Crystal Taylor Murder A Pregnant Woman Was Murdered By Her Man

Crystal Taylor murder case, a state proceeding court panel upheld the conviction of two men for the contract killings of a pregnant lady and her unborn son outside Hawthornes apartment in 2001. With so much to glance further to in life, along with giving birth to her baby boy, 27-year-old and 22-week pregnant Crystal Taylor

Crystal Taylor murder case, a state proceeding court panel upheld the conviction of two men for the contract killings of a pregnant lady and her unborn son outside Hawthorne’s apartment in 2001.

With so much to glance further to in life, along with giving birth to her baby boy, 27-year-old and 22-week pregnant Crystal Taylor was assassinated in her apartment complex in broad daytime. 

In the chapter ‘One Moment’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the spectators are taken straight to the core of the murder case as Taylor’s sisters do everything they can to track down the criminal. 

It also provides complicated information about the investigation that followed.

Crystal Taylor murder case – How did she die?

In 2001, soon after Crystal began dating Derek Paul Smyer, she got pregnant with their first infant.

Despite that, the pair apparently had many disputes about the pregnancy, which did not rest well with the latter. He seemingly wanted her to abort the unborn baby.

Taylor was determined to continue. On an allegedly regular day, on September 25, 2001, she headed out of her Hawthorne apartment complex.

Crystal Taylor was likely moving to her vehicle to go to the workplace when she and her unborn baby got gunned down by an unknown man in her apartment. 

The very first eyewitness hurried to the spot, but it was too late, as neither the unborn baby boy nor the mother survived the assault. 

Then, law enforcement began looking for evidence that might guide them to the murderer and interviewed the public in the apartment complex.

California’s Second District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s disagreement

The three-justice panel from CA’s second District Court of Appeal refused the defense’s disagreement that there was an oversight in the La Superior Court trial of Skyler Moore and Derek Paul Smyer.

Derek Smyer, whose public prosecutor said he planned the contract killing, was sentenced to first-degree murder for the unborn child’s death and second-degree murder of his girlfriend, Crystal Taylor, on September 25, 2001, who had rebuffed his demand that she get an abortion.

Juries also found him guilty of two counts of solicitation of murder, Crystal Taylor murder was one of them, and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, along with finding true special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and killing for financial gain.

However, behind bars in state jail for an unrelated murder, Skyler Moore confessed to LA police officers that he had killed the 27-year-old lady at Derek Smyer’s behest. 

He was condemned to one count of conspiracy and two counts of first-degree murder.

Both murderers are serving life prison sentences without the possibility of parole.

The proceeding court panel rejected the defense’s contention that there was insufficient evidence to support Derek Smyer’s conviction, noting that his motive was “show by his complaints about Crystal’s pregnancy to her and to her co-worker” and that “the corroborating evidence amply demonstrated Smyer’s motive and ability to solicit Crystal’s murder.”

The jurors noted that an ex-girlfriend of Derek Smyer, Traci Williamson, had been assaulted by someone she later saw with Skyler while she was pregnant after he had asked her to get an abortion.

When his ex-girlfriend, Traci was 7-8 months pregnant with his son, she was attacked by an unknown man with a knife in April 1998.

Fortunately, she and the unborn baby survived the attack.

The legal proceeding court panel of the Crystal Taylor murder case also rejected Derek Smyer’s contention that juries should not have heard about his November 2011 interview, one of three with LA police, while he was serving a life prison term for the assassination of an opponent gang member.

Skyler’s trial lawyer, Richard Everett, informed the jury that there was “little or no evidence” that Skyler knew Derek Smyer and “no physical evidence to tie Mr. Skyler Moore to the murder of Crystal Taylor.”

Richard contended that his client was in solitary confinement in state prison while serving in jail in the unrelated killing case when investigators went to interview him.

The investigators told his client they could help get better living conditions in prison if he cooperated with the investigation.

Richard said Skyler hoped to cash some of the benefits they were offering and gave a ‘false confession.’

Skyler’s lawyer said, “Mr. Skyler Moorre did not kill Crystal Taylor.”

The motive behind the murder – Why was Crystal killed?

Prosecutors told judges that the woman’s pregnancy was the main motive for the murder and that Derek needed someone else to do it for him.

According to the prosecutors, the two murderers met at the basketball courts at Anderson Park in Redondo Beach.

Deputy District Attorney Rosa Zavala told jurors that Skyler was a member of the East Coast branch of a Southern CA gang and new to the area.

Zavala said during her opening statement that Derek was looking to build a reputation for Skyler and offered to kill his girlfriend, Crystal Taylor, in exchange for Derek Smyer’s loyalty.

Calvin Schneider III, Derek Smyer’s trial attorney, said just after the jurors’ verdict that he thought it was “clear that somebody else committed the crime and that he was “disappointed that the juries did not find that there was reasonable doubt.”

In June 2017, at Derek Paul Smyer’s sentencing, La Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen said, “You know, to murder a lover is terrible. But to destroy the most innocent of innocents is the ultimate evil and that cannot be forgiven.” 

One of the Crystal Taylor sisters, Michelle, said that it gave her pride to see Derek Smyer in orange prison apparel.

She told the judge, “I pray that he never gets out. My family was destroyed.”

Crystal Taylor’s other sister, Monica Walker, spoke directly to Derek, telling him that he killed her sister for nothing. Her sister did not want anything from you… “What kind of monster are you?”

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