Truck crash on Highway 41 turned out to be murder. Now, man is headed to prison

A man who authorities say went on a stabbing rampage inside a moving truck on Highway 41 last November has been found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder.

A Madera County jury found George Taylor-Windsor, 26 and a recent resident of California, guilty Wednesday. He faces 38 years to life in prison when he is sentenced June 8 at Bass Lake Superior Court.

The Madera County District Attorney’s Office said Taylor-Windsor stabbed Jessica Nelson, 23, of Foresthill 17 times, killing her; and stabbed Reid Kallenberg of Auburn five times.

On Nov. 15, Taylor-Windsor was sitting in the back seat of a Ford F250 traveling on Highway 41. He was with Nelson, Kallenberg and an unidentified man from Florida. The group was on its way to Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino from the Pines Resort at Bass Lake at 10:30 p.m. when Kallenberg, the driver, asked Taylor-Windsor to dim his phone.

In a November preliminary hearing, Kallenberg said Taylor-Windsor was trying to get in contact with his ex-girlfriend by using his cell phone. After he left a voice message for her, the others tried to console Taylor-Windsor.

Taylor-Windsor started mumbling to himself, then began stabbing everyone in the truck. Kallenberg lost control and the truck crashed into a hillside on Highway 41 near River Fall Road.

Craig Collins, Taylor-Windsor’s attorney, said Taylor-Windsor was assaulted by Kallenberg. Collins said his theory is that Taylor-Windsor was injected with a syringe that contained methamphetamine.

This story was originally published May 12, 2017 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Truck crash on Highway 41 turned out to be murder. Now, man is headed to prison."