Man pleads innocent to killing girlfriend

TEXARKANA — A man accused of burying his girlfriend in a shallow grave after stabbing her to death pleaded innocent to murder and other charges Tuesday at a hearing in Miller County.

Tony Earl Taylor, 57, of Texarkana is charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence in the March death of 35-year-old Crystal Reed.

Taylor appeared for arraignment Tuesday morning before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones, who appointed the public defender’s office to handle Taylor’s defense. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for July 11.

Taylor led Texarkana detectives to a makeshift grave on a hunting lease in Ogden after confessing to stabbing Reed to death in the apartment they shared, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Court documents state that Reed was killed March 6, the day before she was reported missing by her mother. Reed’s mother told police her daughter had uncharacteristically missed work and wasn’t answering her phone.

Police officers from Texarkana, Texas, assisted in the investigation March 8 when they collected moving blankets, a shovel, rubber boots and dirty gloves from a backyard on Pine Street after receiving information that Taylor had left the items there.

Taylor faces 10 to 40 years or life in prison if convicted. If found guilty of abuse of a corpse, he faces three to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. If convicted of tampering with physical evidence, Taylor faces up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Taylor remains in the Miller County jail. His bail was set at $750,000.