TAYLOR EILEEN MANLEY - 15 yo - Harrison/Evart (NW of Saginaw) MI

Taylor Manley was the kind of teen who cared about others.
While visiting Monroe County in the summer of 2009, she helped her cousins search for Nevaeh Buchanan after an Amber Alert was announced.

A little more than a year later, an Amber Alert was issued for 15-year-old Taylor. A similar set of unfortunate circumstances played out as Taylor was found dead Wednesday after being shot twice.

The young girl from Evart was remembered Saturday afternoon at the home of her maternal uncle, Todd Reaume.

“She loved life and she loved her family,” Mr. Reaume said, surrounded by nine members of his family.

Taylor, nicknamed “Tay-Tay,” was described as a tomboy who was outgoing, fun-loving, silly and very energetic. She loved the outdoors, particularly fishing, hunting, swimming and four-wheeling.

She loved listening to country music, and family members said she was fearless.

Family members are angry about the events that took place last week that led to the death of their niece, cousin and friend.
The bodies of Taylor and Raymond Bush, 38, of Estral Beach were found in a van in the middle of St. Charles Cemetery on Armstrong Rd. just west of N. Dixie Hwy.

The two reportedly knew each other for about a year. The relationship allegedly had become sexual and her mother contacted the authorities. Criminal charges against Mr. Bush were filed in August. Taylor was supposed to testify against Mr. Bush on the day she went missing.

Family friend Shannon Sleeper, whom Taylor called “aunt,” said she was aware of the relationship between the girl and Mr. Bush.

“Ray was like a big brother to her,” Ms. Sleeper said. “It wasn’t until things turned sexual that I became scared for her.”

The family agreed that authorities should have done more to save Taylor.

“I’m so angry that he wasn’t still in jail,” said cousin Jillian Andreassen of Maybee.

Jim Nadeau, Taylor’s maternal uncle, said the family wanted to get others to know Taylor since Mr. Bush’s family spoke to several media outlets.

“She cannot speak for herself, so we are here to speak for her,” Mr. Nadeau said. “We are tired of hearing that he (Mr. Bush) was not a monster.”

Mr. Reaume said that Mr. Bush “could have been a model citizen, but then he became a murderer.”

Mr. Nadeau said his family feels for Mr. Bush’s family as well.

“We both lost someone, and I do feel sorry for his family,” he said.

Ms. Sleeper, who has known Taylor for six years, said despite what kind of person Mr. Bush was or wasn’t, he should have known that a relationship with a 15-year-old was inappropriate.

“He should have never done anything sexual with her,” Ms. Sleeper said.

“She was impressionable,” Mr. Reaume added.

Family members also do not believe Taylor would have willingly left her home in northern Michigan to travel to Monroe County with Mr. Bush.

Many family members said they felt Taylor was cheated out of a long, enjoyable life.

“Ray had the opportunity to get married, graduate high school, have kids,” Mr. Reaume said. “Taylor never had those opportunities. He took that from her, and he took those opportunities from us. The fact that she never had that is just wrong.”

The ordeal leaves a lot of unanswered questions that Taylor’s family said will never be revealed.

“The only two people who really knew what happened are them,” said Ashley Payne of Monroe, another of Taylor’s cousins.

Kerry Reaume, Taylor’s aunt, said she is extremely disheartened that Mr. Bush took his own life because it eliminated the chance for justice for her niece.