A former homeless man who became a radio station reporter, bringing an anti-establishment bent to stories on gangs and other topics, was found shot to death in the Los Angeles neighborhood he once covered.
The body of Michael Taylor, 45, was found April 23 in South Central Los Angeles, police Detective Alex Moreno said Monday. Residents had reported hearing gunshots in the area a short time earlier.
Until recently, Taylor was a news and public affairs reporter-producer for KPFK-FM, a public station based in North Hollywood. He covered gangs in the South Central area, among other assignments.
Moreno said investigators were aware of Taylor’s background and were exploring the possibility his death stemmed from his work.
“We’re not saying it’s politically motivated,” Moreno said. “We are investigating all leads. If that happens to be a lead, we’ll be investigating that too,” but there was no motive and no suspect.
Taylor was homeless until the radio station hired him three years ago, and he continued to volunteer at a homeless shelter in the Crenshaw area, KNBC-TV reported Tuesday.
Frank Stoltze, news director for KPFK, called Taylor a spokesman for those who were critical of government and law enforcement.
Taylor began at the station as an apprentice in 1993 and became a news and public affairs producer the next year. He had recently left KPFK to work on an independent project, Stoltze said.
