Ferguson Man Indicted in North County Murder

A Ferguson man was indicted Wednesday for first-degree murder and first-degree arson in the death of a Spanish Lake woman Oct. 12.

St. Louis County Police said Hosie Taylor, 36, killed Deidre Exum, 51, by striking and strangling her in Exum's home in the 6600 block of Chesapeake Drive in Spanish Lake.

Taylor then set fire to her condominium, St. Louis County prosecutors said. A probable cause statement indicated Exum “suffered serious physical injury” as a result of the fire.

Exum died due to asphyxiation and blunt force trauma, according to a police report.

A witness saw Taylor leaving Exum’s condominium about the time the fire started. Exum’s blood was found inside his car, according to court documents.

St. Louis County Police said Taylor and Exum knew each other, but did not disclose the nature of their relationship. Exum worked as a security guard at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton.

Taylor is being held on the murder charge in lieu of a $1 million bond.

He is being held by the Missouri Department of Corrections to serve a sentence unrelated to the current charges. Taylor previously was served a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to forcible sodomy, sexual abuse, attempted forcible sodomy and first-degree burglary.