A son accused of killing his father in Cape Coral last month apparently tried to set the man’s body on fire after allegedly beating him bad enough to break his sternum and cause hemorrhaging in the left side of his brain, according to an arrest report released this morning.
The victim, Leroy James Taylor Sr., was found soaked in gasoline on the floor of his master bedroom in his home at 505 SW 49th Lane on Wednesday morning after the man’s business partner stopped by to check on him.
Two gas cans were found nearby and two spots on the rug appeared to have been set on fire, the report notes.
The drywall was damaged and pillows on the bed were soaked in blood.
Leroy James Taylor Jr. has been charged with second-degree murder in the man’s death.
The week before, the father had told his lawn care man that he was “done supporting my son and giving him money,” according to the report.
However, police also found a handwritten note in the son’s apartment in New York apparently signed by the father stating he would give his son $2,000 a month from July 15, 2012 to January 1, 2013.
An entry in the father’s journal indicated his son was getting his life together.
“Quiet weekend. Jim has dr appt. He has gained control of his life and is making considerable improvement on attitude and conduct. His problem is alcohol. After a certain # of drinks (?) his attitude changes and he becomes aggressive,” the entry reads.
The report indicates the son was at his father’s home on July 18 until at least 7 a.m. and that the father was killed before 6 a.m.
Later that morning, the Taylor Jr. took a taxi to the airport before flying back to New York, where he lives. He regularly visited Cape Coral to see his son, who he is only allowed to see two hours a month under the supervision of a psychiatrist. His ex-wife has a lifetime restraining order against him as a result of past violence, the report notes.
When police searched his home in New York, they documented injuries on the son including red and swollen knuckles, bruising on his back and a possible bite mark on his right flank area.
The night before the murder, the son was drinking at a local bar, coming in contact with Cape Coral police outside. After running his name for warrants, officers offered to call someone to pick him up, because he appeared highly intoxicated.
The son responded, “Nobody will come get me. Nobody loves me,” before the bar’s limousine service took him home.
Text messages and calls made by the son in the hours after the father’s death indicate he told people several stories about his father, including that he was sick and that he was planning to visit his brother.
When contacted by Cape police about his father’s death, the son also told police his father had not been feeling well and that he wouldn’t go to the hospital. When asked when he last saw his father, he reportedly said, “Stop – I’m getting upset and need to get my thoughts together. This won’t help my father.”
