North Carolina – In a deeply unsettling case out of North Carolina, a 34-year-old man, identified as B. Taylor, faces severe legal consequences for the murder of his girlfriend and her two young children. Autopsies reveal a grim scenario involving fatal doses of fentanyl, adding a disturbing layer to an already heinous crime.
Taylor is charged with three counts each of first-degree murder and concealment of/failure to report death. The victims, 22-year-old M. Johnson and her children, a 4-year-old daughter, identified as Miracle, and a 7-month-old son, identified as Messiah, were found murdered under horrific circumstances. Their bodies were discovered with diapers and blankets wrapped around their heads. Autopsy reports indicated that Johnson and her children died from fentanyl toxicity. Johnson’s liver contained a very high level of fentanyl, along with traces of naloxone, an opioid-reversal drug. Miracle’s autopsy showed signs of physical restraint and fentanyl in the system, while Messiah had additional substances, including cocaine and diphenhydramine, in his system.
The last confirmed sighting of Johnson and her children was on January 20. Subsequent communications received by Johnson’s family were suspicious, prompting a missing persons report on March 3. Attempts to contact or locate Johnson at her residence were initially unsuccessful. Surveillance footage later obtained by police showed Taylor leaving the state on a bus shortly after the triple homicide. The breakthrough came on March 15 when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Johnson’s apartment. They discovered Johnson’s body concealed within a plastic bin, with her head covered with plastic bags and diapers. The chilling setup also included air fresheners and multiple fans, likely attempts to mask the foul odor.
The children were found in the trunk of Taylor’s car, concealed in plastic bags inside gym bags. Taylor was arrested on March 18 in California, near the U.S.-Mexico border, with the help of the sheriff’s office and the FBI. He was subsequently extradited back to North Carolina and is currently held without bond in jail. According to reports, Johnson and her two children relocated from South Carolina to Taylor’s apartment in late 2023. Taylor and Johnson were romantically involved, but Taylor was not the biological father of either child.
The case has sparked widespread condemnation, particularly due to the young ages of the victims and the manner in which the crimes were concealed. Police Chief J. Jennings expressed his personal and professional dismay at the press conference following the discovery. The community and Johnson’s family are grappling with the unbearable weight of the tragedy. Family members have publicly mourned the profound loss of life and called for the most severe penalties under the law, including the death penalty for Taylor. The case continues to unfold, with all eyes on the upcoming court proceedings and the potential for a death penalty debate in the courtroom.
