CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- The man accused of killing a young mother and her two children in a disturbing case that has rocked the Charlotte community is heading to trial.
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Benjamin Taylor pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges, including three counts of first-degree murder.
A Mecklenburg County judge confirmed this week that Taylor’s case will proceed to trial. His next court date is tentatively set for December 31, 2025.
PREVIOUS: Autopsies reveal two young children died from fentanyl, mother also murdered in CharlotteTaylor is facing the following charges: Three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of concealing an unnatural death, and one count of being a habitual felon.
Taylor was taken into custody hundreds of miles away in California after the bodies of 22-year-old Markayla Johnson and her children, 4-year-old Miracle and 7-month-old Messiah, were discovered at their Orchard Trace Lane apartment in Charlotte.
Benjamin Taylor was arrested on March 16 by the Imperial County Sheriff's Office. (Courtesy: Imperial County Calif. SO)According to autopsy results released to QCN, both children died from fentanyl exposure. Toxicology reports also revealed cocaine and a chemical used to make fentanyl were present in the infant’s system. The children were found in gym bags in the back of a car linked to Taylor.
VIDEO: Bodycam shows arrest of suspect accused of killing Charlotte mom, 2 kidsCourt documents also detail that the mother was found in a plastic bin inside a closet at the Charlotte apartment. Evidence at the scene suggested efforts to mask the smell of death, including air fresheners, candles, and a low thermostat setting.
Taylor was arrested in Imperial County, California, nearly two weeks after the family was first reported missing. He remains in Mecklenburg County custody at this time.
If convicted, he could face life in prison without parole.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Suspect pleads not guilty in slaying of Charlotte mother, 2 children; trial ahead )
Also on site :
- Global March to Gaza activists report delays, deportations at Cairo Airport
- She helped build Disney’s theme park database. Now Sheila Jordan is leading a $38.5 billion Fortune 500 giant’s digital transformation efforts
- Iran’s nuclear and missile sites targeted by Israel, mapped