In the late morning of March 22, 2018, the city of Gadsden, Alabama, was rattled by a fatal shooting. Myron Henson, a 54-year-old White/Caucasian male, was found lying in the roadway near the intersection of Hoke Street and Elm Street with a gunshot wound. Emergency services were called to the scene around 11:45 AM, but Henson was pronounced dead upon their arrival. The initial investigation led the Gadsden Police Department to believe it may have been a drive-by shooting, and they began searching for a dark-colored sedan seen leaving the area.
For nearly three years, the case of Myron Henson's death remained a painful open wound for his family and the community. Henson was a graduate of Glencoe High School, where he had been a student-athlete, playing both football and basketball. He was also a passionate fan of drag racing and played the guitar. His sudden and violent death left many unanswered questions and a community in shock. The Gadsden Police Department continued their homicide investigation, meticulously gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses in an effort to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting.
A significant breakthrough in the investigation came in February 2021, when authorities announced an arrest in connection with Henson's murder. Jessie James Taylor, of Anniston, Alabama, was taken into custody and charged with murder. Investigators stated that the arrest was the result of persistent investigative work and cooperation from the community. Taylor was subsequently booked into the Etowah County Detention Center. While the arrest brought a sense of closure to Henson's loved ones, the motive behind the shooting remained unclear to the public.
