'Infectious smile': Community grieves youth pastor found dead after missing for 10 weeks
A Harnett County man missing since September is dead, and a suspect is in custody.
Daquan Thomas, 26, has been charged with the murder of Tyrone Taylor II. – and with concealing his death.
According to Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats, skeletal remains were found on Shady Grove Road on Nov. 20. Coats said Thursday testing later identified the remains as Taylor.
Taylor went missing from Dunn on Sept. 5. and his last contact was the morning of Sept. 6. Multiple agencies were involved in his search, including the Dunn Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities were searching for Taylor's red 2021 Toyota Corolla, which they found burned in Cumberland County on Sept. 8.
In the arrest warrant, Thomas is accused of “unlawfully, willfully and feloniously” murdering Taylor and then concealing his death by hiding his body in a secluded, wooded area of Harnett County.
Coats: Suspect had violent relationship with victim's sister
Coats said the family of Taylor identified Thomas as a person of interest in the investigation early on due to "his violent, abusive relationship" with their daughter and Taylor's sister, Tynesha Taylor, whom he had been in a relationship with.
According to an incident report dated Sept. 14, Tynesha Taylor stated she was bound to a chair and burned by Thomas after he threatened to "blow her up." In the report, she said the incident happened on Aug. 30, seven days before authorities said Tyrone Taylor was last heard from.
Coats said deputies arrested Thomas on Oct. 10 in connection with the incident and charged him with second-degree kidnapping and misdemeanor counts of assault on a female and communicating threats. The arrest warrant was issued the day she filed the incident report.
Coats said Thomas had his first court appearance Thursday morning and the investigation is ongoing.
Taylor was youth pastor at his church, loved ones grieving
More than two dozen of Taylor's friends and family members attended a press conference where Coats announced more details surrounding the case.
Afterwards, loved ones went to House of Manna church, where Taylor had been a member for most of his life, to pray.
Apostle Domingo Ellington says Taylor had been part of this church for 20 years.
"He started as a young little deacon in my church, then he became the youth pastor. He founded the mime group. We are all grieving, the church is grieving," he said.
As loved ones supported each other in their grief and tears flowed, everyone who spoke with WRAL News said Taylor was the nicest person, a hard worker – and had the most infectious smile.
Coats said, "We can bring closure that the body was found, and we have brought this man to be held accountable for his actions."
