Jerry Memorial Page

"There probably were five or six people out there, and when they were looking for their golf balls they discovered the body," Drake said. A 92-year-old golfer went to the pro shop to call 911, Drake said. Drake, 34, said that in the seven years she has worked at the golf course, "I've never felt unsafe working here, and I don't today." The course was open as usual yesterday, with golfers enjoying a sunny and warm first day of spring. Golfer Dan Way, 66, a retired Air Force colonel, agreed by added, "I'm concerned that things like this happen in the first place, period." More than a dozen members of Taylor's family gathered in the back yard of his modest East Side home yesterday to plead for information that could help police find the killer. "He was the best husband, father, grandfather there ever could have been," sobbed his wife, Beverly Taylor, 57. "We want to know why he was killed. Please help us." "We need to have some justice; we need to know how he was killed, " said Cheryll Witz, 39, his eldest daughter. "I would like to basically make a plea for anyone to come forward who has seen this man," Witz said, holding up a photograph of her father. Taylor's youngest daughter, Rene Mattingly, 38, listened as Witz described her father as an avid golfer who went to the Enke golf course nearly every day. Tuesday he went to the course between 1:30 and 2 p.m., Witz said. "He was home every day by 3; when he didn't come home, we knew something was wrong," Witz said. Beverly Taylor said she heard on a 5 p.m. news broadcast Tuesday that a body had been found on the Enke golf course. "I just had that feeling it was Jerry, and then the police came to tell us he was dead," she said. Witz said her father had had cancer and seemed to have beaten it. She said the family had found out just a week ago that her father had a kidney problem. Jerry Taylor's German Shepherd-Rottweiler, Bernard, "cried all night long" Tuesday, said the victim's 17-year-old grandson, Ryan Witz. "He's like a human. He knows what's going on; he knows he's gone," Ryan Witz said. Jerry Taylor was born in San Gabriel, Calif., and was raised in Thermopolis, Wyo. He attended San Bernardino Valley College in San Bernardino, Calif., and served in the Army as a surveyor from 1960 to 1963. Several of Taylor's immediate family members live out of state and are having a difficult time finding affordable airfare to Tucson on short notice, said Gail Leland, Homicide Survivors' director. "Homicide Survivors is helping. However, our funds are limited, and additional funds are needed," Leland said. The support organization has established a fund for the family's travel and emergency needs. Those wishing to offer help can send a tax-deductible contribution to Homicide Survivors, Taylor Fund, 32 N. Stone, 11th floor, Tucson, AZ 85701 or call 740-5729 Taylor's killing was the city's 19th homicide of the year and the metro area's 21st.