Alleged North Minneapolis Cabbie Killer, Details From The Criminal Complaint...

Photo, blog post by John Hoff 

Samuel Johosephat Taylor stands accused of murdering a cab driver in North Minneapolis. This story has been covered extensively by the mainstream media, click here for an example, but it's often the role of this blog to search for neglected and passed over snippets of information.

In that regard, the whole and unedited criminal complaint is helpful. Click here for the original document placed online by the Hennepin County Attorney. 

Here is the complaint, word for word, with some analysis and commentary tossed into the criminal stew.
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Complainant, Sgt. Christopher Granger of the Minneapolis Police Department, has investigated the facts and circumstances of this offense and believes the following establishes probable cause:

On or about March 14, 2012, officers...



...of the Minneapolis Police Department responded to a shooting in the area of 23rd Avenue and 4th Street North, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The person shot was a taxi cab driver. Dispatch informed responding officers the suspect fled on foot and possibly ran southbound from 23rd Avenue and 6th Street North. The suspect was described as a black male, approximately 6'0" to 6'3," wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and having braids.

Upon responding to the call, officers observed a taxi cab mid-block 6th Street North to 4th Street North.  The driver of the cab was on the ground next to the driver's door of the cab. The driver stated, "Help me, I've been shot." He also stated, "He shot me." The cab driver, who was ultimately identified as W.H., appeared to have a gunshot wound to the chest. W.H. became unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the hospital. An examination by the Medical Examiner's Office concluded that W.H. was shot in the back and the bullet traveled through W.H.'s body, and exited out his chest. The Medical Examiner's Office classified the death as a homicide.

At the scene, officers came into contact with a known witness who reported hearing a gunshot and then a yell for help. After the shot was fired, the known witness saw a black male running towards him on the street. The male was approximately 6'0" to 6'2" with a "thin curved" face. The male was wearing a white shirt and black pants. The known witness reported the male was shoving a gun into the front of his pants as he ran. The male ran southbound in the alley that runs between 6th Street North and Lyndale Avenue North.

Investigation determined that a call for a cab came into the cab company at 9:37 p.m. for a pick up at 3543 6th Avenue North.

(JNS says: Sorry to be the bearer of bad knews, but that address doesn't exist. The complaint form apparently means 3543 6th STREET North, not 6th AVENUE North. This mistake is repeated in the document and I've reproduced the mistake without comment, below. I will tell you the residence at 3543 6th STREET North is owned by Troy Berning, the taxpayer is T & K Investment Properties LLC)

 The call came from a known phone number. Investigation determined that the cab meter was dropped at 9:57 p.m. indicating the fare entered the cab at that time.

Police went to 3543 6th Avenue North and spoke to various people at the address. Multiple people present at the address initially told police they knew nothing about a cab being called to the address.

(JNS says: The legal term for these "multiple people present" is "lying dirt bags.")

Eventually, a known witness informed police that he was at 3543 6th Avenue North when SAMUEL JOHOSEPHAT TAYLOR, the Defendant herein, used a cellular phone to call a taxi cab. The Defendant was not at 3543 6th Avenue North when police went to the address. The phone used by the Defendant had the phone number documented by the cab company as being the number that called for a cab to 3543 6th Avenue North.

The known witness told police that the Defendant was wearing a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans, and that the Defendant had in his possession a handgun when he called for the cab. The known witness told police only the Defendant entered the cab and left in the cab from 3543 6th Avenue North. Investigators checked a police database and determined that the Defendant is 6'3".

In the course of their investigation, police spoke to a known female who reported to police that the Defendant, within hours of the murder, confessed to the witness that he was committing a robbery and he shot somebody.

(JNS wants to know: And how did that WORK as a pickup line?)

The witness informed police that the Defendant stated where on the victim's body the victim was shot and the number of times he shot the victim. The information told to the witness by the Defendant is consistent with the autopsy findings. The known witness also told others, and the police, that the Defendant changed the appearance of his hair because a witness had seen him run from the crime scene. He also washed and bleached his hands.

(JNS blog says: Out, damned spot!)

It was determined through investigation that family members of the Defendant have assisted him in evading capture by providing him money and not being honest with police.

(JNS says: Charge them, too)

The Defendant, through an attorney, was going to turn himself in on a given date, but failed to do so. He eventually turned himself in with the assistance of an attorney and is now presently in custody.