By Marilyn Bardsley

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Richmond, VA (Crime Library) — The media obsession with the disappearance of Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Taylor Behl reached a crescendo on Oct. 6, 2005 when her remains were found in an isolated area of Mathews County, VA, approximately 70 miles away from her Richmond campus dormitory. The story then virtually disappeared on Oct. 18 when the Richmond multi-jurisdictional grand jury judge issued a gag order. Attention quickly focused on the similar story of Tara Grinstead, an Ocilla, GA, high school history teacher who went missing on Oct. 22.

Later this month the spotlight is expected to focus once again on the death of Taylor Behl when a Mathews County grand jury is expected to examine evidence linking Ben W. Fawley to Taylor Behl's death shortly after she disappeared Sept. 6. Fawley allegedly claimed that Taylor and he had a consensual encounter and that she died accidentally during "rough sex." Janet Pelasara, Taylor's mother, believes that her daughter was raped and murdered.

Pelasara told NBC News4 that "prosecutors plan to take evidence in front of the grand jury and seek an indictment." A complicating factor is the difficulty of determining with certainty the cause of Taylor's death due to decomposition of her remains. However, Pelasara says that forensic testing by the Richmond medical examiner is still going on: "The death certificate says 'pending,' which would lead one to believe that they are going to come up with a find." If the cause of death cannot be determined, it will make it more difficult for prosecutors to make murder charges stick.

 

 

 

 

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