In the small town of Vivian, Louisiana, a late-night social gathering turned deadly, leaving a young man dead and another facing a lifetime behind bars. The victim was identified as 24-year-old James Carroll, a male resident of Vivian.
On the evening of Wednesday, March 30, 2016, Carroll was with a group of friends at the Monterrey Hills Apartments. Among them was 18-year-old James Taylor III, also from Vivian.
According to the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, Carroll and Taylor left the apartment complex together at some point during the evening. When they returned, a disagreement erupted between them.
The argument escalated, and Taylor is said to have sought out Carroll at the apartment complex. Around 10:30 p.m., Taylor allegedly produced a pistol and fired twice at Carroll, striking him between the apartment buildings. After the shooting, Taylor fled the scene in a tan Crown Victoria.
An investigation was immediately launched, and detectives later found Taylor's abandoned vehicle at the intersection of I-220 and I-20 in Shreveport. In the early hours of Thursday morning, authorities located Taylor hiding in a south Shreveport apartment complex and took him into custody without incident. He was subsequently booked into the Caddo Correctional Center on a charge of second-degree murder. In June of 2016, a Caddo Parish Grand Jury formally indicted James Taylor III for the second-degree murder of James Carroll.
