Earlier this month, a mystery began as investigators, as well as friends and family, attempted to discern details behind the assault of Malibu citizen Stafford Taylor. It has been known that he went missing sometime around 10:45 p.m., July 4, after walking home from an Independence Day celebration at Malibu Cove Colony. A missing person report was filed after 36 hours until he was located by his family at UCLA Medical Center under the name “John Doe” on July 6. Exactly how or when Taylor was assaulted remains unknown.
Few details have come in since then. According to an advisement from the Malibu/Lost Hills Station, it is now known that he left the party at approximately 10:30 p.m., as security footage shows Taylor walking westbound in the 26000 block of Pacific Coast Highway. On July 5, aroud 5:20 a.m., deputies were called to an unknown location where Taylor was; he was then transported by deputies to the Labor Exchange at the Malibu Civic Center.
A few hours later, around 10:20 a.m.—when it was discovered the victim needed medical attention—paramedics transported Taylor to the UCLA Medical Center for severe brain injuries.
According to a GoFundMe online fundraiser set up for Taylor, he has been at the NeuroScience Trauma ICU in an induced coma to help his brain heal. Updates to the website say that Taylor has been through a successful hemicraniectomy—which essentially means removing part of the skull to let the brain swell in an unrestricted manner—and is being fed through a tube directly to his stomach.
Taylor is expected to remain in ICU for at least another week, up to one month.
“Drs still feel his [injury] is recoverable with time and hard work,” Terry Taylor, Stafford’s wife, writes on the GoFundMe page, “I am both patient and tenacious and so looking forward to holding him again. I am so grateful for all the love and can’t wait to share that feeling with him.”
Three days ago, Terry wrote, “His care team have started to wean Stafford off of sedation, ventilation and some meds to see how he responds,” adding that anyone who wishes to send an audio or video message can do so and send them to ttaylor1182@gmail.com.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Wheatcroft with the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station at 818.878.1808.