Naman Shrestha
In the 2000s, the crimes of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) took over the entire state’s attention, which increased tenfold upon the sudden disappearance and potential murder of a young woman named Breanna Taylor. As the investigators searched for answers and clues that could lead them to her body and her perpetrator/s, they unexpectedly received a confession from one of the killers. The tragic case of Breanna is covered in detail in Max’s ‘The Takedown: American Aryans,’ a four-part documentary series that also features exclusive interviews with the victim’s loved ones.
Breanna Taylor Was Reeling From a Breakup When She Vanished Forever
Breanna Taylor was the beloved daughter of Donna and Gene Taylor. The Taylors led a simple life and were reputed members of their community in the suburban city of Mansfield in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas. Their loving household comprised the couple and their three kids — two daughters, Breanna and Kate, and a son, Clint. Growing up, Breanna was showered with the support and care of her parents and siblings, who encouraged her to carve her own path in life. The brown-eyed “All-American girl” was a bright and kindhearted individual with a wide smile that would make her hazel eyes shine with warmth. She was an academically strong student and a reliable friend with high hopes for the future.
The young woman was seemingly in her 20s when things changed forever. At the time, Breanna worked at a local gas station with her friend, Brandy Lewis. According to the latter, she was deeply in love with her high school boyfriend and had hoped to tie the knot with him someday and build a beautiful life together. However, her dreams shattered when he broke up with her, owing to which she reportedly spiraled into depression, as revealed by Brandy in an interview with WFAA-Channel 8. She seemed distracted at work, and her lack of focus and determination didn’t go unnoticed by her friend, who shared that her deteriorating mental health also had an impact on her physical health. “She started getting skinnier,” Lewis stated.
Not soon after, Brandy added, Breanna reportedly stopped turning up to work. According to reports, she disappeared around August 20, 2006. Her loved ones grew concerned when they couldn’t reach her and reported her missing. Sadly, their nightmares turned into reality when the authorities announced her demise. The police did their best to uncover her remains so that the family could bid their farewell to the free-spirited woman who passed on too soon but to no avail. It wasn’t like Breanna to vanish without notice, so her family and friends remain baffled to this day. Though it has been nearly two decades since Breanna’s loved ones had any contact with her, they have held onto the hope of learning about her remains to gain even a modicum of closure.
Four Members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Were Charged With the Murder of Breanna Taylor
When the authorities began investigating Breanna Taylor’s sudden disappearance, they found out that she had met with Jason “Trooper” Hankins, one of the Generals of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ATB). Over a short period of time, in February 2006, she formed a relationship with him and became his Featherwood. Being associated with the organization meant she was supposed to follow a set of rules, which included not being in contact with law enforcement and not taking any action that could jeopardize the brotherhood. The investigation then led the detectives to Devanrin Manuel, who wrote a confession letter to the police on August 25, 2006.
According to him, Breanna made the mistake of bad-mouthing the brotherhood, which resulted in her being taken to Jennifer McClellan’s residence, where she lived with the ABT Captain, Dale “Tiger” Jameton, around August 20, 2006. There, she was confronted by multiple members of the organization, including Jennifer, Dale, William Chad Williams, and Devanrin. As per his claims, Dale ordered Jennifer to beat Breanna up as soon as she got there. Over the next few hours, she was beaten, sexually assaulted, and tortured. Ultimately, he claimed that he, along with Dale, choked her to death with a zip tie. After Breanna passed away, her body was reportedly put in a tub, and Dale filled the tub with concrete before loading the entire container into Jennifer’s truck.
They drove the body down to Lake Ray Hubbard and got rid of her remains by dumping them off into the lake. Upon learning about the dumping site, the authorities rushed to the lake and combed all the corners of it, but to no avail. Within a month after Devanrin’s confession, the police were able to charge four members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, including Dale, Jennifer, William, and Devanrin, with the murder of Breanna Taylor, a young woman from Mansfield, Texas. Out of them, Dale pleaded guilty to the murder charge, and in exchange, the police dropped the murder charge against Jennifer. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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