The Montgomery County Police Department is looking for two associates of a slain teenage prostitute whose body was found in Patuxent River State Park outside of Damascus.
Though not calling them suspects, investigators said Monday they want to interview 34-year-old Shannon Watkins and 20-year-old Casey Boone, who are known to frequent Prince George’s County and Alexandria. Police hope the pair can shed light on Tannessa Taylor’s final days. The 19-year-old was last seen alive in early January, and her body was discovered March 6.
Taylor was orphaned around the age of 2 and moved in with her grandmother until she was about 12 years old. She went on to stay with her oldest brother, Keith Carmichael, for some time.
“She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline schizophrenia around the age of 16,” Carmichael said. “She didn’t take her medicine properly, and her condition worsened.”
Taylor got involved with prostitution around 16 or 17, frequently shuttling around with no constant address. Carmichael said that although he hadn’t seen his sister for months before she disappeared, he talked to her every day. He knew something wasn’t right when she didn’t call.
Her last known destination was around Fort Washington in Prince George’s County.
A man who told police he was preparing for a turkey hunt found Taylor’s body in an isolated wooded area of Patuxent River State Park, partially buried in a shallow grave off Brown Church Road. Detective Matthew Krest said Taylor was killed by multiple trauma but would not give further details.
“She was in night school,” Krest said, “making a move to separate herself from people in that world.”
Investigators want to speak with anyone who might have been in contact with Taylor in the first week of January 2010, know of any connections she might have had to the Montgomery County and Damascus area or know anything about her death.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Montgomery County homicide detectives at 240-773-5070. Callers can remain anonymous by calling 240-773-TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided through “Text-A-Tip.” The user texts to 274637 (CRIMES) and types “MCPD” plus the tip on a cell phone. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to an indictment or arrest.
