ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) Police say a Rock Hill mother was shot and killed by her estranged husband.
The coroner identified the mother as Julie Taylor, 48, who was found with a gunshot wound at her home on Winding Way on Friday afternoon. Hours later, police arrested her estranged husband, Christopher Taylor, 47.
“Her and her daughter were really close, so I can’t imagine what her daughter is going through right now,” Monique Hodge lived just a few doors down from Julie. She says last year, Julie would take her own 12 year-old-daughter and Hodge’s daughter to school.
She says Julie, a long-time nurse, always had a smile on her face.
“Every time I saw her, she was always in a great mood, like ‘Hey Girl, how are you doing?’ She was never in a bad mood.”
But despite Julie’s happy exterior, a friend we spoke to by phone said Julie was trying to protect herself and, just last week, changed all the locks on her home.
Another longtime friend and co-worker, Dr. William Alleyne with Carolina Pulmonary Physicians, said he never imagined Julie’s life was in danger.
“I knew that Julie was in the midst of a divorce. I knew that the divorce was not going smoothly, shall we say,” said Dr. Alleyne, “The idea that she would not be with us today was incomprehensible.”
Dr. Alleyne says he worked with Julie for 26 years, and he describes her as a wonderful person and a true professional. He says his entire practice is devastated for Julie’s daughter.
“[Julie] was warm, caring, loving, a wonderful mom, fun to work with, always smiling, never complaining,” said Dr. Alleyne, “She was without a doubt one of the finest individuals I’ve ever met both professionally and personally.”
Friends say the Taylors were married for more the decade, but were currently separated. Christopher Taylor had hist first court appearance on Saturday.
A GoFundMe page was started for Julie Taylor’s family.
