Murder suspect of UK employee Alex Johnson extradited to Kentucky
Mugshot of Robert Markham Taylor, who is a suspect in the murder of UK chef Alex Johnson.
February 13, 2014
STAFF REPORT
The man charged with kidnapping and murder in connection with the death of a Hilary J. Boone Center employee returned to the Fayette County Detention Center on Tuesday after being arrested in Texas on Jan. 22.
Robert Markham Taylor will appear in court on Feb. 25.
The UK employee, Alex Johnson, was last heard from on Dec. 20. His body was found in the Kentucky River on Jan. 24.
According to Fayette County court documents, Johnson was on the phone with his girlfriend, Lisa Horobin, when she heard a knock on the door. Horobin heard Johnson open the door, according to the documents.
Horobin said she immediately recognized the voice as Taylor, the suspect facing a murder charge. She heard the voice say, “Come downstairs, I’ve got a surprise for you,” she said.
Johnson then told Horobin, “Mark is here, I’ll call you later,” according to the documents.
That night, Taylor was with Timothy Ballard, who has been charged with complicity to kidnapping and tampering with physical evidence.
In an interview with police on Jan. 20, Ballard admitted to assisting Taylor with kidnapping Johnson by luring him into their vehicle, according to the court documents.
