Crystal Taylor, a 27-year-old woman who died in broad daylight and a 22-week pregnant woman, is taken right to the heart of the murder case in NBC's 'One Moment.' The episode also provides the victim's sisters' efforts to uncover the culprit.
Crystal Taylor: What Was Her Death?
Crystal Taylor was born on January 14, 1974, in Texas' Galveston County, and she grew up in a close-knit family. Her mother and sisters Michelle and Monica Taylor always showed her love for each other. On her 17th birthday, she gave birth to her son Javonte Woods.
Crystal met Derek Paul Smyer in 2001 and they had a child. However, the marriage sprang to a halt because Derek was hesitant to allow her to abort the unborn child she wanted to keep.
Crystal, 27, and her unborn child of 22 weeks were killed by a mystery guy in their Hawthorne apartment on a seemingly regular day on September 25, 2001. The first responders arrived but it was too late as neither the mother nor the unborn baby boy survived the shooting. The next day, the police began looking for any clues that might lead them to the perpetrator.
Crystal Taylor was killed by who?
The authorities probably discovered details about Crystal's and her boyfriend Derek's disagreements about raising their child. According to NBC's episode 'One Moment' of 'Dateline,' the victims' close sisters — Michelle and Monica Taylor — also sought to uncover the perpetrator's identity in order to get justice for their late sister.
When an alleged hitman who was already serving a life sentence was approached by Los Angeles cops in 2011, he confessed to them what really happened in 2001. Skylar said to them that he wanted her dead because he believed Crystal was attempting to trap him with their unborn child's murder. Almost a decade later, Derek was apprehended and indicted for Crystal's and their unborn child's deaths.
Derek was reportedly prompted to do something about his former girlfriend Traci Williamson in a local park. The couple then told Derek to remove her and the child.
Williamson was beaten to the ground in April 1998, although she and the unborn child recovered from the assault. Months after Taylor's death, she was pregnant with Derek's child again and allegedly got attacked in her third trimester.
In July 2017, a jury found Derek Smyer guilty of the contract murder of his girlfriend and unborn child, and he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. While there is little information available on Skylar Moore's whereabouts, the family believes he was already serving a life sentence.
