The trial for a man charged with killing his mistress and burning her body in a Gwinnett County park is set to begin this week, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office said.
Charmane Demetrius Goins is charged with murder, felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the death of 26-year-old Lauren Taylor, who was from Dalton and lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the time of her death.
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Taylor’s body was found by a couple walking their dog in Deshong Park in unincorporated Stone Mountain in October 2014. Her body had been covered in gasoline and set on fire at the park after she was already dead. Her cause of death was determined to be strangulation, police said at the time.
Goins, who was 37 when he was arrested for Taylor’s death in December 2014, had initially served as a mentor to Taylor, helping her find jobs and lending her money. But the relationship became sexual, a police officer testified at Goins’ preliminary hearing in 2015. Taylor allegedly threatened to tell Goins’ wife about the affair, the officer said.
Jury selection begins Monday morning and trial will follow immediately after the jury is set.
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