Speaker #1What's good everybody and welcome to another episode of True Crime, Authors and Extraordinary People. Of course, I'm your man, David McClam. If you guys haven't already. Make sure you follow me on all of our social medias. One link to a link tree will get you every place you need to go pertaining to the show. And like I always like to remind you, if you are someone or you know someone that feels like they want to hurt themselves or others, please leave this episode. Dial 988. You can call or text them. It is the Suicide Prevention Hotline. They will get you the help that you need. Just in case you haven't been told today, let me be the first to say I do care and I need you to be here. And I'd like to remind you about CrowdWeave. You like what I do here and like to support the show. That is a fun way to do it. We are still building the page. So some of the prices that you see there will come down. So please check out CrowdWeave. If you have any suggestions of things you might want to see there, let me know. The link will be in the description. of the show. All right, let's get on with today's case. You know, this podcast is where truth cuts through silence and accountability is not optional. So being with that, I want to remind you that today's episode isn't just a story. It's an indictment. A family shattered by loss and a sheriff who's chosen public posturing over professional integrity. And it's about what happens when those in power prioritize politics over people. When a cry for help is met with silence and then spun as just another campaign talking point. This is the case of Taylor Barksdale. And this is your reminder that justice doesn't begin with a press release. It begins with truth. So what is the particulars of this case? Then we're going to talk a little bit about Madison County as to what I know, because there's a lot going on there. So on August 5th, 2024. A 911 call is placed from Kingston, Arkansas. A woman can be heard screaming in the woods. She's screaming for help. That woman was Taylor Barksdale. And law enforcement never showed up. Let me repeat that one more time. Law enforcement never showed up. Just take a moment and let that sink in. They didn't just arrive late. They didn't arrive at all. Weeks passed and when Taylor's remains were finally found in that very same area, only then did the Madison County Sheriff's Office begin a homicide investigation. Now, you may ask yourself, why? Where were they when she was still alive and crying out? You see, that single unanswered call should haunt every resident in Madison County. Because it tells you exactly how much or how little your life might matter depending on who you are, how you look, or what you've struggled with. See, on April 7, 2025, months after Taylor's death, Chef Runny Boyd made a bold move. He published a four-page Facebook rant. Let's be honest, that's what it was. See, under the guise of transparency, Boyd made a calculated attempt to clear up rumors. But what he really did was launch a smear campaign against a grieving family. He brought up Taylor's addiction. He speculated about her mental health. He even referenced her weight. See, that's not transparency. That's victim shaming. And that is completely 100% unacceptable. So when confronted about the statement, Boyd told the family's attorney he didn't think he needed to notify them because the post was meant for the public, not for them. What? Read between the lines. Your daughter died, but I have bigger things to worry about. The Barksdale family has shown nothing but strength in the face of cruelty and incompetence. Attorney Samuel Wilmoth, speaking for the family, said it best. And I quote, just because Taylor was an addict doesn't mean her life don't have value. And it doesn't excuse the sheriff or his deputy from failing to do their job. End quote. He's absolutely right. And I just want to emphasize here, if you haven't picked up on this yet. Yes. To Madison County and to that sheriff, Taylor's life meant less. Because she was an addict. She struggled with addiction. And this happens so much all over the world that those who are addicted and trying to fight for their lives and get better with that are often the people that is cast aside and not cared about. But just because she was an addict does not mean her life did not matter. See, it is not law enforcement's job to judge a victim. It is their job to protect them. Boyd's. office failed Taylor in life and now it's failing her again in death. Let's be clear. The family asked questions. They held meetings. They pushed for answers. But time and again, they were met with vague responses, missing evidence and social media spin. Even the autopsy isn't complete. And the family was told not all of Taylor's remains were recovered. Let me repeat that. Not all of her remains. And Boyd still has the audacity to claim the sheriff's office collected everything that we collected. Really? Because the Arkansas State Crime Lab doesn't seem to agree. Then came the worst insult of all. Boyd tied Taylor's death to May 13 vote on a sales tax increase to fund a new jail. That's right. He used her case as a campaign plug. He even called out grieving relatives who planned to wear shirts with Taylor's name, accusing them of trying to cast a negative light on the jail tax. Let me tell you what's low class, Sheriff Boyd. See, it's not Taylor's family. It's not a teal t-shirt with her name. It's not people demanding justice. Low class is ignoring a 911 call. Low class is blaming the dead. Low class is weaponizing a girl's murder to pass a tax. And let's not forget, when asked why Deputy Blake Hassel didn't respond to Taylor's 911 call, Boyd admitted he never followed up. He let Hassel resign quietly in lieu of being fired, because according to him, they were short-staffed. Well, guess what? Being short staffed doesn't excuse being short on accountability. Taylor Barksdale deserved better. Her cries should have been answered. Her body should have been treated with dignity. Her family should have been respected. Instead, they're left with trauma, secrecy, and the words of a sheriff more concerned with cleaning up lies than clearing his conscience. Boyd wants the public to believe he's done it. everything right, but the facts and the failures tell another story. He says he places God first. He says we're all equal in God's eyes. Then it's time to act like it. Stop blaming the victim. Start answering the hard questions and for once put justice before politics. See, Taylor's life mattered. Her story matters. And we will not stop saying her name loudly, publicly and persistently until the truth is honored and justice is done. You see, Madison County is known to be a dangerous county in Arkansas. From what I have been told, it is a racist county. I have even been told that people can reach me from that county if they wanted to and that I should not go there because of the color of my skin. My friend LaDonna Humphrey, who's been looking into this case because she's always felt something was wrong. We've even told her not to mess with this case because the fact that I guess the dangerousness, also the threats that could be coming to her. I don't know if any of those have happened, but I'm telling you, a lot of people have not covered this case because they are afraid of Madison County. So I tell you this right here. On this podcast, we're going to cover everything that there is to cover about true crime. You know who I am and you know where I stand. And this is a complete travesty. This girl's murder, as far as I'm concerned, is being covered up. You heard me when I said it. The cops did not even show up. Boyd is not even owning up to this. Yes, he says, oh yeah, we messed up. That is a big mess up. This girl is screaming, crying for help and crying for the one department in the world that should come to help her. And they didn't. So you have to be like me on this case. You have to ask yourself this question. Why didn't the police ever show up? Why was the 911 call ignored? I challenge all of you, all of you within the sound of my voice, listening to me right now. Don't let Taylor Boxdale's case go. Don't let it die. Even if you don't live in Arkansas, do your own research. Pull up her name. Pull up Sheriff Boyd. Go read the press release that he did for him for yourself. It's only until we all call total BS on this and get behind each other. And we decide that we want to have an end to this whole entire case and that we want justice. Because here's what I'm going to tell you. It may start with Taylor Barksdale. But I really don't believe in that county. It ends with her. I think that there is more cover up. I think that there is more crime. I think that there is more corruption. And let me just point this out to you. It has been told to me that Madison County Sheriff's Department is looked at, is considered to be corrupted. Now, I can't make those bold claims. I can't say that that is true. But I could tell you from where I'm sitting at right now, from the things I've dug up on this case and from the case I just presented to you, I begin to believe it. So say her name, say it loud, say it proud, Taylor Barksdale and join with us to continue the fight for Taylor Barksdale until justice is done. All right, guys, so that was the case on Taylor Barksdale. Please do yourself a favor. Dig into this case further. Any information I have on that, I will put down in the show note. If you want to keep up what's going on in Madison County right now, Taylor Barksdale and other cases, I'm going to leave you a link in the bottom of the show notes for Madison County Mysteries. Tune into that page. That page is updated all the time. you will be able to keep up with everything that is going on with Taylor Barksdale, as well as any other crime that we know of or that is uncovered in Madison County. I will continue to fight this fight until Taylor Barksdale gets justice. So any updates I have, I will bring you as I get them. All right, guys, I will go ahead and tell you who I'm going to bring on next week. Next week, you have an office. Name is Tommy Kill Patrick. You don't want to miss this. If you have credit card debt and you think that your credit card debt is legal or real, you'll want to tune in to this episode. He is going to tell you how you can nuke your credit card debt. He's done it. He actually sued credit card companies and got over $85,000. of credit card debt removed from his credit score. Again, you don't want to miss this one next week. Tommy Kilpatrick, who is the author of Forgive and Forget How to Nuke Your Credit Card Debt. You don't want to miss that one next week. All right, guys, glad to be back. Again, if you want to support the show in a fun way, CrowdWeave, you'll have that link. In the description, I am working on other things like a newsletter. I know some of you have already signed up for one. I'm working on newsletters right now that will go out to you every time I release an episode or if I have a new episode coming up or just what's going on. Stay tuned to that. I'm working on a number of things as well as new fresh interviews for you as well that will be coming down the pipeline. So once again, thank you guys for sticking with me this long. Thank you for understanding while I had to be gone. And now we are back in full force. Also, I have been appearing on some podcasts. I will let you know next week, the podcast I've appeared on. And then as soon as those episodes have dropped, I will link them here. I think that you see a different side of me. I'm on the other side of the mic. I am talking about everything from my domestic violence journey all the way down to podcasting, why I do podcasts and why True Crime and All Disordinary People got his name. All kinds of stuff is there. So you want to tune into those. I'll let you guys know as they drop in the next week. So thank you for joining me today. I know you have many choices in True Crime Interview Podcast. I am just grateful that I am one of your choices. Remember, you have been listening to the only three-faceted podcast of its kind. Be good to yourself and each other and always remember. Always stay humble. An act of kindness can make someone's day. A little love and compassion can go a long way. And remember that there is an extraordinary person in all of us. I'll catch you guys on the next one.
