On a cold February evening in 2022, the life of 24-year-old Amber Nicole Willis was tragically cut short in her Tell City, Indiana, home. A graduate of Perry Central High School, Amber was known for her bubbly personality and was a devoted mother to her two young daughters. She had been working at a local restaurant to spend more time with them and was also studying to obtain her real estate license.
The events that led to her untimely death began to unfold late on the night of Saturday,
February 12th. Shortly after 11:00 p.m., the Tell City dispatch received a distressing 911 call reporting that shots had been fired at a residence on Antler Lane. When Perry County deputies and an Indiana State Trooper arrived at the scene, they discovered a shattered glass sliding door and spent bullet casings, hinting at the violence that had occurred. After announcing their presence with no response, the officers entered the home.
Inside, they found Amber Willis in a bedroom, having sustained what appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound; she showed no signs of life. The initial search of the home and the surrounding area did not locate a suspect. As the Indiana State Police began their investigation, they quickly identified Amber's 24-year-old ex-boyfriend, Phillip Taylor, as a person of interest in the shooting.
Believing Taylor to be armed and dangerous, law enforcement agencies worked through the night and into the next morning to locate him. Their search came to an end around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday when they received information that Taylor was possibly in the English, Indiana area. Detectives were able to find and apprehend him without incident. Following his arrest, Phillip Taylor was transported to the Perry County Jail, where he was charged with the murder of Amber Willis and held without bond. The outcome of the legal proceedings that followed, including details of a trial or conviction, are not available in the online sources reviewed.
