An Ohio native, born in 1941, Taylor was suspected of no more than routine traffic violations when Nashville, Tennessee, patrolmen pulled him over on September 4, 1978. 

The officers were skeptical when Taylor told them, "I'm glad you stopped me; I just committed a murder," but their doubts vanished after he directed them to the body of 36-year-old David Willie, dumped in a downtown alley. 

Taylor was charged with murder, armed robbery, and the theft of Willie's car -- which he was driving at the time of his arrest -- but he was not quite finished, yet.

In custody, he soon confessed to 16 other murders, allegedly committed in Tennessee, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. His victims reportedly included a husband and wife killed at Boardman, Ohio, earlier in 1978, and authorities from North Lima linked his name with the 1977 murder of 28-year-old David Hamilton. (Hamilton's wife, also believed dead, was still missing.) 

As police from several states descended on his cell, Taylor suddenly quit talking, retaining a lawyer to push his plea of innocent by reason of insanity. 

Recanting his confessions on the eve of trial, he was convicted of second-degree murder in the Willie case on March 9, 1979, receiving a 30-year prison term. Investigation into his other alleged murders continues at this writing.

Michael Newton - An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers - Hunting Humans

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC-nonspecific

DATE(S): 1977-78

VENUE: Tenn./Ohio/Pa.

VICTIMS: 17 confessed

MO: Thrill-killer of victims selected at random

DISPOSITION: 30 years on one count of second degree in Ohio, 1979.