Business Owner Accused of Homicide, After Trying to Protect His Business

By Sara Palmer [former] - March 7, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects |

Counsel delivered opening statements Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda A. Tanner on March 7 for homicide defendant Keith Taylor. 

Taylor, 44, represented by Brandon Taylor, is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, having a handgun on his person and possessing a firearm with a felony conviction in connection to an April 2020 incident.

According to the prosecution, Taylor was becoming increasingly more frustrated after repeated thefts and burglaries at his auto body business on the 3600 block of Woodland Avenue, where the incident occurred. 

In an attempt to protect his property, Taylor started staying in his business overnight, where he encountered ultimately confronted the victim, 23-year-old Jazzwind Kasif Fulton, and another individual. 

Fulton and the individual initially left Taylor’s body shop, but Fulton returned alone later in that morning. The prosecution said this is when Taylor fatally shot Fulton in his vehicle. 

The prosecutor said security footage showed an individual believed to be Taylor putting Fulton’s body in the backseat of his vehicle and then driving it two miles away from the scene before abandoning it.

Fulton then allegedly walked back to his body shop, shedding clothes along the way.

A business across the street from Taylor’s had its surveillance footage burglarized the night of the incident. Police believed Taylor was the one responsible to cover up evidence of his crime.

Taylor’s defense attorney countered by saying there was “no honor among thieves” and that the prosecution was pointing their finger in the wrong direction.

The lawyer said Fulton and the other individual were arguing the day of the incident, so Taylor suggested Fulton was killed by the other individual, who drove Fulton’s body to a place his family would find it.

Additionally, this individual’s story changed several times, allegedly trying to frame Taylor for the crime.