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‘Daddy, please help me…’: Victim’s father provides testimony in Taylor murder trial

By Brett Dunlap 4 min read

PARKERSBURG -- Witnesses testified Wednesday about when friends and family realized Cory Friend needed medical attention.

Testimony continued Wednesday before a six-man, eight-woman jury in the court of Wood County Circuit Judge Robert Waters.

Derek Taylor, 40, is charged with the March 2022 murder of 30-year-old Cory Friend of Parkersburg.

Ronald Friend, Cory's father, testified that Cory and a woman (identified as Sarah Wright) came to his home after Cory was in an altercation with Taylor. At first Cory seemed fine and then took a shower and got something to eat.

However, shortly after he was falling down and didn't appear to be in complete control of his body, flailing about.

"He was saying, 'Daddy, please help me,"' Ronald Friend testified.

He called 911 and the 911 call was played in court. Cory could be heard at different points yelling and his father telling him to quiet down so he could tell the 911 operator what was happening.

During testimony, different people said they believed Cory might have had a drug overdose and that was what was happening to him.

The defense has said that Cory Friend may have gotten into an altercation with his father at his house and hit his head hard there causing the injuries presented. Testimony was given that another individual helped get Cory out of the house and waited for the ambulance out front outside.

Ronald Friend testified he did not see Cory hit his head while inside the house.

Ronald Friend appeared in court relying on a walker to get around. On questioning by the defense, Ronald was at the court earlier in the week using a walking staff to help him get around.

The initial altercation between Taylor and Cory Friend was over a bicycle Cory allegedly stole from Taylor's girlfriend. The two confronted each other near Terrapin Park Apartments in Parkersburg, but the two walked back to where a mutual friend was. Afterwards, Friend walked 30-40 minutes to his father's house.

The prosecution played a recording of Taylor's statement to police. Throughout the recording, Taylor maintained he only headbutted Friend out of self-defense because Friend had a bat. Police said that after talking with the doctors it was determined it was going to take more than a headbutt to cause the injuries Friend had, according to the recording.

Others testified of Taylor telling them he headbutted Friend and that Taylor "took care of it" in regards to the stolen bike

Throughout his statement to police, officers asked Taylor if he was injured in the altercation as he was not showing any signs of injury.

Det. J.D. Hart (retired) of the Parkersburg Police Department was the lead detective on the case at the time. Testimony was given and heard in the recording that police let Taylor believe there was surveillance footage showing the altercation when there wasn't. Although there were cameras nearby, they were not operational at the time. At different times, Taylor asked the police to check the footage.

Hart testified they talked to a number of witnesses and that the investigation led to Taylor. He said police did not look closer at Ronald Friend's residence because they did not believe any crime occurred there.

Medical testimony indicated there was no viable DNA or fingerprints on three bats and a metal rod collected in relation to this case none of which could be tied to Taylor. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy said he found blood covering the brain resulting from a massive injury which caused swelling. There were also illegal drugs found in Friend's system, but an overdose was not the cause of death. Blunt force trauma was.

Police believed Cory Friend was hit in the head with a baseball bat.

The trial will resume this morning at 9 a.m. in Water's court.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com

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