Man Gets Life in Prison for Dismemberment

A Bouquet Canyon man who stabbed and dismembered a guest at a barbecue was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Scott Taylor, who appeared in court in tinted sunglasses and with his head shaved, was sentenced by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John S. Fisher.

Taylor was convicted of first-degree murder last month by a jury that also determined robbery to be the motive in the slaying of Frederic Walker. The finding qualified Taylor for the death penalty, but prosecutors asked for life in prison.

According to trial evidence, Taylor and an alleged accomplice, Edward Contreras, set out to steal Walker’s $635 cash inheritance that the Antelope Valley man received after the death of his parents. Walker was invited by Taylor to a barbecue at his parents’ Bouquet Canyon home on Aug. 9, 1995.

Taylor then robbed Walker and attacked him with a machete. He cut up the corpse, and placed the feet and head in a plastic bag that he later dumped in a remote area near Lake Hughes.

Two soldiers found the bag and notified authorities. Police credited informants with the identification of both defendants.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Joseph Payne, who said Taylor “showed a seeming lack of regard for the value of human life,” contended that money was the prime motive for the killing.

The trial of co-defendant Contreras is scheduled for April 30 in Superior Court.