On July 24, 2021, deputies in Osage County, Missouri, responded to a residence on Muddy Water Lane north of Linn near Chamois after family members found the bodies of 56-year-old Pauline Gerloff and her husband, Leonard Gerloff in their front yard. First responders determined both had fatal gunshot wounds — Pauline to the head and Leonard to the chest. The discovery alarmed the small rural community.

Investigators focused on a 2019 red Chevy Silverado seen leaving the area, which led them to 62-year-old Warren M. Taylor of Chamois, an acquaintance of the couple. Deputies found human blood on the truck’s fender and recovered a .357 Magnum discarded in a bucket of creek water; ballistics testing linked the weapon to fragments from the victims. Taylor was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action and held without bond. Relatives described Pauline as a devoted mother and grandmother; no clear motive has been reported.

If anyone knew Pauline or has information about the case, please share what you know.