In the early morning hours of a Friday in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the life of 26-year-old Daniel Glenn Tahoe Speck was tragically cut short. On July 12, 2019, police responded to a call and found Speck lying in an alleyway on the 800 block of 8th Street. He had sustained a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen. Emergency services transported him to Jane Phillips Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the homicide quickly identified
two initial persons of interest, 23-year-old Dalton Scott Taylor and 32-year-old Stoney Andrew Bowlin. Witnesses reported seeing a white 2008 Chevrolet pickup truck leaving the scene. Authorities located the vehicle and also recovered a single shotgun shell and the victim's cell phone from the alley. The motive for the meeting between Speck and the suspects in the alley remained a key focus for investigators.
Dalton Scott Taylor eventually turned himself in to the Bartlesville Police. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of Daniel Speck. Three other individuals were also implicated for their roles after the fact. Steven Morris, 36, faced charges for allegedly hiding the Chevrolet pickup used by Taylor and for possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction. Another individual, Bryan Daniel, was also charged with possession of a firearm after a former conviction. Additionally, 20-year-old Felicity Covington was charged as an accessory for reportedly assisting Taylor in his attempt to flee the area by driving him to a truck stop in Tulsa.
The legal proceedings culminated in a trial for Dalton Taylor. In September 2021, a jury found Taylor guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter in connection with Daniel Speck's death. He was sentenced to serve 26 years in prison. Two of the co-defendants in the case had previously entered guilty pleas to lesser charges related to the incident.
