In a harrowing tale of violence and betrayal, Crystal Taylor, a 27-year-old mother-to-be, was brutally murdered in Hawthorne, California, on September 25, 2001. Tragically, she was five months pregnant and had been at odds with the father of her un𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, Derek Sawyer, who pressured her to abort the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦. Just hours after a distressing phone call with him, Crystal was shot in the head as she left for work, her life and that of her un𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 cut short in a senseless act of violence.

For 16 agonizing years, Crystal’s family fought for justice, grappling with the loss of their beloved daughter and sister. Initially, authorities had a person of interest—Skylar Moore, a gang member who allegedly confessed years later to the murder—yet the case remained cold due to a lack of evidence and witness intimidation. Crystal’s family was left devastated, haunted by memories and unanswered questions while Moore served time for another crime.

In a shocking twist, a breakthrough came when Moore finally implicated Derek Sawyer, revealing that he had orchestrated the murder, viewing Crystal as a burden. With this new information, detectives arrested Sawyer, who had lived a carefree life while Crystal’s family mourned. Despite his denials, the evidence against him mounted, including testimonies from his ex-partners who detailed his violent tendencies during their pregnancies.

In June 2017, after a tumultuous trial, Derek Sawyer was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Crystal’s family finally saw justice served, but the scars of their loss remain deep. Crystal Taylor’s tragic story serves as a stark reminder of the violence faced by pregnant women, illuminating a dark statistic: homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women in the U.S. As they remember Crystal, her family hopes that her story might bring awareness and prevent future tragedies.