On August 4, 1972, Paul Corbett, a 67-year-old white male and retired insurance executive, was murdered in his home in Barrington Hills, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The tragedy unfolded when four armed men—Donald Taylor, Reuben Taylor, Michael Clark, and Nathaniel Burse—arrived at the Corbett residence under the pretense of asking for directions. All four were young Black males in their early twenties and Vietnam War veterans. They were reportedly affiliated with a loosely organized militant group known as De Mau Mau, which had been implicated in other violent crimes across Illinois.
The assailants forced their way into the home and held Corbett, his 58-year-old wife Marion her 22-year-old daughter Barbara Boand, and Marion’s 60-year-old sister Dorothy Derry at gunpoint. The victims were corralled into the pantry, where the telephone cord was ripped out and demands for money and jewelry were made. After the family dog began barking, Donald Taylor threw a knife at it. When Barbara Boand protested, she was shot in the chest by Reuben Taylor. The remaining victims, including Paul Corbett, were executed with gunshots to the back of the head.
The bodies were discovered later that evening by Anthony Boand, Barbara’s brother, who had come to return a borrowed car. The brutality of the crime shocked the community and was described by law enforcement as “wholesale slaughter.” The incident shattered the perception of suburban safety and triggered widespread fear and increased security measures among residents.
Following the murders, all four suspects were arrested and charged. Donald Taylor admitted to shooting three of the victims. The suspects were bound over to a grand jury and eventually convicted in 1974. Donald and Reuben Taylor, along with Michael Clark, received sentences exceeding 100 years. Nathaniel Burse was later killed while in custody at Lake County Jail. Donald Taylor died in prison in 1991. Reuben Taylor was paroled in 2018, and Michael Clark followed in 2019. No further details about their lives post-parole were publicly available.
The murders were widely believed to be racially motivated, with Cook County Sheriff Richard Elrod suggesting that racial hatred may have played a central role. The case drew comparisons to the Manson Family killings and contributed to a climate of racial tension and fear in the Chicago suburbs. The randomness and brutality of the crime left a lasting impact on the community and served as a grim reminder that no area is immune to violence.
