In the small community of Alpine, Alabama, William Gerry Taylor, a 73-year-old local business owner, was found dead on June 29, 2021, inside his store, the 4 Way Grocery and Auto Parts on Plant Road. A customer discovered Mr. Taylor unconscious and unresponsive behind the counter at approximately 2 p.m. and immediately called for help. When Talladega County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, they found that Taylor had sustained an apparent gunshot wound. Medical intervention was unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. For 47 years, William 'Paw Paw' Gerry Taylor had been a familiar face to the residents of Alpine, known as the owner and operator of the local grocery.
The investigation into the shooting death of William Gerry Taylor led to the arrests of two local teenagers. On July 20, 2021, seventeen-year-old Lakendrick Jamal Jones of Childersburg was taken into custody. Just over a week later, on July 29, sixteen-year-old Christopher Zavon Jamerson, also from Alpine, was arrested. Both teenagers were charged with capital murder in connection with Mr. Taylor's death. Jamerson was being held at the Talladega County Jail with no bond. At the time of the second arrest, the Talladega County Sheriff's Office indicated that they did not anticipate any further arrests in the case.
