A California personal trainer accused of decapitating two of his children allegedly forced his two surviving kids to live in view of their older siblings’ headless bodies for five days, prosecutors said.
Maurice Taylor Sr. decapitated his son Maurice Jr., 12, and daughter Maliaka,13, at their Lancaster home on Nov. 29, and then kept their remains in the house for five days while showing them to his two younger sons, court papers filed Tuesday allege.
Taylor also locked the younger boys, aged 8 and 9, in their rooms without food, according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Taylor was arrested Friday after police responded to the home following reports of a possible gas leak and made the gruesome discovery of the decapitated bodies.
The gas leak had been initially reported by concerned clients of the personal trainer who hadn’t heard from him for days.
The children’s mother was at home when officers arrived and is being questioned, but is not a suspect, police said.
Taylor was later charged with two counts of murder and child abuse and remains in jail in lieu of a $4.2-million bond.
His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 21, and he faces a maximum sentence of 57 years to life in prison.