On the evening of January 15, 2020, 32-year-old Desergio Taylor, a father of four and a Clarksville native, was shot multiple times inside his home on Bennett Drive. He was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where he succumbed to his injuries. Taylor was known as a family man, one of six siblings, who was passionate about sports and dreamed of opening his own restaurant. He had a love for football, having played semi-pro for the Tri-City Outlaws, and was an avid fan of the Tennessee Titans.
The investigation into the death of the male victim led Clarksville Police to two suspects: Marc Crowder and Decory Smith. According to witness accounts, Smith and Crowder were willingly allowed into the residence. Shortly after entering, one of the men was heard saying, 'You know what this is,' followed by the sound of multiple gunshots. The two men then fled the scene in a gray Jeep Cherokee, leaving Taylor mortally wounded. The motive for the attack was determined to be a planned robbery. Text messages indicated that Smith intended to 'hit a lick' that night, and phone records showed he had called Taylor just minutes before the murder.
Both Crowder and Smith were also wounded during the incident, as Taylor's brother, who was present in the apartment, returned fire. After fleeing, the suspects forced Crowder's girlfriend, Ricki Adkins, to drive them to the hospital. Following their release from medical care, both Marc Crowder, then 35, and Decory Smith, then 34, were arrested and charged with criminal homicide. Smith faced an additional charge for a probation violation. Adkins was later charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence for allegedly attempting to destroy evidence. However, in exchange for her testimony, the charges against Adkins were ultimately dropped.
In February 2024, nearly four years after the fatal shooting, Marc Crowder and Decory Smith were brought to trial. A jury found both men guilty of first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery. The convictions brought a long-awaited sense of justice to the family of Desergio Taylor.
