Monroe native, minister confesses to 2019 killing of Alabama man

Ray Van Dusen, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·2 min read

Sep. 1—AMORY — A former Gattman resident turned minister at a Kilmichael recovery center confessed Tuesday to the 2019 killing of an Alabama man.

Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office charged James Eric Crisp, 37, with manslaughter on Aug. 30 after he confessed to the killing of Roger Taylor, 48, of Sulligent, Alabama.

Saying he was no longer the person he used to be, Crisp confessed to killing Taylor after finding it hard to keep the secret while simultaneously talking to others in recovery about the freedom in the Lord.

" Most people go their entire law enforcement career or media career or lifetime and aren't personally attached to some story like this," said Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook. "For someone to sacrifice every ounce of their freedom to be free on the inside, this is definitely something you don't hear when you come to the office every day."

Taylor was reported missing in both Lamar County, Alabama, and Monroe County on March 11, 2019. His last known whereabouts were in the Gattman area, and his vehicle was discovered on Blair Cemetery Road a day or two after he went missing.

Searches at the time and again in 2020 did not reveal any evidence.

Even after Crisp's confession, Taylor's remains have not been located. Law enforcement officials searched the area again on Wednesday.

Crook said although he feels law enforcement officials are searching the correct area for Taylor's remains, floodwater has shifted the landscape so much over the past three years that locating them could be difficult.

"Hunters and people out in the woods that are familiar with that area, and anywhere need to be aware," Crook said.

The sheriff said Monroe County investigators have seen an uptick in the number of missing people in recent years.

"We've had a lot of missing person cases," he said. "As addiction goes up, it seems like missing person cases go up right along with that."

Crisp received an initial court appearance on Thursday. Monroe County Justice Court Judge Sarah Cline Stevens set his bond at $150,000.

Stevens noted that she'd received letters of support on Crisp's behalf from Carroll County and God's House of Hope officials acknowledging changes in Crisp.

He has prior felony charges for drug possession and trafficking.