HARPERS FERRY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A West Virginia woman has been charged with murder and arson nearly one year after a house fire in Jefferson County left two people dead.
According to the West Virginia State Police, troopers from the Charles Town Detachment responded to Blackberry Lane in Harpers Ferry at approximately 9:02 a.m. on September 30, 2025, to assist Jefferson County Emergency Services with a residential structure fire.
When troopers arrived, the home was heavily engulfed in flames.
Nicole Ellen Taylor, 55, of Harpers Ferry, escaped the home with significant burn injuries and was flown by medical helicopter to a regional burn center.
Two people were found dead inside the residence. They were identified as Taylor’s husband, Robert Hayne Taylor III, 56, and her daughter, Cynthia Allison Taylor, 21, both of Harpers Ferry.
West Virginia State Police said an extensive investigation was conducted by Trooper First Class C.S. Barrett with assistance from the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set. An examination of the victims also determined that both had died before the fire. Police said Robert Taylor III had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
According to State Police, investigators subsequently developed information connecting Nicole Taylor to the shooting death of Robert Taylor III and the fire at the residence.
Taylor was arrested Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree arson and use or presentation of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
She was arraigned and taken to the Eastern Regional Jail without bond.
