Taylor Behl Suspect Fawley Indicted For First Degree Murder

It appears as though the trial won't be starting for about 5 months. h/t TD

Amatuer photographer Ben Fawley faces first degree murder charges in connection with the death of Taylor Behl.

The charge of murder in the first degree means the Grand Jury believes the murder was premeditated.

Fawley admitted that he killed Taylor Behl, however, he said her death was an accident during rough sex.

17-year-old Behl was a freshman at VCU when she disappeared in September.  Her body was found several weeks later in Mathews County.

The case should go to trial in about 5 months

Comments

[ClC]

"An indictment accuses Fawley, 38, of "willfully, deliberately and with pre-meditation" murdering Behl, according to a copy of the document. The indictment also alleges Fawley killed Behl while raping or attempting to abduct, rape or forcibly sodomize the 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth freshmen."

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-fawley_jan17,0,6122153.story?coll=dp-widget-news

[teresa]

I wonder if they found that camera that he said someone stole from him. Now that would be some great evidence I bet.

[Crystal]

I don't know what they have on him but a 1st degree murder indictment is the beginning of justice as far as I'm concern!

[angie]

I am so ridiculously excited that they have enough evidence to charge him with 1st degree murder. I was sure he was going to get charged with much less. Wow. At least this progression in the case has been a positive one. I'm sure Janet is much releaved.

[nova]

This is great news. I hope they have all the evidence they need to put him away for life.
Anything less would be unfair and unjust.

[p]

Wow. I really did not think it was premeditated. I wonder what evidence they have that we don't know about.

[k]

Thank God! And here is a graet article on today's indictment. I also heard, here in DC, on WTOP radio that a trial could begin as early as January 25th.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0106/1702_mattews_county_grand_jury_indictment.html

[k]

Here it says an arraignment later this month
http://www.wwbt.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WWBT/MGArticle/WBT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769365985

[diane]

Wonderful news!!! I also have to wonder what evidence they presented to the grand jury today to make it 1st degree.I wish I lived closer as I would love to sit in the court room on this case.My prayers go out to Janet,Taylor's Dad and the rest of the family as the road ahead will be a rough one for a while.In the end justice will prevail.

[abigail]

Yeah! I'm curious to what they have on him too.

Teresa,
I'm wondering too about the camera. Hmmmmm..

[ClC]

BF claims they had consensual sex, and that TB was fine with the whole "choke me" thing... my guess is that, that could possibly be manipulated into being premeditation since BF knew one could die from such dangerous breath play. That'd be a nice slap in his face wouldn't it?!

[abigail]

C|C

good point. He thinks he's so damn smart. I hope he's crying his eyes out right now! Bastard. I'm so darn curious to what they have on him! It's driving me nutty (not in a bf way though. :) I feel bad for his kids that they have to go through this, but I'm glad he is not "raising" them at all.

[ClC]

yes, I feel bad for his children as well as those affected by TB's death... I'm glad they have been kept out of the lime light for the most part.. I remember reading somewhere that the children are in therapy... thank goodness one of the parents has a head on their shoulders!

[abigail]

I agree! I mean the man they call(ed) "daddy" murdered someone. I hope they can grow up to be happy, well adjusted adults. Don't get me wrong, I am horrified about what Taylor's friends and family have been feeling, gone through and are going to continue to go through.

[diane]

Marty good point.I can remember reading where another person called police and told them to check out mathews county but the police never did a thing till they talked to Erin.Something else that bugs me is Cinco saying that he did not seen Ben killing anyone unless he was backed into a corner.I still think there was more than just Ben involved but who knows.....

[ClC]

Marty, according to WVEC.com, "The state medical examiner's office says the cause of death in Behl's case is still pending." this was reported earlier today

[Kelly3]

Great day for Taylor, her mom, and all who loved her. May justice come swift and sure.

[Katie]

Good to see everyone posting again about Taylor. As all of you I am happy to hear the first steps are being taken to get her justice..

On a side note, I haven't read it in months. Has Cino updated his journal with anything note worthy?

[Marty]

Katie,

He hasn't jumped on the story yet. I guess he's a little tired from the SM Bondage expo he, Erin, and Rachel attended during the break. However, I'm sure he will assault us with his shock-jock logic soon enough. After all, he does need attention.

[absynthminded]

This all has made my day...

and I personally feel that "death" for this bastard would be getting off far too easy

[abigail]

am,
how about taking that purple dildo, shoving it down his throat and pulling it out his d-ck. That's what my boss said today! That seems like sort of a good partial punishment!

[absynthminded]

^ that's what I'm talking about, since he'd probably enjoy it too much if it was shoved up his ass...

Hey, does that mystery attention whore still update the purpledildo blog? lol

[abigail]

Have not bothered to look. Just people that need attention and are getting it on Taylors demise. Sad, sad, sad...

[Marty]

Abigail,

How can you have an informed opinion if you won't look at the evidence? I wouldn't want you on my jury. What degree of separation is between simulated violence and "oops, it was an accidental death?" All these characters share guilt in promoting a death-style for exploitation of sick f**ks for money and kicks. Like Erin said, "It beats working at 7-11." If words are deeds, how about actions are deeds. They think they are blameless in what happened to Taylor. How do I know they weren't Ben's inspiration?

[New Creature]

Marty- You said "How do I know they weren't Ben's inspiration?".

My thoughts exactly. After all, Erin told Steve Huff (sorry, can't recall when) that Ben was "Vanilla". Seems possible that he was trying to shake that label. Trying to immulate some of Erin's adventures in an attempt to show her up?

[Bob]

Better be careful about what you say Marty, there are people out there in Internet land who google Cino's name and any negative, angry thing they pick up, they converge on that board and argue the person who said it is meanspirited and ignorant. I'm not saying this of you, I'm just telling you what your posts are going to draw.
Regardless of what is said, people's minds aren't going to be changed either way. Just like Sylvia Plath said. Anyway, brace yourself cause they will be coming here soon enough.
I understand your point of view.
Please don't pick on Abby, she's a good person. In reality she is right, no one else will be charged with anything. When a grand jury takes 45 minutes, rest assured they didn't have time or desire to interview anyone else. So the legal system says fRawley is the only one who did the deed. We can argue a million ways to Sunday and lament that Taylor didn't have a hero to step in and save her life, but alas, it will do no good. The people in the circle of trust have their own consciouses to deal with. It's not my concern. I understand your frustration, brother.
And let's pray we never find ourselves before a jury.
In the RTD dispatch today the DA was asked about the outcome and his response was less than complete optimism. This is far from signed, sealed and delivered. One step closer though.

[rev]

I am a professional photographer formerly of MA and now in NY. It can tell you without any uncertainty that that at least one of these images was taken from behind glass, evidentally a vehicle. The glass appears quite flat indicating that it may be a side window a van window or a jeep windshield or a rear window of a van perhaps. save the images toi your desktop and view them with picture viewer so you can rotate the images. Then you will see the reflected image which appears to be a scream skull mask or perhaps a skull related object which appears lighter in color, perhaps white. This could also be a persons face with the eyes darkened by shadow. Take a look.

[rev]

Sorry about the typos in the prvious msg. Here we go let's try this again.
I am a professional photographer formerly of MA and now I live in NY. I can tell you without any doubt that at least one of these images was taken from behind glass, evidently a vehicle. The glass appears quite flat indicating that it may be a side window a van window or a jeep windshield or a rear window of a van perhaps. Go ahead and save the images to your desktop and view them with picture viewer so you can rotate the images and zoom in. Then you will see the reflected image which appears to be(just a guess) a scream skull mask or perhaps a skull related object which appears lighter in color, perhaps white. This could also be a persons face with the eyes darkened by shadow. Or this could also be just reflections of the clothing of the person taking the photo. But it is without a doubt a secondary image, a reflection of objects on a clear surface which the camera is capturing while shooting through. Take a look.

[Midwest Anon]

Well, wonders never cease. Just heard the news and I couldn't be more thrilled. Now, I will temper jubilation with reason: it is entirely possible that LE is pressured to bring Murder 1 on this. Could they be talking to Cino, et al, to scrape up enough evidence against Ben and Ben alone? Maybe Cino, Jesse, whomever, made a Faustian pact, sold Ben out in trade for their own hides, and gave LE enough to bring these charges.
Maybe those photos showed more than we realized (LE has far more technical instruments than our little laptops...).
Maybe someone sang like a canary.
I hope that if Ben did act alone, and he is indeed as guilty as we all believe, that they get a conviction and he goes straight to the devil (now by lethal injection or later, in jail-it doesn't matter to me). If he didn't act alone and those punks have guilty knowledge, they have their own circle of hell waiting for them at the end of the road.
Much love to Taylor's family-all in the Windy City wish you speedy closure and swift justice.

[rev]

Another observation on those photos is that in at least one of them it could have been raining with the sun shining. Perhaps a brief shower the line that you see and the disturbances in the water are all common for a scene when there is a brief rainfall during sunshine. Sometimes when it first begins or while ending the viewer will see the edge of the rain curtain. This may be what we are lookin at along with the reflections that i mentioned above.

[nova]

Hear! Hear! for you Jonathan. Tell it like it is. Thanks for clearing the air. Some balance is needed to offset these people who jump to conclusions with no first hand knowledge. Listen to Jonathan. He knows these people. You do not. He knew BF. He is telling you what a sociopath BF was. These other people are not sociopaths. They are just college students who got involved with the wrong guy. Have you ever heard of a wolf in sheep's clothing? Do you know what that is? Please make a distinction between the sheep and the wolf. Thanks.

[jadensmokes]

Here's another good one: ... I smell a rat.

Posted by: Marty | Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 08:26 PM

I personally don't go looking for stuff I don't want to see, but to each their own. I would say that bf, Erin & Cino had this "fettish/sm" stuff in common and that's what may have brought them together, but I don't think a similar interest in what a murderer has makes you an accessory or what have you. Unless of course you have a history of violence and other things that would raise red flags. I just don't think these other kids had anything to do with it otherwise they would be behind bars, I would think. JMO....

Posted by: abigail | Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 10:22 PM

I couldn't agree with you more, Abigail. I don't understand the vehemence some have towards Erin and Cino. You don't have to like them, you don't have to approve of their lifestyles, the way they choose to make their living, or if they are asking for the reward money. None of that makes them guilty of murder. Let's put blame where it's due, and let's seek justice for the crime.

Seems awfully strange that Marty is so very well informed about the pornography of Erin and is condemning it in the same breath. Kind of reminds me of the preacher busted last week for soliciting sex from a male undercover, only to say he was in the area preaching to these depraved prostitutes!

[nova]

Hear hear for Abigail and jadensmokes...two more voices of reason. Jonathan and Abigail and jadensmokes are making good sense. And they know what they are talking about.
Jonathan: I liked the reference to the Salem Witch Trials. Also check out the Ox Bow Incident for more on hanging the wrong people.
More than anything I would ask those who dont agree to listen to Jonathan. He knows these people. And you do not.

[diane]

Johnathan,
Let me ask you this question if Ben is a sociopath like you say (which I don't doubt you) why did it take Erin over a year to figure that out? I am not saying she is guilty of anything but these kids all knew Ben and heck Cinco even moved in with him.Most people have a pretty good judge of a person's character by the first couple of times they meet.My point is these kids knew what kind of a shady guy Ben was and decided to ignore it untill he turned on them.

[Jonathan]

"Johnathan,
Let me ask you this question if Ben is a sociopath like you say (which I don't doubt you) why did it take Erin over a year to figure that out? I am not saying she is guilty of anything but these kids all knew Ben and heck Cinco even moved in with him.Most people have a pretty good judge of a person's character by the first couple of times they meet.My point is these kids knew what kind of a shady guy Ben was and decided to ignore it untill he turned on them."

First of all: Learn to read and spell. It's Jonathan and Cino.
Second of all: Get your facts straight. Erin was only "with" Ben for a little over a month. She dated another individual for over 2 years up until the point in August when she moved in with me. At that point she was "with" Ben in a non-relationship situation, after about a month of that interaction, it was obvious to both of us that he was totally insane, so she broke things off with him. This was what incited his internet slander and defamation campaign.
Where did you get the arbitrary time frame of a year? Did you fabricate it along with your assessment of how people judge Ben? You sincerely underestimate the facade which he put forward. He could be whatever you wanted him to be. That's what a sociopath DOES. There is no true inner person for you to understand and know. His chameleonic nature made it very difficult to pin down what was off about him. The only reason I was able to discern it was because he considered me a threat to his relationship with Erin and immediately dismissed all attempts at niceties.

[Jonathan]

Heh, sorry about being so hostile in that last post, I was feeling vindictive, plus I didn't really read through your entire post carefully, all I saw was "If Ben is really a sociopath" and an arbitrary number about Erin knowing Ben. She associated with him for longer than the time she was "with him", sure, but only on a casual acquaintence basis really.
Again, sorry for being so hostile in that post, I'm just apt to intense emotions about people implicating someone who I know pretty well and I know how emotionally traumatized she was by the entire ordeal.
Imagine thinking "it could have been me."

[Chuck]

Jonathan:

What exactly did Ben do/say that enabled you to so quickly to figure him out.
I remember reading posts he had written and concluding wow, not even a good liar. But I havent heard too many details about his sociopathic behavior (other than people using that word to describe him).

And yeah, poor Erin. I can only imagine the "what if" nightmares...

[Jonathan]

Honestly, he really just gave me a bad vibe from the beginning because of the way that he treated my apartment. The first sentence he said to me was "This building is a piece of shit, it's totally condemnable." Plus I saw the way that he kinda latched onto Erin and treated her like a prize. To her, he was a guy who had a life of trouble which was not always his fault. He had a REALLY good way of making things out to be not his fault. All his troubles with his ex-girlfriends were THEIR fault, not his. He blamed them for being psycho, and she bought into it. I saw the way he was manipulating her emotions toward him by playing the victim... that was the kind of guy she went after usually. Fixer-uppers, I suppose..
But in his previous relationships he was the controlling one, or the sensitive one, etc. He had an adept talent for making people believe what they wanted to believe.
As far as me, I think my own personality made me in a position to put him at arms length from the get go. You see, I rarely give anyone the benefit of the doubt, I immediately presume that they're manipulative and conniving. That, combined with the fact that my best friend in the world was good friends with one of his ex-girlfriends let me have a view of him other than the one that he put forth. I think that's why I was able to see through him immediately.

[diane]

Jonathan,
Good golly sorry about the spelling errors.LOL Thanks for clearing up a few things.Please don't think this is a bash Erin session as that is not my intention.I just remember seeing pictures of Erin that Ben took over a year ago and was trying to figure out why she remained friends with him.Thanks for sheading light on that.I have thought from the start that Ben did not act alone. I don't think he is that cleaver but after reading your post and how he pounces on his prey he may be the only one.

[diane]

clever

[abigail]

Okay, now I'd like to reply, thanks guys...

Abigail,

How can you have an informed opinion if you won't look at the evidence? I wouldn't want you on my jury. What degree of separation is between simulated violence and "oops, it was an accidental death?" All these characters share guilt in promoting a death-style for exploitation of sick f**ks for money and kicks. Like Erin said, "It beats working at 7-11." If words are deeds, how about actions are deeds. They think they are blameless in what happened to Taylor. How do I know they weren't Ben's inspiration?

Posted by: Marty | Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 11:59 PM

Most of us here have already gone to Erins sites and shared info months ago, and I don't feel the need to go there again. I don't want to be on the jury as I don't think I could process the horrible graphic things that will be said without throwing up. That's just how I feel about. I'm not a super sleuth and I've formed my opinion based on what I've read in the past and the fact that I think if anyone but Ben had in a hand in this we would have heard something. I could be wrong, I don't mind, and I'll pop up and try to be the first one to admit it. IMO Erin is doing what she does, trying to pay for her education. It's her business and sure it's on a public site but people choose where they go on the internet. I don't know if they were bfs inspiration or not, but he is 38 getting "ideas" from college kids he should not be hanging around with in the first place. As far as I know the only person that has broken the law is bf.

I certainly had no intentions of pissing you or anyone else off, but you seemed fairly angry and I hate to see that since we basically just share our opinions and talk about what a crap head bf is. I think we are all on the same side--to see that bf gets exactly what he deserves, although he is going to get off much easier--wait...IMO. :)

[error404]

Jonathan, thanks for your insight and clarifications.

As I have said all along, Ben Fawley is the person on trial - NOT his friends or acquaintances.

The outcome of this case is going to be based largely on the jury's emotions and personal perspectives, that's the way it's been from the onset.

The latest News report comes as no big surprise.

[nova]

Jonathan: Thanks again for your posts. I would say they are the most meaningful and insightful posts I have read on BF so far. I had wondered how someone seemingly as smart as Erin could have fallen for BF. But I have always tended to underestimate the power of a really first rate sociopath. From what I have seen of the videos on BF when all this hit the news it seems he has two or more distinct personalities. One is a whiny sounding little boy voice as when he was handing out the fliers and they showed only his hands. And the other was a deep angry voice when he was telling the female reporter who was standing outside his house to go away and leave him alone. It was clearly like two different people. But as you have pointed out the best sociopaths really have no set personality. They change into whatever the person in front of them wants to hear. It is amazing how many people are so easily conned. It is because sociopaths are so sincere in their conning lies. They believe these lies too as they are telling them.
Two good books on the subject are:
1. The Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley and
2. Psychopaths by Alan Harrington.
Again, Jonathan, thanks for your insights. You make all this so much clearer. And you also make the innocent people surrounding this tragedy come to life as real people since you know them. Thank you for defending Erin and Cino.
I saw a good bumper sticker this morning. It said: DONT PRAY IN MY SCHOOLS
AND I WONT THINK IN YOUR CHURCH

[IslandHney]

Nova:

In your readings about sociopaths, did you come across an estimated percentage of how many people are classified as being a sociopath? Just curious.

[nova]

IslandHney: No I didnt. I will try and find an estimate. That is any interesting question.

[nova]

IslandHney: One source said 1 in 7 are sociopaths. Another said maybe there are 10 million in the USA population. Who knows?

[IslandHney]

Thanks Nova - And from what you noted above about sociopaths, I guess with their chameleon like personalities, they aren't as identifiable until something happens. I thought a number like 15% was what I had heard once so the 1 in 7 source corresponds with that. Thanks again for researching -

[southern girl]

I think Erin could use some KFC

[St. Gabriel]

Ben Fawley killed Taylor. Nobody else. Mike Cino had NOTHING to do with Taylors death. Erin had NOTHING to do with Taylor's death. Ben has nobody to blame but himself. Ben can't point the finger at anybody but himself. There is no "deviant" lifestyle which caused Ben to do what he did.

I don't understand people who keep dragging Mike Cino and Erin into this.

Could it be that these people just want to do this so they have an excuse to look at Erin's nudie pictures???

[nova]

Southern Girl: No no no. E looks just fine as she is.
St. Gabriel: No excuse is necessary to enjoy E's pictures. What is wrong with that? That is what they are on the web for. However, there have been some who objected. I guess they are old prunes or maybe just prudes.
There have been quite a few people object to the lifestyle of Mike and Erin. And so it was necessary for some of us to come to their defense.