Killer was promised $500 to shoot Fort Worth drug dealer accused of theft: warrant
A man from Tennessee charged in the shooting death of a Fort Worth drug dealer carried out the killing for payment or promise of payment, authorities allege in court records.
Patrick Aaron Taylor, 30, and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Alexis Warren, were arrested on Dec. 11. The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office has charged them both with capital murder for remuneration.
According to a complaint filed by the DA’s Office in the murder for hire case, Taylor was promised $500 to kill Preston Holmes.
Fort Worth police officers responded to the shooting shortly before 9 p.m. Nov. 14 in the 3800 block of Lauretta Drive, where they found Holmes, 23, had been shot multiple times in front of a house.
A deadly house party
An “impromptu” house party was happening when Holmes and another person had a “loud argument” in the front yard, a Fort Worth police homicide detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit.
Witnesses who were at the party told detectives that a person whose name is redacted from the affidavit was heard telling Holmes to “be a man.” Following the argument, Taylor, who is also known as “Memphis,” fired at least eight rounds at Holmes, witnesses told police.
After shooting Holmes several times, Taylor allegedly stepped away and then turned around and fired more shots into the victim, who was on the ground, according to the affidavit. Taylor then said “I’m a real killer,” witnesses told police.
Taylor left the scene in a gray Infiniti G35 driven by Warren, the affidavit states.
People at the party who heard the gunshots told detectives that they saw Taylor with a black Glock pistol earlier in the evening, and another person also confirmed seeing him with “a pistol concealed under his shirt,” the affidavit states.
Investigators also found eight 9 mm casings fired from a Glock pistol at the scene where Holmes was killed, according to the affidavit.
Victim accused of stealing money from supplier
Detectives reviewed Holmes’ phone and found information indicating that he had been selling drugs for a supplier who accused him of stealing $1,300 on Sept. 27, according to the affidavit.
Detectives also learned that Holmes sent a text message in which he said that someone was trying to have him killed, according to the affidavit.
However, some witnesses told police that the dispute between Holmes and the supplier had been resolved. It’s unclear from the redacted affidavit whether that dispute was connected to the motive for the shooting.
On the night of Nov. 14, Holmes went to the house on Lauretta Drive to “re-up” his drug supply, and he was shot shortly after he arrived, police wrote in the affidavit.
Warren is in custody at the Tarrant County Jail with bond set at $750,000. Taylor was arrested in Memphis and remains in custody at the Shelby County, Tennessee Jail, records show.