By ELIZABETH FERSZT
Contributing Writer
Taylor Wilcher, who allegedly was involved in the death of John Lusch on April 20, appeared Nov. 18 before Judge John McBain in the 4th Circuit Court, Jackson to ask for a bond modification. Her attorney, Daniel Willman, argued for the modification, based on the theory that she is “a victim, not a co-conspirator, not an accessory after murder.”
According to Willman, Wilcher (age 26) was called to the house on Orchard Place on the morning of Easter Sunday, April 20, by her then boyfriend Bryan Johnson. Johnson, (age 22), Jemel Milton (age 35) and Phillip Gauze (age 40), are all charged with first degree murder.
Johnson, and Gauze met Wilcher at the door “in a HazMat suit,” according to Willman. They took her phone and “threw it into the refrigerator” and “did not allow her to leave” and “forced her to clean the house.” According to Willman that meant cleaning up a murder scene.
This so traumatized Wilcher, who was high on heroin at the time, that she did as they said, but then fled to an upstairs bathroom to commit suicide by overdose.
“This [case] really bothers me,” said Willman. “She just witnessed a murder and then was forced to clean up a murder scene. She has been having night terrors in jail,” he added. “She is not a danger to society. She did not want to die also at that house.”
“When I talked to her in jail [using the Plexiglas cubicles and phones], she was so sweating that she fogged up both windows,” said Willman, indicating that Wilcher was under extreme stress.
“How is she dealing with the suicidal ideation?” asked McBain.
Willman stated that since being in custody, “She’s had ample time to be clean,” but is still in need of support. He laid out a plan that she will stay with her dad and stepmom who were in court, and that her ties to the community with family and friends are strong.
McBain called Wilcher’s father, John Decker, to testify. He stated that he is willing to house his daughter at their house in Brooklyn, “We have seven acres, she’ll be looked after,” said Decker. He asked that she still be put on a tether.
He wanted the tether so that “there’s no place she can go score illegal drugs,” said McBain.
Willman said his client had been offered some sort of plea, but that 12th District Court Judge Allison Bates said Wilcher had committed perjury, in offering conflicting versions of the story of the murder of John Lusch — when in fact Wilcher was just really high (on heroin) and so could not keep the facts straight. He said she was not a co-conspirator nor an accessory.
Wilcher appeared in person, in an orange jail duo-suit, her long blond hair was clean and combed. She waved or smiled to her parents sitting in the back row.
The prosecution argued that Wilcher indeed perjured herself, “She took the stand and continued to perjure herself” about the nature of the killing of John Lusch and her role in it.
The defense countered that she was dragged into the situation, held beyond her will at the house at 900 Orchard Place until she completed the cleaning of the murder scene. Wilcher was so distraught that she attempted to kill herself upstairs while being held —“like on 911, some people jumped to their quick deaths (from the Twin Towers) instead of being burned to death” — Willman explained. Only when she saw the police car lights that arrived on the scene hours later, did she know she might be safe, he added.
She was supposed to be proffered a deal from the prosecution, but it never materialized, said Willman. “She’s had ample time to get clean,” Willman added.
McBain then ordered a Bond modification to the extant $100,000 bond, reduced to $10,000. Willman asked for less. A cash surety bond was then set at $5,000, with terms, including emergencies, medical doctor appointments, and therapy.
