BOYNTON BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of a 29-year-old found dead in a wooded area off South Federal Highway, closing a key gap in a case that began with the discovery of a body earlier this month.
Brannon Michael Taylor, 35, is facing a charge of first-degree premeditated murder with a deadly weapon in the death of Jordan Scales, according to booking records and a probable cause affidavit filed by the Boynton Beach Police Department. Taylor is being held without bond at the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center.
The arrest follows an investigation that began April 19, when officers responded to a report of a body in a wooded encampment near 1900 South Federal Highway. Scales was found lying on a mattress beneath a tree, with visible trauma to his face and signs of decomposition, according to investigators. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner later determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
According to the affidavit, detectives developed Taylor as a suspect through witness statements, surveillance video, and physical evidence recovered at the scene.
Investigators said a witness reported seeing Scales in the wooded area days earlier with a man identified as “Mike,” later determined to be Taylor. The two were described as the only people present at the encampment at the time.
The same witness told police he left the area on April 17 and returned the morning of April 19 to find Scales unresponsive. He then called 911.
Detectives later located a second witness who reported encountering a man on a bicycle near the Tri-Rail station off Yamato Road in Boca Raton. The witness told police the man appeared distressed and claimed he had “murdered someone,” adding that the victim had been beaten with a metal bar.
The witness described the man’s appearance and clothing, including dark pants and a jacket, and said he was wearing rubber gloves and carrying a metal bar.
Investigators also recovered surveillance footage from nearby businesses, including Boynton Billiards and a McDonald’s along Federal Highway. The footage showed Scales entering the area with a man matching Taylor’s description and later captured movements consistent with the timeline described by witnesses.
A metal pole found near the body tested presumptively positive for blood, according to the affidavit. Investigators believe it was used in the killing.
Detectives later assembled a photo lineup. Multiple witnesses identified Taylor as the man seen with Scales in the days leading up to his death.
According to the affidavit, Taylor ultimately admitted to beating Scales with a metal pole during an altercation at the encampment. He told investigators he struck Scales multiple times, including after the victim was already incapacitated.
Police say the confrontation stemmed from a dispute between the two men while they were staying in the wooded area.
Taylor was taken into custody April 22 in Delray Beach with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and transported back to Boynton Beach for questioning before being booked into jail.
Court records show probable cause was formally found, and Taylor remains in custody pending further proceedings. A no-contact order with the victim has been issued, and the case has been set for initial hearings and future court dates in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
The case is being prosecuted under Florida Statute 782.04(1)(a)1, which governs first-degree premeditated murder.
For residents, the case marks a rapid development in what had initially been an open-ended homicide investigation. Detectives moved from a discovery in a wooded encampment to an arrest within days, using a combination of witness accounts, surveillance, and forensic evidence.
The investigation is now shifting from the field to the courtroom, where prosecutors will present the case against Taylor as it moves through the judicial process.
For continued coverage of incidents like this, see Boynton Beach News.
