Investigation Discovery’s true crime series A Killer Among Friends returned for its second season on July 20, 2026. The premiere episode focuses on the 2017 disappearance and murder of Taylor Wright, a 33-year-old private investigator and former Jacksonville police officer. The case shows how a trusted friendship turned deadly, leaving friends and family searching for answers.
The show examines murders where the victim and killer were part of the same close circle. Season 2 continues this theme, with the first episode titled “Secret Life of a Private Eye”. It looks at how Wright’s friends uncovered a hidden side of her life while trying to find out what happened to her.
What Happened to Taylor Wright
Taylor Wright worked as a police officer in Jacksonville before becoming a private investigator. She grew up in foster care from age 13 and was later adopted by a neighbor named Nancy Murchison. She married a Marine named Jeff Wright and had a son, but the couple later divorced. After the breakup, Wright moved to Pensacola, Florida, with her girlfriend Cassandra Waller.
On September 8, 2017, Wright went out to run errands with her friend Ashley McArthur, a former crime scene investigator. She never came back and missed a birthday dinner planned for Waller. Waller reported her missing on September 14, 2017. Wright had sent Waller a text message saying she wanted to leave for a few days, which raised concerns.
McArthur told police that she and Wright went horseback riding in Milton, Florida, and that Wright left on her own afterward. But phone records showed McArthur was at her family’s farm during that time. Detectives found no Uber or ride records to support McArthur’s story.
The Financial Trail That Led to the Killer
Weeks after Wright vanished, detectives discovered a financial trail that changed the investigation. Wright had given McArthur $34,000 to hold during her divorce proceedings. McArthur used that money to pay off credit cards and buy a motorcycle. Wright was also under pressure from a court order demanding $25,000 in cash around the time she disappeared.
Surveillance footage showed McArthur buying soil and cement after Wright’s disappearance. Investigators believed these materials were used to hide Wright’s body. Six weeks after she vanished, police found Wright’s remains buried in concrete and potting soil on McArthur’s family farm. She had been shot in the back of the head. Among her remains was a necklace she always wore, featuring a bullet charm.
The Trial and Conviction
During the trial in 2019, prosecutors said McArthur was the last person to see Wright alive. They presented evidence that McArthur tried to poison Wright’s beer with cocaine, and when that failed, she shot her to keep the stolen money hidden.
McArthur’s defense attorney, John Beroset, told the court:
“There will be no physical evidence introduced in this trial to show you that Ashley McArthur had anything to do with the death of Taylor Wright.”
The jury did not agree. McArthur was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years.
Jennifer Love Hewitt Returns as Narrator and Producer
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt returns as both narrator and executive producer for Season 2. The six-episode season airs weekly on ID and streams on HBO Max. Hewitt, known for her roles in I Know What You Did Last Summer and 9-1-1, said her experience in horror films inspired her to join the project.
“I understood how these stories follow us for a lifetime,” Hewitt told PEOPLE.
She also shared that she grew up watching Murder, She Wrote with her grandmother, which sparked her interest in crime storytelling. Hewitt said she tries to show empathy to the families and friends involved in these cases while recording her narration.
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What Other Cases Are in Season 2
Season 2 covers six different cases where victims were killed by people they trusted. Other episodes include a case about a woman whose theater group was affected by her murder, and another about a North Carolina teenager whose friends became suspects.
Upcoming episodes include “Strike to Kill” premiering on July 27, which covers the disappearance of an Auburn graduate student. “Staging A Murder” airs on August 10 and looks at a young woman murdered in a California apartment. New episodes will continue to air weekly on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
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