In what marked Lexington's first homicide of the year, 27-year-old Helen Taylor was found deceased on Thursday, January 16, 2025. Police were called to the Sportsman Motel on Winchester Road around 11:15 a.m. for a report of 'unknown trouble'. Upon arrival, they discovered Taylor unresponsive inside a motel room. The Fayette County Coroner's Office pronounced her dead at the scene, confirming that she had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The investigation into the death of the Lexington
woman, described by a family member as someone who loved to laugh and enjoyed music, proceeded for several weeks before a suspect was publicly identified. Law enforcement officials obtained a warrant for the arrest of Crista Moreno, a 35-year-old woman, on a murder charge. Moreno was featured as the 'most wanted person of the week' by Bluegrass Crime Stoppers as authorities sought information on her whereabouts.
On Monday, February 24, 2025, Crista Moreno was apprehended in Louisville by the Louisville Metro Police Department. Following her arrest, arrangements were made for Moreno to be extradited to Fayette County to face the murder charge in connection with Helen Taylor's death. Moreno was later indicted on the murder charge in May and pleaded not guilty in June. She is being held on a $1 million cash bond. A motive for the shooting has not yet been released.
