Five facing life in prison for cold-case kidnap and murder of Philadelphia man

Five men are facing life in prison after being charged with the kidnap and murder of a Philadelphia man. Shamari Taylor , 38, and his then-21-year-old girlfriend were kidnapped from West Philly by men pretending to be police.

The kidnap took place on August 26, 2006. Taylor’s girlfriend was released by her captors several hours later, but Taylor remained missing until August 21, 2018, when his remains were discovered in a shallow grave in North Philly .

“Anyone who commits a heinous crime and is still walking free years later might just assume they’ve gotten away with it,” said US Attorney Romero. “They should think again. We and our law enforcement partners will doggedly pursue justice for victims of violence and accountability for the perpetrators — no matter how long it may take.”

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An investigation revealed that in the summer of 2006, at least nine men conspired to rob Taylor of cocaine and drug proceeds, and in doing so, some of them disguised themselves as cops with fake badges, police lights, and firearms.

As part of the conspiracy , Taylor and his girlfriend were abducted and transported to a warehouse in North Philly where Taylor was interrogated and tortured in an effort to find out where he stored cocaine and money.

Taylor was then suffocated to death and his body was dumped in Fairmount Park . Several days later, four of the kidnappers moved Taylor’s body, burying him in a vacant lot in North Philly that is now a high school parking lot.

On the day after the abduction, Taylor’s family home in West Philly was ransacked by two armed men who shot Taylor’s mother and sister in their heads. Both women survived.

In September 2006, Kenneth Tuck was charged in connection with the kidnapping . He was acquitted of all charges after two trials in 2008. During that period, no one else was charged in connection with the kidnapping or death.

The investigation revealed that Tuck was recruited to join the conspiracy plot to kidnap and rob Taylor while posing as a police officer, and that Kevin Holloway and his drug-dealing associates, Mark Scott and Linton Mathis, took part in the kidnapping and murdered Taylor in the warehouse after torturing him.

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Taylor’s friend, Atiba Wicker, and another acquaintance helped plan the crime , in part, by luring Taylor to the abduction site. Tuck's relative then bribed a witness who testified at Tuck’s state trial in 2007, and that witness along with other witnesses provided false testimony supporting Tuck’s alibi for the evening Taylor was abducted.

“Today's charges are the culmination of years of relentless pursuit of justice for Shamari Taylor and his loved ones,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. “The nature of this crime , with its elaborate planning, impersonation of police officers, and brutal execution, shows officials' commitment to bring closure to cold cases."

Kevin Holloway, 45, Mark Scott, 48, Linton Mathis, 50, Atiba Wicker, 47, and Kenneth Tuck, 51 were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death , kidnapping resulting in death, and aiding and abetting.

If convicted, the men face a maximum possible sentence of mandatory life imprisonment .

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