William Desmond Taylor

William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner April 26, 1872 in Carlow, Ireland ? February 1, 1922 in Los Angeles) was a successful US film director and a popular figure in the growing Hollywood film colony of the 1910s and early 20s. He was the victim of a murder that remains officially unsolved.

Theories

Through a combination of poor crime scene management and apparent corruption, much physical evidence was immediately lost and the rest vanished over the years. No court records or police files are known to remain. Various theories were put forward after the murder and in the years since but no hard evidence has ever been uncovered to link the crime to a particular individual.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Theories included Taylor?s jealous and bitter first wife returning to kill him, his current valet killing him to hide evidence of sexual crimes, murder by a disgruntled young man who had offered sexual favors to Taylor only to be rejected, a former valet returning to rob him or exact revenge, an associate from the Canadian Army killing him because of a grudge, Mabel Normand committing a drug-related murder, Mary Miles Minter killing him in a fit of jealousy or her mother Charlotte Shelby killing him out of either maternal sentiment or jealousy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Various books have expounded upon each theory, but no person has ever been charged with the crime and the case remains officially open.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~