Taylor Meyer, a 34-year-old man from Indiana, is accused of killing his 36-year-old wife, Deborah Meyer, on Valentine’s Day after he allegedly became upset by her reaction to his romantic gesture. Their three children were asleep in the home during the slaying.
On Friday, February 14, Jeffersonville Police Department officers were called to the couple’s home, located in the 6600 block of Westwood Drive, after someone contacted authorities and claimed Deborah was in danger. The individual reportedly got a call from her phone and heard her screaming.
Despite the officers knocking numerous times, no one answered the door at Taylor and Deborah’s residence. Then, the caller who’d alerted police arrived on the scene, showing authorities the heinous photo they’d received via text.
The image, sent from Deborah’s cell phone, showed her body lying on the floor. The picture was captioned, “Your fault.”
The police entered the couple’s home and found Taylor, who was reportedly aggressive and non-compliant. They were forced to use “control techniques” to bring him into custody.
Deborah’s remains were also discovered, and her body appeared to have been stabbed approximately 40 times. Their three kids, all under 5 years old, were unharmed.
Taylor allegedly confessed to murdering his wife during an interview with investigators. He detailed how their marriage had been rocky since January when he supposedly saw a picture of Deborah holding hands with another man, her “coworker.”
He suspected Deborah was having an affair with this man, whose name was reportedly saved under the contact “My Best Friend Emily” on her cell phone. Yet, on February 14, Taylor told the police he “arranged a Valentine’s Day celebration.”
The evening had a theme: “Bringing Paris to you.” Taylor purchased a new dress for his wife, got dinner, and had their kids draw pictures of the Eiffel Tower to serve as decorations. Additionally, he reportedly gave Deborah a card and danced with her to their wedding song.
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“It was the hardest I’ve ever tried,” Taylor allegedly stated during the interview, going on to insinuate that Deborah didn’t care.
According to Taylor, they got into a fight after dinner, and she left the house for around 20 minutes “right when [her] boyfriend [got] off work.”
“For the last two months, I’ve been staying home with the kids every Saturday night while she goes and [sleeps with] whoever and lies to my face about it,” Taylor said, per a probable cause affidavit.
Once Deborah returned home and went to the bathroom, Taylor allegedly tried using her smartwatch to read her text messages.
Then, once she exited the bathroom, he insisted that she hand over her cell phone, and when she wouldn’t, things became physical.
Taylor alleged that Deborah punched him in the face during their argument. Next, he “grabbed her,” took her cell phone, and stated, “I’m stronger than you.”
“Meyer told me during this initial interview at the hospital that it was ‘all wrestling and hitting, and I started choking her. She hit me with a water bottle, and I hit her with a wine bottle, and then I went and got the knife,'” the affidavit reads.
While pinning Deborah to the ground, Taylor reportedly went through her cell phone and called her “boyfriend.” As she was screaming in the background, Taylor told the individual it was “their fault,” saying, “You want to ruin my marriage and tear my family apart.”
Following the phone call, Taylor allegedly continued choking Deborah and used a wine bottle to hit her on the head multiple times until she became unconscious.
He checked her vitals and was unsure whether his wife was dead, but he grabbed a “long” kitchen knife from the kitchen to stab her in the chest numerous times.
Taylor took a photo of Deborah’s body on the ground and sent it to her “boyfriend,” writing, “Your fault.” He reportedly told police that he hoped the image would traumatize the individual.
An autopsy report has since revealed that Deborah was stabbed about 20 times. Taylor was arrested and charged with murder on Valentine’s Day.
He has entered a plea of not guilty and is being held without bond in Clark County. Taylor’s next scheduled court appearance is on March 18.
