By ARTESIA DAVIS, Guardian Senior Reporter. artesia@nasguard.com

A high school dropout has been named as a person of interest in the murder of international handbag designer Harl Taylor.

Homicide investigators released a photo of Troyniko McNeil (far left) yesterday, seven months after Taylor, 37, was found knifed to death in the bedroom of an upstairs apartment of his design studio, Mountbatten House, on West Hill Street.

Police believe that McNeil, 21, of Kennedy Subdivision, may be able to provide information about Taylor's murder on November 18, 2007. According to well-placed sources, McNeil is related to one of Taylor's close friends, who was also questioned during the murder investigation.

Detectives said that McNeil is dark-skinned, but they did not provide details about his height and weight. Chief Superintendent Glen Miller, the head of the Central Detective Unit, said that police were unable to find an accurate description of McNeil's physical build.

McNeil is about six feet tall and is the father of two children, according to persons who know him. The former Temple Christian High School student reportedly quit school months before he was scheduled to graduate in 2005.

According to a source, investigators had wanted to question McNeil for some time. Police have questioned numerous persons during the murder probe, including the Dominican staff who worked at a wedding reception that was held on the grounds of his home the night before Taylor was found. The Dominicans were deported after they pleaded guilty to working without permits.

An off-duty policeman found Taylor's badly stabbed body in his bed. The police officer, who was Taylor's friend, went inside the building when he noticed the door was open. The killer had left behind a dagger that is believed to be the murder weapon.

Chief Supt. Miller declined to say whether investigators had received DNA tests from evidence collected at the scene. He also refused to say whether police were close to identifying suspects in the murders of College of the Bahamas dean Dr. Thaddeus McDonald and AIDS awareness activist Wellington Adderley, who were also found murdered in their homes. Police released sketches of two men they believe are connected to the June 3 murder of Marvin Wilson, who worked as a waiter at Senor Frogs. All of the victims were reportedly homosexual and were attacked in their homes.

Anyone with information on McNeil's location is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 328-8477 or the police emergency numbers 919 or 911.