DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A Tennessee man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the January murder of a Decatur man.
Cameron Taylor, 20, of Arlington, Tenn., faces three first degree murder charges for the shooting death of Nathaniel “Nate” Majors on Jan. 27.
A member of Majors’ family found him unconscious at a home on North Graceland and took him to a Decatur hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to investigators. An autopsy revealed multiple injuries consistent with gunshot wounds which damaged Majors’ heart. A coroner’s inquest ruled the death a homicide.
Investigators learned Majors had been in contact with Taylor prior to the murder and that Taylor had traveled from Tennessee to Decatur on the day of the shooting with help from his girlfriend who lives in Decatur.
Family members and Majors’ live-in girlfriend told investigators a man later identified as Taylor came to Majors’ home between 5 and 6 p.m. to buy $1,000 worth of marijuana from him but only had $400 and was waiting on someone to bring an additional $600. Majors’ live-in girlfriend left the home when Taylor was in the house. Both the girlfriend and Majors sent messages to family members suggesting the man later identified as Taylor was acting in a suspicious way, witnesses told police.
An acquaintance of Taylor’s told police, on the day of the shooting, Taylor had $400 of counterfeit currency and left with the goal of buying marijuana. The acquaintance said Taylor left for several hours and came back after dark with newly-purchased marijuana and two handguns.
Taylor’s girlfriend told police, when Taylor arrived at her home late in the evening, he had a small amount of blood on his pants. He later put the pants in a dumpster in her apartment complex.
An arrest warrant was issued for Taylor on Aug. 1 for the murder of Nate Majors. Police arrested Taylor on Aug. 7 in Tennessee and he was taken to Illinois on Sept. 21.
Taylor remains in the Macon County Jail on a $100,000 bail. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 8.
