ROME, Ga. — A gruesome homicide has shocked the Rome community after a woman’s body was found wrapped in blankets and left outside a public housing complex Tuesday afternoon. Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the killing, which investigators say was driven by a volatile and violent relationship.
The body was discovered around noon in the John Graham Homes area, near Hull Avenue and Cedar Avenue, after a pest control worker and a property management employee spotted the victim outside the complex. Authorities arrived at the scene to find a young woman wrapped tightly in blankets and left on the ground.
Witnesses in the area reported seeing a red passenger car shortly before the discovery. That vehicle was later located across the Floyd–Bartow County line, where law enforcement detained its occupants. The car has since been impounded and is being processed for forensic evidence.
Police identified the victim as 20-year-old Kaylee B. Shackelford of Powell, Tennessee. According to investigators, Shackelford had been in a relationship with one of the suspects, 23-year-old Mystique Malachi Amaziah Taylor of Atlanta. Police say Taylor had also begun an online relationship with the second suspect, 25-year-old Rolanda Monique Edwards of Rome, who is accused of assisting in concealing the killing.
What investigators uncovered next has been described as deeply disturbing.
According to police reports, Taylor allegedly stabbed Shackelford multiple times in the neck and face before using a baseball bat to strike her in the head. After the brutal attack, Taylor and Edwards are accused of wrapping the victim’s body in blankets and transporting it to the housing complex, where it was abandoned.
Charges Filed
Mystique Malachi Amaziah Taylor, 23, of Atlanta, faces a long list of charges, including:
- Murder
- Aggravated battery
- Aggravated assault
- Theft by receiving stolen property
- Eluding police
- Concealing the death of another
- Second-degree criminal damage to property
- Simple battery
- Failure to obey traffic control devices
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
Rolanda Monique Edwards, 25, of Rome, has been charged with:
- Concealing the death of another
- Party to a crime
- Hindering the apprehension of a criminal
Both suspects remain in custody without bond, and investigators say additional charges are possible as the case unfolds.
Police emphasize that this appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the public. The investigation remains active, with detectives continuing to analyze evidence from the recovered vehicle and interview witnesses.
Authorities urge anyone with information about the case to contact the Rome Police Department as they work to piece together the violent events that led to Kaylee Shackelford’s tragic death.