Taylor jailed for murdering wife

John Taylor has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his wife Alethea Taylor.

61-year-old Taylor, from Orleton in Herefordshire, was convicted of murder following a five week trial at Worcester Crown Court. He has been ordered to serve 17 years in prison.

Alethea, who was 63 and a former primary school teacher, also from Orleton, was last seen in January 2012. Her body has never been found.

Taylor told police that Alethea was suffering from dementia and that caused her to simply wander off into the woods. He had also told close friends and associates that she had been acting as though she had dementia or Alzheimer’s which police think was part of a pre-planned cover up.

It was the forensic evidence coupled with Taylor’s inadequate explanation for its presence, which led to him becoming the main suspect. As the officers’ investigation progressed, they discovered a number of other inconsistencies in Taylor’s account of his wife’s ‘disappearance’.

John Taylor has never admitted murdering his wife. It meant police had to prove that Alethea could no longer be alive.

Dave Williams, the Detective Inspector who lead the investigation suspects Taylor's motives were greed. He stood to gain more than £150,000 from Alethea's personal wealth.