Brother of 1 of 5 teens who disappeared in 1978 says suspect confessed to him 18 months ago

Relative: Suspect in missing teens case confessed

NEWARK, N.J. — A relative of one of five Newark teens missing since 1978 says one of the men charged this week with their murders confessed to him.

Rogers Taylor is the brother of Ernest Taylor, one of the five boys who disappeared in August 1978 in what became one of New Jersey’s most infamous missing-persons cases.

Taylor told reporters Tuesday that Irvington resident Lee Evans told him 18 months ago that he had committed the crimes.

Authorities arrested the 56-year-old Evans and 53-year-old Philander Hampton on Monday night and charged them with arson and five counts of murder.

They contend the two men forced the boys into an abandoned building at gunpoint, restrained them and then set fire to the building, allegedly in retaliation for the theft of some marijuana.