Around town

A Marion man, William "Bill" Taylor, was pleasantly surprised to find his brother, Gene Taylor, featured in a newly published book, "The Duct Tape Killer," that came out in January.

The book was published by eLectio Publishing LLC of Elm, Texas.

Gene Taylor of South Dakota, is now a retired sheriff of McCook County, after serving in that office for 28 years.

Sheriff Taylor figured highly in helping solve the murders that occurred in his county during 1994-1996. He and his wife, Lois, are pictured in the book.

He participated in the book signing, held in January in a local Barnes and Noble Book Store in South Dakota.

"The Duct Tape Killer" is the true inside story of sexual sadist and serial murderer, Robert Leroy Anderson.

The book was written by Phil Hamman and Sandy Hamman, and includes information from former Attorney General Larry Long.

Long and his elite team of investigators uncovered a secret crime location, and with the assistance of local law enforcement, including Sheriff Taylor, were able to piece together the sinister facts of the demented crimes perpetrated by Anderson.

Sheriff Taylor was often compared by his county people to Sheriff Andy Taylor of the longtime favorite TV offering, The Andy Griffith Show, featuring a friendly and intelligent law enforcer.

Sheriff Taylor was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1966 and became a trained Military Policeman. Ten years later, he was elected sheriff of McCook County, South Dakota.

The Taylor brothers, Bill and Gene, did not spend all their growing-up years together, since the six brothers and one sister were separated in childhood, going to orphanages, with some being adopted, and others taken into foster homes.

Bill Taylor, born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sent to live with his grandparents in South Dakota, in the county where the murders would later take place.

At age 12 or 13, he was brought to Marion to live with another grandmother and has called Marion home ever since.

In 1986, a reunion was arranged and the siblings gathered in Marion to get reacquainted. The story of that gathering was published in the Marion Daily Republican at that time. They enjoyed another reunion in later years.

Bill and Gene have carried on their relationship, mostly via telephone since then.

However, a couple of years ago, Bill and his daughter, Jennifer Nicholson, also of Marion, made the trip to McCook County to visit Gene and his wife, Lois, and their three daughters and their families.

Lois, and the daughters assisted in the search for one of the missing women in their county.

Lois, who also served as a dispatcher in their home, turned that job over to a daughter, Lisa, so she could head out in the surrounding fields and forests, with some 500 volunteers who showed up.

She was also responsible for delivering food to all those on the search.

The other two daughters, Kim and Sheri, and their husbands were also involved in the search for a young mother who had mysteriously disappeared.

The book follows, in detail, the hideous murders done by Anderson, and why the title of the book was used.

In the introduction of the book is this statement: "From the beginning of mankind, there has been a raging battle between good and evil, for control of the world. In the end, good shall prevail."

"The Duct Tape Killer" is available at amazon.com.