Columbus police identify 21-yr-old man found in back seat of car set afire in North Linden

Columbus police have identified a South Linden man who was found dead inside a vehicle that had been set on fire last week.

Marcus Taylor, 21, died early Dec. 8 after being found in the backseat of a Jeep Patriot that was in an alley near the intersection of Weldon Avenue and Cleveland Avenue in North Linden, police announced Monday afternoon.

Around 12:40 a.m. that morning, Columbus 911 dispatchers received a call about the vehicle fire. Around the same time, they also received a call from the vehicle's female owner and 27-year-old William Gray Jr., both of the same address in North Linden.

The pair initially reported they had been robbed at gunpoint and a person had stolen the Jeep, according to court records.

Further investigation by Columbus police resulted in Gray reportedly admitting to detectives that he had shot Taylor while they were sitting in the Jeep together, court records state.

Gray also reportedly told detectives that he and the vehicle's owner had driven the Jeep to the alley where investigators found it, and that Gray had used a lighter to start the fire with Taylor in the back seat, according to court records.

A grand jury indicted Gray on Friday on charges of murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, according to Franklin County Common Pleas Court records.

The vehicle's registered owner, Emily Hughes, 36, also was indicted by a grand jury on Friday. She is facing charges of tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice and abuse of a corpse.

Both Gray and Hughes were being held n the Franklin County jail.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police identify 21-year-old man found dead after car fire