LAFAYETTE, IN — Taylor Malcolm and her boyfriend, Anthony Reed Jr., argued early June 7, 2024, and prosecutors say Reed tried to kill Malcolm as she drove away from his east-side apartment.
“Anthony kicked Taylor out of his apartment,,” Tippecanoe County deputy prosecutor Elyse Madigan told jurors in opening statements. “Taylor was sitting in her vehicle outside of Anthony’s apartment complex and was on the phone with … the YWCA women’s shelter, trying to find a place for her and her dog to stay that night.
“Anthony exited the apartment, pulled his firearm and shot at Taylor at least eight times while Taylor was driving away from the apartment complex,” Madigan told jurors. “One of the bullets went through the back of Taylor’s vehicle, through her seat and shot Taylor in her heart.”
Madigan said evidence will show that Reed, now 28, tried to kill Malcolm, but Reed’s attorney, Jason Jackson, said evidence will show that Reed did not intend to kill Malcolm.
“You will hear from Anthony Reed,” Jackson told jurors in his opening statement. “Anthony Reed will explain his side of the story.
“When you’ve heard that, we believe that you will conclude that Anthony Reed did not intend to kill Taylor Malcolm that day. He did not intend to hurt her that day.
“That’s why we believe you will ultimately find Anthony not guilty.”
Testimony on Monday afternoon included police officers’ accounts of seeing tire tracks in the grass leading away from Reed’s apartment, traveling down a narrow strip of grass between the back of the apartment and a drainage ditch.
Reed was driving his white Jeep, according to evidence presented to jurors.
When officers noticed Reed trying to leave the scene, they chased him when he turned onto McCarty Lane on the apartment complex’s north side.
Lafayette police officer Taylor Turner was the first of many police cars pursuing Reed, and he said Reed sped south on Creasy Lane. He eventually stopped south of the hospital and north of Indiana 38 and was arrested.
Reed has been in jail since then.
He is charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, battery with a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement, pointing a firearm and domestic battery.
If convicted on the attempted murder charge, Reed faces between 20 and 40 years in prison.
The trial resumes Tuesday, Dec. 2, in Tippecanoe Superior 2.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Trial begins for Lafayette man accused of shooting girlfriend
