Naman Shrestha
In October 2016, a seemingly regular and short car ride with her two young children and teenage niece turned out to be deadly for 22-year-old Whitney Gray. When she was tragically killed in the middle of the road, the investigators referred to the surveillance footage of the area and the witnesses to track down the perpetrator responsible for the horrific crime. Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil: Not a Social Person’ provides an in-depth account of Whitney’s killing and the swift investigation that followed, resulting in the capture of the killer.
Whitney Gray Was With Her Children and Niece When She Was Killed
Upon her birth on February 26, 1994, in Iowa City, Iowa, Whitney Marie Gray filled the Gray household with joy and laughter with her angelic presence and infectious smile. While growing up in Johnson County, she never lacked affection or warmth as she was raised with immense love and care by her doting parents, Sean and Christy Gray, in the company of her loving siblings, Wendy Longden, Heather Fiske, Jamie Riordan, Dylan Gray, and Keaton Gray. At some point, their parents split up, and Sean went on to marry Connie. However, they always came together for their kids and offered their unwavering support at all times. By the time she came of age, Whitney had developed a tenacious spirit and had a deeper understanding of the way the world works. She lived life on her own terms but would go to great lengths to help those in need.
With a heart of gold, Whitney was adored by friends and family alike. On the personal front, she was deeply in love with her devoted partner, Brett Rooks, and had also embraced motherhood with open arms as a mother of two. With the deep emotional bond she shared with her doting partner and two sons, Junior Gray and Bentley Rooks, she had begun to build a fulfilling life for herself. Whitney and Brett had each other’s backs, no matter the circumstances. The pair cherished each moment they spent with the kids and eagerly looked forward to creating more precious memories as a family in the future. At the young age of 22, the kindhearted individual seemed to have everything she wanted. However, all her plans got derailed when she suddenly met her demise in the fall of 2016.
On October 16, 2016, Gray loaded Junior, Bentley, and her 16-year-old niece in her minivan and headed out for a grocery run at a store at 23rd Street and Sterling Avenue in Independence, Missouri. At about 7:40 pm, the local police received a call to report a shooting incident in the 1600 block of Sterling Avenue near Winner Road. Upon reaching the location, the police encountered a minivan with a woman and three kids inside. While the woman was fatally shot and pronounced dead on the scene, the kids — aged 16, 3 years, and 6 months — were unharmed. The woman was identified as Whitney Marie Gray. According to the medical examiner, the 22-year-old died due to a gunshot wound in the chest, particularly in the area surrounding her collarbone just below the neck.
A Road Rage Incident Led to Whitney Gray’s Tragic Demise
During the investigation, the authorities turned to the witnesses near the scene of the crime as well as the surveillance footage of the area to connect the dots and get to the bottom of the case. They learned that after Whitney Gray pulled out of the parking lot of the grocery store, her minivan was almost struck by an SUV, which tried to overtake hers, while she was driving north on Sterling near 23rd Street. A man named Christopher Taylor was behind the wheel of the SUV. Both vehicles reportedly stopped at a traffic signal at Winner Road, where Whitney’s niece, who was in the passenger seat with her, got into a loud argument with Christopher. The niece ended up throwing a drink or liquid onto his car.
In retaliation, Christopher pulled out his gun and shot Whitney to death before fleeing the scene. As he went home, he reportedly packed a few of his possessions and left town to get away with murder. He allegedly disposed of the murder weapon in the Missouri River in South Dakota and checked into a hotel just outside Rapid City. Suspicions against him were raised when he failed to show up at his workplace, and his family members found several of his clothes and other possessions missing. In order to track him down, the detectives went to the car dealership where he had purchased his car.
With the help of the tracking device on his SUV, they were able to locate him at the hotel in Box Elder, South Dakota, which was 700 miles away from the crime scene. Two days after the murder, on October 18, 2016, Christopher Taylor was apprehended. During his interview, the shooter confessed to his crime and blamed the incident on his basic Army training, claiming that he instinctively reacted to contact. He said, “I don’t know why, but it was a negligent discharge. I didn’t want it to happen, I couldn’t believe it had happened, I panicked, I just hit the gas. I didn’t know what the hell to do; I was scared.” Thus, he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the killing of Whitney Gray.
Christopher Taylor is Currently Incarcerated at a Missouri Prison Facility
Nearly two years later, Christopher Taylor stood trial for his involvement in the murder of 22-year-old Whitney Gray. During the trial, his defense attorney claimed that his actions were reactionary. Meanwhile, the prosecution argued that his murderous act was intentional and not the product of police training. After hearing both sides of the story, the jury deliberated and reached a verdict on June 13, 2018. Christopher was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action, which was not taken well by the family members of Whitney Gray.
A couple of months later, on August 24, his sentencing hearing took place. Before the judge announced his sentence, Whitney’s father, Sean, gave an emotional victim impact statement. Claiming that the killer was “very careless with his weapon,” he said that Christopher was not safe for society. Talking about the impact it had on the family, he stated, “Since the day it happened, it’s been quite a big task having two little ones with us.” He added, “How do you comfort a 5-year-old like that. My grandchildren have been given a life sentence of not having their mother.” In the end, Christopher Taylor was sentenced to 17 years for the armed criminal action charge and seven years for the involuntary manslaughter charge. As of today, he is serving his sentence at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City, Missouri.
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