Jackee Taylor was 7 years old when she entered the US Federal Witness Protection Program in 1981, and she has remained in it for over 40 years. Her father, Clarence “Butch” Crouch, was a member of the Cleveland Hells Angels motorcycle club. His decision to turn state’s evidence upended his family’s life. After years of struggling to prove her identity, which put her children at risk of losing their health insurance, Taylor went to the press in 2010.
Taylor provides insight into the often misunderstood world of witness protection, detailing the challenges of living with a secret identity and how a parent’s crimes can affect their children’s lives. She describes a lack of support from the United States Marshals Service after being placed in the program and the difficulties of obtaining proper identification and adequate mental healthcare.
Since going public, Taylor has become an advocate for reform in witness protection. Her family’s story was detailed in a narrative podcast series released in 2020, “Relative Unknown.” The second season is currently in development.
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