforts of the emergency responders and the medical staff at the hospital, Shawn Taylor was pronounced dead at 12:57 p.m. The Colleton County Coroner later reported that Taylor had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his torso.
At the scene of the shooting, law enforcement took 48-year-old Joseph Edward Moore Jr., a resident of nearby Round O, into custody. An investigation into the incident suggested that Moore had allegedly shot Taylor in the back with a 12-gauge shotgun. While Moore reportedly claimed to investigators that the shooting was an accident, the Colleton County Sheriff's Department found probable cause to file serious charges against him due to further investigation and conflicting accounts of the incident.
Joseph Edward Moore Jr. was subsequently booked into the Colleton County Detention Center. He faced charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. During a bond hearing held on the afternoon of November 24, 2019, in Colleton County Magistrate Court, Moore was ordered to be held without bond. In South Carolina, a magistrate is not authorized to set a bond for a murder charge; this decision can only be made by a circuit court judge.
