On a grim Christmas Eve in 2023, the body of 34-year-old Levor Taylor, a Black male, was discovered in a ditch in Canton, Mississippi. The tragic finding occurred at the intersection of Dinkins and Jewel Williams streets around 2:15 p.m. after witnesses reported seeing two men moving a body from the trunk of a Ford Fusion and leaving it by the side of the road.
An initial examination by the Canton Police Chief suggested that Taylor had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.
The investigation into Taylor's death quickly led authorities to his roommate, 49-year-old Calvin Jones. During questioning, Jones revealed that Taylor had been involved in a physical altercation with 50-year-old Calvin Prisley on December 23, 2023. According to Jones, the confrontation escalated, and Prisley shot Taylor. Jones then admitted that he assisted Prisley in concealing Taylor's body in the ditch the following day.
Following Jones's confession, both he and Calvin Prisley were arrested for their roles in the death of Levor Taylor. In August 2024, both men pleaded guilty to the charges against them. Calvin Prisley entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder and was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison without the possibility of parole. Calvin Jones pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and received a ten-year prison sentence for his involvement. The guilty pleas brought a close to the case, providing a measure of justice for Levor Taylor's family.
