Bloomingdale man accused of killing disabled nephew back in Illinois
Bail was set at $2 million Saturday for a Bloomingdale man charged in the slaying of his blind and disabled nephew, authorities said Sunday.
Dominick Taylor, 50, of the 200 block of Freeport Drive, faces two counts of first-degree murder stemming from the April 26 death of Damian B. Scott.
Authorities say Taylor fled to East Lansing, Michigan, after the killing, but was captured two days later and had been fighting extradition until his return to DuPage County on Saturday.
According to the DuPage County state's attorney's office, Taylor's wife discovered the lifeless body of Scott, 43, in his bedroom at the home they all shared. She immediately called the Bloomingdale Police Department, who initiated an investigation.
Prosecutors say that in the early morning hours that day, Taylor, who was Scott's full-time caretaker for more than a decade, strangled his nephew to death in the victim's bedroom. After killing Scott, who was unable to walk, Taylor took cash from his wife's bank account, turned off his cellphone and purchased a one-way Amtrak ticket from Chicago to East Lansing, without notifying his wife or family, authorities allege.
Scott was brought to Glen Oaks Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed a deep-tissue hemorrhage around Scott's hyoid bone, which is consistent with manual strangulation, prosecutors say. The exam also identified a healed fracture around the thyroid cartilage that was determined to be evidence of a prior strangulation, authorities said.
Taylor was taken into custody April 28 on a local warrant in Michigan. He refused extradition and a Governor's Warrant was approved, clearing the way for his return.
"Domestic violence comes in many forms," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release Sunday. "What I find particularly disturbing in this case however, is the fact that as Damien's caretaker, Mr. Taylor was responsible for the safety and well-being of Damien. His mission was to protect Damien's life, not take it, as alleged in this case."
DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen praised the work of Deputy Coroner Michael Hutchens and staff in the investigation.
"In the course of a post mortem examination, Chief Forensic Pathologist Hilary McElligott M.D. used her extensive training and experience to identify signs of strangulation and alerted officials of her finding that this case was a homicide," he said.