Jasper Taylor, a 74-year-old African American man from Dayton, Ohio, tragically passed away on August 10, 2016. He was fatally shot along with two other individuals, Tammy Cox, 53, and Michael Cox, 25, inside a home on Oxford Avenue in Dayton. The suspect, Muhammad Shabazz Ali, 61, was later arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder, including the deaths of Taylor, Cox, and Cox.
The incident began when Ali, who had a history of mental health issues, visited Day-Mont Behavioral
Health Care earlier that day and exhibited erratic behavior, including throwing chairs and repeatedly yelling that he wanted his medication. Police took Ali to Grandview Medical Center for a mental evaluation, but he was released a few hours later. Shortly after his release, Ali returned to Day-Mont with a handgun and committed the triple homicide.
The family of Jasper Taylor filed a lawsuit against Grandview Medical Center and Day-Mont Behavioral Health Care, seeking access to Ali's medical records to understand why he was released despite his agitated state. The lawsuit alleged that the premature release of Ali led to the tragic deaths of Taylor, Cox, and Cox. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Ali, who faces 28 charges, including 10 counts of murder.
The case has not yet been presented to a grand jury, and the investigation continues to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the deaths of Jasper Taylor and the other victims.
