Mystique Taylor was denied bond; Rolanda Edwards received a $5,000 bond and a no-contact order.
ROME, Ga. — A judge said Wednesday that a 20-year-old woman was stabbed in the face and neck, struck in the head with a baseball bat and left to die in Rome, as two suspects made their first appearance in Floyd County court the day after the body was found.
The case centers on the killing of Kaylee Shackelford of Powell, Tenn., whose body was discovered wrapped in blankets near the John Graham Homes development Tuesday afternoon. Police quickly focused on a red car seen leaving the area and later stopped a vehicle in nearby Bartow County. At the hearing, prosecutors outlined charges against Mystique Taylor, 23, and Rolanda Edwards, 25. The judge denied Taylor’s bond on murder counts and set a $5,000 bond for Edwards, who faces accusations of helping move the body. The early court session provided the clearest account to date of what investigators believe happened and what steps come next.
Investigators said officers were called to the area of Hull Avenue and Cedar Avenue, where they found Shackelford dead and wrapped in blankets. Neighbors pointed to a red car that had sped away. A witness later recounted that officers used spike strips to halt a suspect vehicle in Bartow County. In court, the judge summarized allegations that Taylor used a knife and a baseball bat during the attack. “Given the nature of what’s been described, the risk is too great,” the judge said in denying Taylor’s bond. Shackelford’s ties to the Rome area were not immediately detailed by officials, though police said people involved knew each other.
Taylor is charged with two counts of felony murder as well as aggravated battery, reckless driving and concealing the death of another. Edwards is charged with being a party to a crime and concealing a death; the judge said she helped remove the body from her apartment. Detectives said Taylor and Shackelford had been in a relationship and that Taylor had recently begun an online relationship with Edwards. Police gave no timeline for when the attack occurred, and they did not say whether the knife or bat had been recovered. Autopsy results and lab testing of items from the scene and vehicle are pending, and officials said more information would be released after key reports are complete.
Records discussed in court referenced a prior incident on Nov. 1 in Cobb County. In that case, Taylor allegedly attempted to hit Shackelford with a car, causing her to fall and hit her head on a headlight before Taylor dragged her into the car by her hair. The warrant also alleged a fight at a nearby gas station and damage to Shackelford’s phone. Charges from that episode included aggravated assault, simple battery, theft by taking and second-degree criminal damage. Prosecutors did not say Wednesday whether they will introduce the Cobb County case in the Rome proceedings, but the history underscores the scrutiny on Taylor’s alleged conduct leading up to the killing.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Edwards stood quietly as a judge granted bond with conditions, including a strict no-contact order with Taylor. Her attorney did not argue the facts but asked the court to consider her role and ties to the area. Police did not identify who called 911, and they offered no estimate of how long Shackelford had been dead before officers arrived. Detectives canvassed the block for doorbell footage and interviewed residents about any argument or unusual activity earlier in the day. An evidence technician photographed the roadway while officers broadened the search to nearby streets for items possibly thrown from a car.
John Graham Homes sits in a tightly knit part of Rome where neighbors said they look after one another. On Tuesday night, a cluster of residents watched in silence from porches as crime-scene tape stretched across Cedar Avenue. A man carrying grocery bags paused beside the tape and shook his head. “This is heartbreaking,” he said, adding that he had seen a red car rush by earlier but did not catch the tag. A woman who lives around the corner said officers asked whether she had any outdoor cameras. As darkness fell, cruisers idled along the curb and investigators worked under floodlights.
Authorities said the investigation remains active. Taylor is being held without bond on the murder counts, and Edwards has been released on a $5,000 bond with court-ordered conditions. The case will be prepared for presentation to a grand jury after autopsy findings, lab results and additional interviews are complete. Court scheduling for preliminary hearings will be posted once filings are finalized, officials said.
By Wednesday evening, police had not released a detailed timeline or confirmed whether a weapon was recovered. Investigators planned to return to the neighborhood Thursday to follow up on leads and review any additional video that residents share.
Author note: Last updated December 12, 2025.