James Earl Taylor, 51, was found dead on Friday, May 19, 2023, in rural Macon County at the 5700 block of N. Country Club Rd. A passerby’s tip led to the discovery. An autopsy on May 20 determined the cause of death was gunshot trauma, and identification was confirmed by dental records compared with autopsy x-rays.

Although found in Decatur, Illinois, Taylor was a resident of Brownsville, Tennessee at the time of his death. He was born May 21, 1971, in Brownsville to Sherlene (Taylor) Goodman and Earl T. Singleton. The Illinois State Police have classified the matter as a criminal investigation; no suspects, arrests, or trials have been reported.

Does anyone have information about Taylor’s movements before May 19 or about why he might have been in the Decatur area?