Taylor Behl: Jesse Shultz Proclaims Innocence

Responding to questions about Richmond amateur photographer Benjamin Fawley, Monroe for the first time said it was "not incorrect" to consider Fawley a suspect in Behl's death.

Fawley is currently in jail in Richmond on unrelated child pornography charges.

The chief also said that Jesse Schultz, a 22-year-old Richmonder arrested on drug possession charges after a police bloodhound allegedly detected his scent on Behl's abandoned car, is not considered a suspect at this time. Schultz has denied knowing Behl or having ever been in her car.

This afternoon, Schultz's lawyer, W. Joseph Owen III, said his client "has no idea why he was targeted. He is innocent of having anything at all to do with Taylor Behl's disappearance."

Owen also said Schultz "does not know Mr. Fawley. He has no relationship to Mr. Fawley."

Monroe confirmed that VCU detectives who located Behl's body were led to a farm in Mathews by Fawley's ex-girlfriend, whose family owns property adjacent to where the body was found.

The chief said that the girlfriend, whom he did not name, "has been someone we have spoken to for weeks." He said he did not know if the former girlfriend knew Behl.

Earlier in the day, Behl's mother told reporters from her home in Vienna that she believed the remains belonged to her daughter.

"I'm sure you can imagine the shock and horror I feel knowing that the body found is most likely my baby's," Janet Pelasara told reporters during a brief statement.

Comments

[anon]

Dan - I think when you quote entire paragraphs from another source, you should indicate it as such. Otherwise it's plagiarism.

[anon]

I thought Schultz and Fawley were at the Village Cafe?..??!!!??
Sorry-thought they knew each other.

[VASteve]

Posted by: anon | Oct 6, 2005 5:39:09 PM

It is indicated by the link at the beginning.

[Diane]

The news and Taylor's mother attorney are saying Jesse and Ben knew each other from the village cafe

[anon]

Steve -- the link alone is not good enough, and not professional. Dan links to things all the time. That doesn't mean he's always quoting full paragraphs. He needs to indicate clearly that the quote is taken from the media source where he found it.

[anonmymous]

anon
We are a blog, not a newspaper or scholastic journal. We are making up the rules as we go along. We don't need no steenking quotation rules

[anon]

there are more photos...one of the larger abandoned farm house as well...looks like he was there in May of 2005
http://skulz.deviantart.com/gallery/?type=browse&offset=96
there is quite alot of photos taken of this site...he mentions happier times here.

Also seems Ben Fawley, Jessie Shultz all worked at the Village Cafe...past and present.

Posted by: Liz | Oct 6, 2005 11:29:26 AM

From a previous post

[anon]

I'm just saying that giving credit is the right thing to do. It's someone else's work.

[anon]

How can Schultz expect to receive any credibility when it seems to be (could be wrong here)when he and Fawley allegedly worked together at the Village Cafe? Is he hoping that a blatant lie like that will help him out with the cops?

Unless he didn't owrk there-a possibility. Don't know as I don't loive there.

[anon]

Wow-must be tired-the spelling is going to the dogs.....

[Katysmom]

Jessie Schultz is not a suspect, yet the dogs led the police to his aunt and uncle's home. Shortly after the aunt and uncle had a visit from the police (either that night or soon thereafter) they said that someone had broken into their basement. Could it be possible that Fawley, for some reason had been in that basement and came back later to gather up any evidence he may have left behind? Does this make sense?

[Katysmom]

Anon: Just because Schultz and Fawley worked at the same place, does not mean they knew each other. I owned a restaurant; opened at 6:00 am and closed at 10:00 pm. The majority of the people who worked the breakfast shift never crossed paths with the people who worked the late shift. It is very possible, but since Taylor knew both these guys, chances are they probably did know each other. I'm stumped

[U.S.Marine]

anon,

I sent you an e-mail but it came back undeliverable. Maybe you really mean anonymous!

:
64.233.185.114 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550 5.7.1 No such user 15si2163633wrl
Giving up on 64.233.185.114.

[k]

They both worked there, but at different times. Fawley hasn't worked there in quite some time. Shultz had/has worked there recently.

[anon]

Katysmom,

It's possible, I guess, in a large, corporate place, but a small college cafe? I just don't know about that.
It's a good "maybe" though

[anon]

Not saying Schultz is guilty of anything-just asking if they should look at him critically due to his proximity to an increasingly complex group of "friends"

[Captain Joe]

Maybe Schultz just happened to notice the car on the street, after all, he probably had reason to go by there every day. Maybe he put his hands on the car, etc. scoping it out and then walked to his relatives house, innocently. The dog wouldn't know the difference. That's why bloodhound evidence is not very reliable in many cases and is not generally admitted in court.

[fishie]

Captain Joe then do you believe Ben acted alone? At first I thought Ben was solely responsible but for some reason now I am not so sure myself.

[jill]

Well, the bloodhound scented a "scent", not necessarily Schultz's scent. Katy - I agree - gives you pause for thought.

Also, I've worked in many restaurants - big and small. I NEVER met ALL of the employees at any of them. Just went to work and then left.

[Diane]

Captain Joe but someone broke into that house.What were they looking for???

[meme]

Maybe Schultz just happened to notice the car on the street, after all, he probably had reason to go by there every day. Maybe he put his hands on the car, etc. scoping it out and then walked to his relatives house, innocently. The dog wouldn't know the difference. That's why bloodhound evidence is not very reliable in many cases and is not generally admitted in court.

Posted by: Captain Joe | Oct 6, 2005 7:00:21 PM

The scent was found INSIDE the car. I doubt he can explain that one.

[anon]

I worked at restaurants all through high school, college and grad school: corporate, pubs, country clubs, bars. I had interactions with everyone, eventually. We would switch shifts, hang out on nights we were "off", and have meetings with management and staff. I knew everyone, if only by first name, and the occasional "hey" as we passed.
How big is the Village Cafe compared to a huge Chicago restaurant? C'mon.

But I've gott agree with meme-the scent was inside the car, and inside the house in the spare room where Schultz had stayed. Too much coincidence for him not to have known Fawley and/or Taylor. Not saying he did anything!! Just asking.......

[absynth_minded]

It's fairly hard to fail a polygraph, perhaps more difficult than you would think. (and to think he bombed on two BASIC/SIMPLE questions.)

[Aunt Em]

What leads you to believe that the scent was inside the car? Was there an article that was that specific?

I think the case clearly points to Fawley trying to set up his ex for something after not only she spurned him, she had to press charges against him for assault. This guy has the poor me everyone is out to get me sociopath written all over him.

[Aunt Em]

Absyinth, while I have been reading your posts and enjoy them I have to disagree on this. If polygraphs were fail safe they would be admissable in court.

Kid might have been nervous because he knew he had done drugs, he DID touch the car. Whatever.

[Captain Joe]

I just read a statement by the RPD that said Shultz was not involved. His aunt says he did not work at the Village Cafe. He worked at a different restaurant 5 miles away.
I don't have that much faith in bloodhound evidence. It's too easily wrong when misinterpreted by rookie dog handlers. B&E's occur frequently in that area. Prosecuters and cops who base their case on LDT's and bloodhounds have no case. They are only investigative tools and need to be supported by more tangible evidence.

[Aunt Em]

Also Joe, wasnt it commonly known that Fawley was unemployed, collecting disability for BPD?

Even if he at one time worked at the same restaurant as Schultz doesnt mean they worked during the same time.

Fawley earned his money off the books by cleaning out houses of deceased people and selling their goods on e-bay. I hope for his childrens sake that the child porn thing was something he collected from an old house or what he said about his ex-roomates. But anyone that I know who has kids if they had discovered that would have reported it.

[kin]

How did I miss those bondage pix of BF? I've looked at all of these 100x before. He's right, he's one "ugly boy, bum". I wish I knew what Taylor saw in him. I bet she didn't know either and BF took advantage of that. DAMN HIM! I hope when it's proven he's the killer he gets everything that's coming to him and more.

[absynth_minded]

Aunt Em:

The question isn't so much the test (new computerized models are close to 100% accurate) as it is the ethics/experience of the administrator or the training of and tactics used by police interrogation.

[anonymous]

Jesse Schultz worked 5 blocks from Village, not miles.

[Gypzywingz]

I was just looking around and found this I wonder if this was a previous BF profile?

http://www.gotblack.com/profiles/profile.php3?p_id=3634

[Gypzywingz]

Maybe so notice the birth year, the link to the homepage was down but it showed this.

"http://www.geocities.com/skulz1967".

[LilLady]

Drugs can skew polygraphs... that is why whenever you take one they need to know if you have taken anything or if you have been sick. Usually they do not even like to do them if that is the case because they give inaccurate results. Not saying that was jesse's case, but wanted to throw that out there.

[Aunt Em]

Yeah, thats him Gypsy. How did you find that?

[Diane]

Well I just read an article where the lawyer does not say Ben and Jesse knew each other but the news media said it differenly.

[absynth_minded]

"Goth sort from Philly that has lived all across this country. "

There is a comforting thought...

So, how many more shallow graves should we be questioning?

[Wolfie]

It's to my understanding that BF's scent was not in the car; that JS's was. How they determined that it was his scent instead of someone elses, I'm not sure. For him to work in the same general area and not know neither BF nor TB isn't impossible, but when you consider his scent (from INSIDE the car) tracing to him, that seems a bit suspicious. I could have sworn that I heard he was also a skateboarder. If so, then was he one of those she[TB] was supposed to meet that night? Maybe he wasn't supposed to be out or in a certain area that night and he's denying it not out of fear of being a suspect, but because it would mean his true whereabouts being known by someone else.

I honestly believe that he knows more than he's letting on; that he somehow either knew BF or TB, even if just having met either(or both) of them. Let's consider something - since he's about her age, perhaps he thought that since she was 'getting jiggy' with BF, that he should be allowed to get some of the action too, but got rejected by her and decided to have some friends handle things for him - but he has to deny knowing either of them so that no one will be found out.

Another possible scenario, what if someone (neither BF nor JS) had stolen the Ohio plates, did something to TB, switched the plates, parked the car where it was found, then went to meet up with JS. JS, not aware of what they did, thinks nothing of it. Being friends and sharing things, perhaps a skateboard, shirts, pants, etc (anything, even drugs), that provided the scent that led to the house, and JS had the scent on him, thus people thinking that it was him.

However this gets figured out, all I know is that we'll never know the true answers to some things.. Did she really have (consenting) sexual relations with BF? Did she know (or know of) JS? Did she know she was going to die (or be killed) but went along with it anyway for some freakish reason? Or was she misled into the events? What other things was she into or has she done?

My condolences go out to her family, as all the things they have been dealing with, both anxious waiting, insulting rumors, disturbing realities, etc. They'll always be plagued with BF's claim to being intimate with her, and not knowing if it's true (and if so, willing or tricked/forced/etc), etc etc. Bad enough to deal with losing TB, even worse that a few people seem eager to try to destroy TB's name like it's some sort of amusing game.

[Aunt Em]

Well we DO know she had relations with BF, thats according to her own weblog. She admitted getting into his bunk when she was visiting her friend down there before she even was a student.

I would like to know how you all know this scent was inside the car though.

[usmcmom]

They'll always be plagued with BF's claim to being intimate with her, and not knowing if it's true (and if so, willing or tricked/forced/etc), etc etc. Bad enough to deal with losing TB, even worse that a few people seem eager to try to destroy TB's name like it's some sort of amusing game.

Posted by: Wolfie | Oct 6, 2005 8:40:27 PM

Doesn't this remind you of Natalee's case too. Sad, really sad.

[absynth_minded]

Hypotheticals, theories, and scenarios are good places for rumors to start...
I know that those of you who come up with them mean well, but alot of people read what you've written and then let their imaginations fill in the blanks.

I do agree though, there are so many likely scenarios and so many questions we'll never have answers to. More importantly, questions Taylor's loved ones will never have answers to.

I have alot of faith in law enforcement, but sometimes they do fail to see the forest despite the trees.

[Cindi in PA]

Well I just read an article where the lawyer does not say Ben and Jesse knew each other but the news media said it differenly.

Posted by: Diane | Oct 6, 2005 8:27:46 PM

Peterson said he believes more than one person might have been involved in Behl's disappearance. Police dogs tracked the scent from Behl's car to the home of a 22-year-old employee of the Village Cafe, where Behl had dinner the night she disappeared, Peterson said. Fawley also worked at the cafe, Peterson said.

"It seems very coincidental and suspicious to me," Peterson said.

The man was charged with cocaine possession after police searched his apartment, Peterson said. He later took a polygraph test, and failed two sections: one in which he said he didn't know Behl, and one in which he said he'd never been in her car, Peterson said.

Virginia News (PilotOnline.com / HamptonRoads.com)

[Aunt Em]

That doesnt sound right to me. Why would the police release polygraph information #1. #2 BF by all accounts was unemployed.

And #3 if TB did have dinner at the same restaurant where Schultz worked then you can get his scent on you by just casual contact, lets say they bumped into each other while they were working, or he was her waiter, her scent would be all over her money, and then it would be inside his shirt where he would likely keep his money

[Gypzywingz]

Aunt Em-- I did a google image search on skulz67 first that returned nothing so I just took off the 67 and searched on skulz and if brought up some images and I found that one and another just picture that looked like him but I couldn't tell if it was him or not.

[Aunt Em]

Looking now Gypz. Fairly obvious he took the Hollywood Cemetary picture as well on the first page.

[anon 2]

I wish you would show more respect for ANON 1. His intentions are good and if your words are ever stolen verbatim, you may have some understanding. It is professional courtesy to cite sources. He's probably a writer and he has done his level best in attempting to find Taylor going on the shreds he had from dreams; even to the point of contacting the FBI which is more than I was willing to do with the same.

I am the one who said she was dead from the start; who claims to have seen her in the trunk of a car dead (in a dream); who has given details about where she would be found and I don't think one of those details has been disproved yet.

I have a message to her family and friends,
like Mrs. Runyon, I believe that your very strong and vibrant daughter is very much alive in spirit.

This is what I think happened. There aren't any safe words or ways of communicating in S&M when there is a belt around your throat and you can't speak. I don't think he intended to kill her and am reasonably sure that Taylor fought back--isn't everyone? You don't have to think you are a psychic to figure that out. She was dead in the car. I get the creepyist feeling that Taylor never got out of her car alive. The wierdest thing is I think Taylor was killed in the car. I have never written that because it doesn't make any sense. Why not take her back to his place? But I don't think that's what happened. I think Fawley flipped before he even got a real "crack" at her. I don't know.

The bloodhound didn't pick up a scent because Taylor was carried. She was already unconscious or dead. I think dead. Then, she landed in the trunk of the next car, for disposal. He proably picked up some coke after realizing what he did and seeing what a long night he had in front of him. Remember disposing of Taylor isn't all Fawley did that night.

There aren't any other bodies. Fawley isn't a serial killer. This was more or less an accident. Taylor may have seen the handwriting on the wall; threatened him with the police; fought back; who knows; Fawley flipped. It's the same garbage that probably happened in Aruba.

I gave up reading on-line a couple of days ago. I figured no one would find her. My dad told me tonite that she was found. My grandmother's last name was BEALS.
We might have been kin. I'm glad I heard it from my dad. I was disgusted with the things I read on all sides and figured no one cared.

I don't just use my dreams. I use my head.

[absynth_minded]

anon2:

Don' expect the majority to understand where you are coming from, but I have seen enough of this up close and personal (my grandfather was psychic) to know that what you are saying could quite possibly be true. The flipside of this is that I can not think of one psychic, medium, or what have you, who has always been 100% correct.

[Aunt Em]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://photobucket.com/albums/v466/skulz/th_fulton_gas2004_1015_26a.gif&imgrefurl=http://photobucket.com/albums/v466/skulz/&h=120&w=160&sz=21&tbnid=pIQHa--iml8J:&tbnh=69&tbnw=92&hl=en&start=42&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2Bsite:photobucket.com%2Bskulz%26start%3D40%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

He apparently had a lot more photos of that fire than we thought as well.

[1inrichmond]

"Just because Schultz and Fawley worked at the same place, does not mean they knew each other."

Ben Fawley did not work. He is on disability and social security (for bipolar disease). He does not own a car, but he takes a lot of pictures of them. He has had several vans that he covers in stickers-the nowhere van.

[Aunt Em]

Anon 2 - Anon one didnt take into consideration that there was a link posted.

As for your other theories, well I would be surprised to say the least that you had these dreams.

[Dan]

Dan - I think when you quote entire paragraphs from another source, you should indicate it as such. Otherwise it's plagiarism.

It's hard to claim plagarism when the link to the full story was in the first three words of the text. What I was was in a hurry to leave the office and get readers the latest update. If you read any amount of content here, you know I always indent quoted text. As tehre was no original text - and I had virtually no time to even post - I simply excerpted and linked.

I'd sugegst reading enough material here before making a snap judgement or giving unnecessary instructions.