In July 2021, there was a high-profile shooting at the home of George Taylor III, who served as the chief operating officer for TRU Colors, the now-defunct brewery with an anti-violence social mission founded by his father, George Taylor, Jr.
The shooting, which has come to be referred to as the “TRU Colors case,” left two people dead — Bri-yanna Williams and Kordrese Tyson — and another woman badly wounded. Not long after, three men were charged: Raquel Adams, Omonte Bell, and Dyrell Green.
The younger Taylor was home at the time, but claimed not to have witnessed anything. Deputies from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office found Taylor hiding in a bathroom, where he had barricaded himself, armed with a shotgun and a handgun. Taylor initially allowed detectives to look at his phone, but later revoked that consent; NHCSO later got a search warrant and seized the phone.
Messages from Taylor’s phone featured in Adams’ trial last May, but Taylor himself refused to comply with a subpoena to testify. Adams was convicted; Bell and Green’s trial was delayed after their court-appointed attorneys withdrew from the case.
In October of last year, Taylor was subpoenaed by Assistant District Attorney Doug Carriker to appear at Green and Bell’s trial, which is now scheduled for this May.
Taylor’s request to quash the subpoena
In a motion filed on November 13, 2025, Taylor asked the court to quash — that is, legally nullify — the subpoena. Taylor’s motion noted he was not a party in the criminal case, and that he “has no direct relationship or communication with any of the defendants, and he possesses no valuable firsthand information concerning the alleged offense.”
Taylor's motion cited medical and safety issues.
“Due to diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to the event, Mr. Taylor has no independent recollection of the details surrounding the incident,” according to his motion. “There exist credible and documented safety concerns related to the nature of the case.”
The motion also claimed the trial date “conflicts with significant family medical care and international commitments, creating substantial hardship.”
Judge’s decision
Last week, on Tuesday, March 10, Taylor’s motion was heard in front of Superior Court Judge Richard Kent Harrell, who rejected the request and upheld the subpoena in an order issued the following day.
Harrell’s order addressed the safety concerns, noting, “While there are heightened safety concerns for all involved in this case because of the gang affiliations and violence that has occurred after the killings which are the basis of these charges, the subpoena does not subject Mr. Taylor to an undue burden or expense.”
