When David Mark Taylor of South Carolina went missing, his truck was subsequently located parked in a grassy area alongside the freeway, with all of his stuff except the lottery ticket and his cell phone still inside. Later, the 59-year-old was discovered slumped against a tree near the ravine and he died on October 13 from hypothermia caused by methamphetamine consumption.
We gain a true understanding of both the dark side of human nature and the complexities of one's decisions, thanks to Netflix's Missing: Dead or Alive? which lives up to its title in every way imaginable. After all, it meticulously chronicles those true-crime cases in which individuals vanished without a trace, so the reason could be anything from a serious offense to them being a runaway.
But, for now, if you'd like to learn more about one such case in particular that of family man David Mark Taylor, who went missing from Columbia, South Carolina (SC), we've got the details.
Previously, we touched on Tynesha Brooks.
David Mark Taylor’s Missing Case: The 59-Year-Old South Carolina Native Was Discovered Slumped Against a Tree Near the Ravine Before He Died 2 Days Later!
David Mark Taylor, a resident of Columbia, South Carolina (SC), had succeeded in creating a nice life for himself and his family by the middle of October 2021, despite being a native of the woods. That's because he'd purposefully turned his childhood passion for carpentry into a career in construction/remodeling, only to devote all of his spare time to his wife and children.
It's no surprise that the 59-year-old was regarded as completely trustworthy by the entire neighborhood, making the fact that he went missing on Monday, October 11, all the more surprising given the circumstances.
David Taylor was a native of the woods in Barnwell, South Carolina.
Image Source: Ready Steady Cut
As we can see in Netflix's Missing: Dead or Alive? David Taylor had recently won a large $10,000 jackpot from a random scratch-off card, and he was on his way to collect the award in Columbia when he was last seen or heard from. He'd called (or pocket dialed) his wife Cathy shortly before 3 p.m., but she only heard what sounded like papers ruffling before the connection broke, and he didn't pick up her worried dialing after that.
Then there was the fact that David Taylor's truck was discovered parked on a grass area alongside the freeway, with all of his stuff except the lottery ticket and his cell phone still inside.
However, according to tradition, it was not until hours later that David Taylor was formally reported missing, with the leading speculations being that he either ran away from home or was murdered for the lottery money. That's when his cell phone data (tower pings) and public tips came into play, directing authorities right into a wooded region regarded as a relatively dangerous drug base. The 59-year-old was discovered slumped against a tree near the ravine and died on October 13 from methamphetamine intoxication hypothermia, according to an autopsy.
So, was David Taylor killed? The short answer is no; David Taylor's death was allegedly entirely accidental since there were no signs of him being damaged, hurt, or pursued by a potential second party in any manner, shape, or form. The idea of suicide has also been dismissed because the meth was apparently consumed by the father of three, who had no history of serious sadness or suicidal inclinations.
In other words, because his body had no stab wounds, gunshot wounds, blunt force injuries, or anything else save a high dose of methamphetamine in his system, the coroner declared his death to be accidental.
David Taylor and his family.
Image Source: The Cinemaholic
Though it's worth noting that the meth does explain David Taylor's reported erratic behavior in the hours following his normal October 11 departure from home without a second thought. According to the documentary series, his driving was all over the place between 12 and 1 p.m., and it could also be him who a tip caller saw crossing all six lanes of the interstate highway on foot. That's because the sheer amount of drugs in his veins could have caused paranoia and thus severe hallucinations — as if someone was out to get him — making him unstable.
The truth is that this misconception made David Taylor weak enough that he couldn't get out of the woods on his own, culminating in hypothermia and death two days later. Cathy, his wife of 38 years, couldn't believe any of this at first since she thought he loathed all hard drugs because of the damage he'd seen them have on their own children.
However, their daughter Jessica Jean Taylor was aware of this side of dad because he had contacted her for heroin/meth to assist him deal with the pain of a knee injury he'd sustained some time before.
