AHOSKIE – An exhaustive effort by the Ahoskie Police to find the person responsible for the May 4 murder of a local woman has produced positive results.

An arrest warrant has been obtained for Nysere Tylique Ezell, age 18, of Ahoskie. The warrant, once served, will formally charge Ezell with the second-degree murder of 21-year-old Briana Monea Taylor.

Ahoskie Police Chief Troy Fitzhugh said the victim and the suspect were girlfriend-boyfriend.

“According to the family of Ms. Taylor, Mr. Ezell is the father of her child,” Fitzhugh said.

The Police Chief added that Ezell is considered armed and dangerous. Those with knowledge of his whereabouts can call the Ahoskie Police at 252-332-5011 or the Hertford County E-911 Center at 252-358-0231 (nights and weekends).

When asked about the exact location of the shooting, Fitzhugh said that remains as part of the investigation. He did say the investigation showed that Taylor was shot once with a handgun.

It’s also known that a call placed to the Ahoskie Police shortly after 10 a.m. on May 4 referenced a female lying on Lincoln Road, in the area of the VIP Club. Information was also shared regarding a blue vehicle seen leaving that area at a high rate of speed.

At that time, Fitzhugh said APD Officer Tyler Burden, while responding to Lincoln Road, met a vehicle matching that description heading into Ahoskie. He turned around to give pursuit, but the vehicle did not stop before wrecking at the intersection of Academy and Sunset streets. The vehicle came to rest on the Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital property.

According to Fitzhugh, Burden approached the vehicle, which was occupied by a male driver, later identified as Ezell, and a female in the back seat (later identified as Taylor) who was suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS was summoned and the shooting victim was taken to Vidant RCH where she died.