A couple from Smyrna, identified as Latashia McGowan, 40, and Glenn Branson, 41, face second-degree murder charges following the road rage shooting that took the life of 22-year-old Noah Taylor on Interstate 24, WSMV reports. The charges against the couple have been sent to a grand jury, a crucial step in bringing the case before the courts. Taylor was fatally shot while driving to work in July, and investigators have connected McGowan and Branson to the crime by finding bullet casings in their trash, which matched those at the scene of Taylor’s shooting.
In a courtroom appearance, evidence was presented tying the couple to the crime, including surveillance video data and cell phone data linked to McGowan, while a previous domestic situation involving Branson also came into play because of the rifle, that was used in the shooting and previously noted in a law enforcement aggravated domestic assault case, this was detailed by a homicide investigator in a statement obtained by WKRN. Despite claims of her minimal involvement by her defense attorney, the judge has decided to keep McGowan's bond at $250,000 and Branson's at $1 million, considering the risk that weapons like the semi-automatic rifle used in this case can pose to the community.
Family and friends of Noah Taylor, clad in "Justice for Noah" t-shirts, filled the courtroom during a particularly emotional testimony, while prosecutors pointed out efforts by McGowan to cover up the crime, as mentioned to NewsChannel 5. "She goes and gets rid of the car, and the gun switches vehicles so they can’t be detected. She was a whole lot more than just present," the prosecution asserted. Noah's father, Scot Taylor, expressed his trust in the judicial process and his faith, saying, "I don’t know God’s plan, but I trust in his hand. I trust that God’s plan is for good and not for evil," in the heartbreaking aftermath of his son's death.
Moving forward, the case against McGowan and Branson will be presented before a grand jury to determine whether there is enough evidence for an indictment. Branson admitted to opening fire with an AR rifle after an escalation of what began as a road rage incident. Detectives further clarified that an unrelated road rage complaint involving the victim two weeks prior to the shooting has no connection to the current investigation.
