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"It's definitely not an open-and-shut case," summarized Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks Monday evening after a weekend spent in pursuit of an alleged murderer ended in reported suicide.
Jason Lee Taylor, 38, of 1125 Bells Run Road, Newport, was confirmed dead Monday following a multi-agency manhunt for the man beginning in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Mincks asked for the public's help in locating Taylor Saturday after the death of Linda Gray, 67, was reported to law enforcement by Taylor's wife and Gray's daughter, Sabrina Taylor.
"There's still both autopsies to complete and the investigations to finish," said Mincks.
In addition to the autopsies for both Gray in Washington County and Taylor in Pleasant's County, where Taylor died, allegedly, by suicide, Mincks confirmed ballistics and crime scene investigation must conclude, and a determination upon whether illegal drugs were involved must be made.
"There's a lot of legwork that still needs to be done," Mincks said Monday. "I'd anticipate six to eight weeks before we close the case. There may be some indication of drugs as a factor, specifically meth(amphetamine)."
The following compiles the series of events as reported by Mincks over the ensuing three days:
FRIDAY
"(Sabrina Taylor) works in home health and when she arrived home a quarter 'til midnight at her mother's house -- they were living with her mother -- he was sitting in the dark on the porch and it startled her," Mincks described. "He says 'I've done something bad.'"
Mincks said the death of Gray appears to have been committed with the use of a suppressor on the weapon.
"He proceeds to tell her he shot her mom in the face," said Mincks. "She screamed for her kids, they're 16 and 12, and got them in her car."
SATURDAY -- Early hours after midnight.
Mincks said Jason Taylor then required his wife to drive him to his father's home to get another vehicle.
"Then she was able to get away while following him back to the house and called a family member to call us," said Mincks.
Sabrina Taylor then went to the Washington County Jail parking lot to meet with deputies of the county agency while the special response team was dispatched to the family's residence.
Mincks said by the time the team arrived at the Newport home, Jason Taylor was gone, but the crime scene confirmed Gray's death.
Saturday afternoon
Mincks contacts local media newsrooms to request public aid in locating Jason Taylor.
"There is a large sum of money of hers and two firearms that are missing," said Mincks on Saturday. "So we believe him to be armed and dangerous. We have been scouring the county but have not been able to locate him and we're looking for help from the public but we don't want anyone to approach him. If you know where he is or see him, please call 911.
SUNDAY
Law enforcement agencies in both Ohio and West Virginia shared the all-call for public aid on social media accounts, publishing a photo of Taylor for distribution and urged the public to call 911 if Taylor or the vehicle he was traveling in was spotted.
Then Sunday evening in Pleasant's County, a dispatcher receives the 911 call of a white Buick parked at 17 Griffen Road, St. Marys.
"At about 9 p.m. there was a call made by a resident that the white Buick we put out a description for was seen," said Mincks. "He had pulled into the driveway of that address, but was not inside."
Mincks said the Pleasants County Sheriff's Office and a St. Marys officer were dispatched to the residence and upon arrival of law enforcement, Taylor fled on foot.
"Then as the officers pursued him they heard a gunshot," Mincks described.
Taylor was found deceased, he said.
"It was the same gun that was allegedly used in the murder," said Mincks. "It was a handgun."
With both sheriff's offices cooperating to fill in the details of the incidents, duties to investigate are split.
"(Pleasants County) has the suicide and apprehension investigation and the murder investigation is being handled by the detective bureau of the (Washington County) Sheriff's Office and the uniformed deputies who first answered the calls," Mincks explained.