Cops: Slain teen was to testify against man found dead with her

Posted in Related Deaths

10-29-2010 Michigan:

He had been charged with sexual assault against her

Taylor Manley was found in a minivan with Raymond Bush, 38. The teen was supposed to testify against him Wednesday morning in trial for allegedly sexually assaulting her, but she disappeared before that happened, police and prosecutors say.

Bush died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

Taylor's father told the Free Press earlier he believes his daughter wouldn’t have committed suicide. She was afraid of Bush, he said.

Robert Manley said Bush had threatened her against testifying.

The bodies of the two were found in Bush’s minivan parked in St. Charles Cemetery, on North Dixie Highway in Newport, according to State Police.

Autopsies are scheduled for today by the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The 15-year-old moved in with her father two weeks ago because of the ongoing sexual assault case, Robert Manley said. He said it was time for her to be a kid again and added he was “trying to take her away, trying to hide her, so this kind of thing wouldn’t happen.”

He said he doesn’t think his daughter left willingly with the 38-year-old and said she didn’t seem to have a problem with testifying against Bush, who police said had a tattoo on the back of his neck with Taylor’s name.

Robert Manley came home Wednesday around 7:30 a.m. after working an overnight shift and said he knew something was wrong because his daughter wasn’t there. She was scheduled to testify at 10:30 a.m and wasn’t supposed to go to school for that reason, he said.

Clare County Prosecutor Michelle Ambrozaitis said Bush never showed in 80th District Court in Harrison on Wednesday to face a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge from Aug. 22 for an alleged sexual relationship with Taylor.

Because of fears he might stop her from attending that hearing, an Amber Alert was issued Wednesday when she went missing, Michigan State Police Sgt. Joe Cairnduff said



Ambrozaitis said she got a call from Manley's father around 8 a.m. Wednesday saying his daughter went missing.

Ambrozaitis said Bush was a family friend of the girl and her mother when they had lived in Monroe County. They stayed friends and he would visit.

"At some point after they moved up here, the relationship turned sexual and the mom reported it to police" once she learned about it, Ambrozaitis said.

Michigan's age of consent for sexual relations is 16.

"There is no consent in this," Ambrozaitis said. "She's not of an age where she can give consent."

Bush's bond was forfeited Wednesday and a bench warrant issued for him.

"I met with the young woman the day before she disappeared," Ambrozaitis said. "It's devastating. I was absolutely sick when I got the call."

As for the news he heard last night when his daughter was found dead Robert Manley told the Free Press, “It’s the worst thing I could think of right now.”

He says he is numb and the information about his daughter hasn’t set in yet.

Taylor liked paintball, fishing, hunting and riding four-wheelers, he said.

Police are not saying how the two may have died or who they believe is responsible for the deaths.

The FBI is assisting with the investigation. ..Source.. Elisha Anderson and Matt Helms, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS