Mississippi man finds God, confesses to murder

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James Eric Crisp is a 37-year-old father of two and a reformed drug addict. In 2019, Crisp was involved in a drug bust and wound up in jail. He joined a Christian rehabilitation center called God’s House of Hope, got saved, and began the journey of turning his life around.

“By his own testimony, he got saved three years ago, was in a recovery center, we sent him there, he is now a teacher and preacher in that program,” Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook said.

But a sin committed in the depths of his addiction weighed heavy on Crisp. Three years ago, he was in a fight with 48-year-old Roger Lord Taylor that turned deadly.

Taylor lived in Alabama and was driving to Mississippi to visit his daughter. After crossing the state line, he texted her to tell her that he was lost. That was the last time anyone heard from him. His car was found a few days later. Investigators searched for over a week in the area around where the car was discovered to no avail. Until now, Taylor’s case was cold, with little evidence for investigators to go on.

“It’s been bad not knowing, not knowing where he’s at, if he’s OK, if he’s dead or alive, or whatever could’ve happened to him,” Taylor’s daughter told WCBI that year. “It’s been horrible.”

Crisp, having found God, could no longer carry the burden of what he had done in silence.

“James Eric Crisp walked into my office, of his own free will, and confessed to having killed Mr. Taylor,” Sheriff Kevin Crook said.

Crisp was charged with manslaughter and remains in custody on a $150,000 bond.