Missing 32 yo Lexington, KY Man Alex Johnson Last Seen Dec. 20, 2013

[crazybabyborg]

All I know, Blue Moon, is that you're right. I agree that if the police would start dribbling out even tidbits of information, it would help keep the story alive and keep his picture out there. Sadly, I also agree that as long as this has gone, with seemingly no new developments, it's not encouraging. I'm keeping Alex in my prayers!

[Blue Moon]

Here is the latest from Alex's facebook page  :

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Arrest-warrant-issued-in-missing-man-case-241317971.html

 

Arrest warrant issued in missing man case

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - WKYT has just learned that an arrest warrant has been issued in connection to the disappearance of a Lexington man.

A source tells WKYT Robert Markham Taylor is wanted for murder, kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence. There are three separate warrants out for his arrest.

Investigators have still not found Alex Johnson. He disappeared just a few days before Christmas.

The last time his girlfriend heard from him was on the phone. She told .............................





This just makes me so upset, I just knew this is how it was going to end up.
 
My prayers to his family.  They live less than a mile from me.

[Blue Moon]

I guess the two postings on Topix were true.  That is probably why they removed it from the posting.

[Mere]

Blue Moon....I have been trying to find additional information on Robert Markham Taylor.  There is a huge data base of men with that name (the sites delete the "Markham") in the Lexington area.  Other than the WKYT article, there is nothing yet.

I am so sorry that this is ending this way.  Prayers to his family and friends.

[grace-land]

So sorry to hear about the bad news about Alex.     

[Blue Moon]

Thanks Mere. I got enough from another website that a 2nd person was arrested for assisting in disposal and that these were friends of Alex's.  The 2nd person is Timothy Ballard.  He, too, supposed to be from Lexington but I also found one here in B.G.  Sure hope they are not from here and he went to school with them.  The article cut me off and asked me to sign up for the article.

[Blue Moon]

Thanks Grace-Land.  When I found out he was from here I checked and they live less than a mile from me.

It is just so sad for the mother and father.

[grace-land]

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/21/3044993/lexington-police-file-arrest-warrant.html

Lexington police file arrest warrant for murder in missing man's case
anuary 21, 2014 Updated 5 minutes ago

 
Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said detectives issued an arrest warrant Monday.

Roberts said the warrant charges someone with murder, but there could be additional charges. She would not release an identity.

“At this point we’re not releasing the name, because doing so could compromise the investigation,” Roberts said.

She said the missing-person case has been completed, and it is being converted into a homicide investigation.
 
In addition to the murder warrant, police made more progress in the case. Timothy Ballard was arrested on a charge of complicity to kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Court documents say Ballard, 42, assisted in the unlawful restraint and transport of Johnson and disposed of evidence. The offense is listed for Dec. 20, according to court documents.

Asked whether others could be arrested, Roberts said, “Those are the people who are personally connected to the homicide,” but “there is more than meets the eye in this particular situation.”

The investigation is active
 

[Blue Moon]

They have not found his body yet but I would suspect that that is the reason they were dragging Kentucky river.  The spot was below I-75 bridge over Kentucky river at Clays ferry.  Surely they did not dispose of him from that bridge.  It is very high up and the palisades are down there.  I get high-sick every time we cross that bridge.

[Blue Moon]

They have not found his body yet but I would suspect that that is the reason they were dragging Kentucky river.  The spot was below I-75 bridge over Kentucky river at Clays ferry.  Surely they did not dispose of him from that bridge.  It is very high up and the palisades are down there.  I get high-sick every time we cross that bridge.

You know, I guess they could have been looking for his cell phone and wallet since they have that Ballard guy for disposal.  They could have thrown that stuff off the bridge as they crossed it.

[Blue Moon]

This is on Topix today:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/lexington-ky/TIAHA4IGF4076G9IC

News at Noon
Frankfort, KY
   
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#9
1 hr ago
 
Anyone seen WKYT today? Arrest Warrant issued for Robert Markham Taylor. So looks like Heard Today was correct on the previous thread when they thought it was a friend of Alex's responsible for his disappearance. This a cousin of one of Alex "good" friends, who has acting strangely since Alex's disappearance. I feel so badly for Alex's family today. Prayers for closure and consequences for those involved. It makes me sick that I have been in the presence of these individuals.

[grace-land]

More information...

http://www.lex18.com/news/murder-warrant-issued-in-connection-to-missing-lexington-man

1 hour 1 minute ago
Murder Warrant Issued In Case Of Missing Lexington Man

 
LEX18 has learned one man is in jail and a murder warrant has been issued for another.

On Monday, homicide detectives got a murder warrant for Robert Marcum Taylor, who goes by Mark Taylor.

So far, Taylor has not been arrested, but according to court documents Timothy Ballard, who goes by Tiny, is in the Fayette County Detention Center charged with complicity to kidnapping resulting in the death of victim, and tampering with evidence.

They are the suspects in the disappearance of Alex Johnson who vanished from his Hanover Avenue home back on Dec. 20. The 32-year-old was on the phone with his girlfriend when he got a knock at the door and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Timothy Ballard did nearly 20 years in prison on an armed robbery charge in 1992, a case where he was originally charged with kidnapping in that case, too. He is currently on parole was was in court Tuesday at 1:00p.m. to answer to the new charges.

[Blue Moon]

More information...

http://www.lex18.com/news/murder-warrant-issued-in-connection-to-missing-lexington-man

1 hour 1 minute ago
Murder Warrant Issued In Case Of Missing Lexington Man

 
LEX18 has learned one man is in jail and a murder warrant has been issued for another.

On Monday, homicide detectives got a murder warrant for Robert Marcum Taylor, who goes by Mark Taylor.

So far, Taylor has not been arrested, but according to court documents Timothy Ballard, who goes by Tiny, is in the Fayette County Detention Center charged with complicity to kidnapping resulting in the death of victim, and tampering with evidence.

They are the suspects in the disappearance of Alex Johnson who vanished from his Hanover Avenue home back on Dec. 20. The 32-year-old was on the phone with his girlfriend when he got a knock at the door and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Timothy Ballard did nearly 20 years in prison on an armed robbery charge in 1992, a case where he was originally charged with kidnapping in that case, too. He is currently on parole was was in court Tuesday at 1:00p.m. to answer to the new charges.

e
Who would have ever guessed that Ballard was on parole?  Did 20 years on armed robbery?  Did that kidnapping result in death also?  Surely it did cause 20 years is a long time for armed robbery.

I saw on his facebook page that the owner of Mellow Mushroom was telling about an incident in the restaurant with some individuals giving her a hard time and Alex asked her if she wanted him to take care of them for her, he said he wasn't with them but he would talk to them to see if he could get them to stop harassing her.  I wonder if this incident led to this happening?

[MuffyBee]

Very sad news.    

[Blue Moon]

More:  (BBM)

http://www.lex18.com/news/murder-warrant-issued-in-case-of-missing-lexington-man


Murder Warrant Issued In Case Of Missing Lexington Man

 

......................................................

Both Taylor and Ballard are suspects in the disappearance of Johnson who vanished from his Hanover Avenue home back on Dec. 20. The then 32-year-old was on the phone with his girlfriend when he got a knock on the door, he hung up to answer and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Timothy Ballard did nearly 20 years in prison on an armed robbery charge in 1992, a case where he was originally charged with kidnapping, too. He appeared in court Tuesday afternoon.

The murder warrant for Mark Taylor was also issued Monday. Taylor moved to Lexington from South Florida a few years ago and befriended Johnson.

Lexington Police aren't commenting on the developments as the investigation is far from over, but based on the charges the suspects are facing, the assumption has to be Johnson isn't coming home. But police are closer than ever to giving thousands of Johnson's friends and his family answers about what happened to the UK chef five days before Christmas.

[grace-land]

Hmmm..I wonder what Roberts meant by the statement "there is more than meets the eye." 

Statement from the Johnson Family...

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/21/3044993/lexington-police-file-arrest-warrant.html

Lexington police file arrest warrant for murder of Alex Johnson, who disappeared in December
By Justin Madden
January 21, 2014 Updated 8 minutes ago

 
Asked whether others could be arrested, Roberts — identifying only Ballard — said: "Those are the people who are personally connected to the homicide," but "there is more than meets the eye."

The investigation remains active

The court documents say Ballard pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday during an arraignment. He was being held in the Fayette County Detention Center on a $253,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 29.

Ballard has been in Lexington since 2009 on parole from Alabama, according to an email from Kentucky Department of Corrections spokesperson Lisa Lamb. He was released on parole Feb. 2, 2009, from Alabama after serving 17 years of a 25-year sentence for first-degree robbery.
 
On Tuesday, Lee and Judy Johnson of Bowling Green, Alex's parents, released a statement through O'Daniel, a family friend.

The statement said the Johnson family "would like to thank all of Alex's friends, the Lexington police, the local media, and the people of Lexington who have helped and supported us in our search to find Alex. Please continue to keep him and us in your thoughts and prayers as we try to find him. We ask that you please respect our privacy as we continue to search for Alex."

Shortly after Johnson's disappearance, residents were concerned that the neighborhood wasn't safe. Roberts said it's important to know that Johnson's slaying "wasn't random." She stopped short of saying that Johnson and the murder suspect were friends.

"They knew each other," Roberts said. "I think it's important for people to realize this wasn't a stranger."

[Blue Moon]

Let me see if I have this right---They have a guy in custody for helping to dispose of evidence, whether that be Alex or his keys, wallet and cell phone; they have also issued a warrant on 3 separate charges of murder on another individual----Now what the $ell did they do with Alex and why doesn't the police know where he is? 


I just will not venture to guess what they did with his body.

Grace-land, it just does not make sense-that comment about more than meets the eye.  What more could it have been?  Kinda sounds like lots of "friends" were there when it happened.  Also, if that Topix post earlier I put out is true then Mark Taylor was the person knocking on the door, was questioned by police, lawyered up, fled to Florida and sounds like he took Alex with him.  Southern Florida is at least a 12 hour drive, he could have disposed of him anywhere in a 1000 miles.  JMO only but this all I can make of it.

[grace-land]

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/21/3044993/lexington-police-file-arrest-warrant.html

Lexington police file arrest warrant for murder of Alex Johnson, who disappeared in December
January 21, 2014 Updated 29 minutes ago


Timothy C. Ballard

 
No body has been found, but detectives issued an arrest warrant Monday. Roberts said the warrant charges someone with murder, but there could be additional charges. She would not release an identity.

"Doing so could compromise the investigation," Roberts said.

But Steven O'Daniel, a spokesman for Johnson's family, said police are looking for a man named Mark Taylor of Lexington.

In addition to the murder warrant, police arrested Timothy Ballard, charging him with complicity to kidnapping and tampering with evidence.

O'Daniel said the family had heard of Taylor and Ballard only in the last three weeks.
 

[Blue Moon]

this is supposedly a picture of Mark Taylor:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BehwHTcCIAAAQDJ.jpg

[grace-land]

January 21, 2014 Tweet from Josh Breslow WLEX

https://twitter.com/JoshBreslowWLEX

Josh Breslow ‏@JoshBreslowWLEX  8h 
Here's a picture of Mark Taylor, the man wanted for murder in connection w/ disappearance of Alex Johnson. #Lexington pic.twitter.com/TONUl3MHJc



Josh Breslow ‏@JoshBreslowWLEX  9h 
DEVELOPING: Murder warrant issued for Robert Marcum Taylor (aka Mark Taylor) in disappearance of Lexington man, Alex Johnson.
 @LEX18News