Tennessee authorities are investigating the death of a 22-year-old missing woman whose body was discovered Wednesday in a Chattanooga hotel parking lot, leading to charges against a local man.
Chattanooga Police officers responded to a call regarding a deceased person at a Lookout Valley hotel in the 100 block of Patten Chapel Road just before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. Upon arrival, officers located the body of Elysia Kinsella, who had been reported missing the previous week.
According to a police affidavit, surveillance footage from the scene showed 40-year-old Donte Taylor arriving at the hotel at 4:16 p.m., driving a Ford Crown Victoria, which he parked near the building’s back steps.
“A short time later, Taylor walked back in the direction he came,” the affidavit states. “This time, he was carrying what appeared to be a body wrapped in blankets.”
The affidavit notes that Taylor dragged the body down the stairs and made multiple attempts to place it inside the trunk of the vehicle.
“After multiple failed attempts, he laid the victim down in the parking lot and got back into the vehicle,” the affidavit continues. “Taylor then turned his vehicle around and ran over the victim’s body, dragging her several feet and partially uncovering her body.”
Taylor left the scene but was located and taken into custody by police later that same day. Surveillance cameras in the area of his arrest allegedly captured him “pouring what appeared to be cleaning solution on his rear bumper and then wiping off what appeared to be blood or bodily fluids with a napkin,” according to investigators.
During police questioning, Taylor admitted to going to the hotel and dragging the woman from the room to the parking lot. The affidavit states that Taylor also told investigators he “remembered feeling the bumps when he ran over her body.”
Taylor faces charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He is scheduled to appear in court on August 11.
Kinsella’s cause of death has not yet been determined and remains under investigation by authorities. The Chattanooga Police Department asks anyone with information regarding the case to contact them at 423-698-2525.
A GoFundMe was launched to help the family in their loss.
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