[R.I.P.] Sean Taylor

For those not in the know....

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7490604?MSNHPHMA

It was sounding bad, but maybe a bit more positive yesterday. However, Taylor passed away early this morning.


I hope wherever he is, he's found peace. He was far to young to die, and it may never be clear why he was killed.

Either way,

 

Oh my God ...

What terrible, terrible news. It sounds cliche, but thoughts and prayers go out to his friends, family, and teammates.

Far, far too young.

 

May he RIP.

 

RIP

Sounds like it was quite intentional, too, which is even worse.

 

Horrible news.

It's a sad day for football.

 

What a sad day for the Taylor family.

 

That is horrible new.

I shall be praying for him and his family and friends.

 

Very sad news.

 

As I said in the JCC NFL thread, I cried when I heard this news. A young man was cut down in his prime or close to it. A daughter will never know her father. It's a tragic situation all the way around.

I hope police catch the bastard that did this.

 

horrible news. only 24 years old. Great football player and he's been trying to stay out of trouble off the field, so it sucks that this happened to him.

 

I actually thought he was gonna make it..;

So sad...

 

Sad day....

I actually heard on the Jim Rome show that the people who broke into his house cut his phone lines. The week before someone broke into his house and left a kife there....this sounds pre-meditated. I hope they catch the person(s) responsible.

That is scary, and sad that something like this can happen...to anyone, not just a star athlete.

 

It is a tragedy. It would be even more tragic if this is in any way connected with his past involvements with shady characters and shady actions.

 

I'd be very surprised if this wasn't retaliation stemming from one of his past involvements or actions with the wrong people, but it's still very sad to me that he was trying to steer away from trouble after becoming a father and this is where he gets it. Thank god they didn't hurt his girlfriend or his child.

 

Sad news.

 

Taylor's funeral will be Monday. Dan Snyder has already said that the entire organization would attend the funeral.

Also there will be a moment of silence before every game this weekend and all players will have a 21 decal in tribute on their helmets.

 

the people who broke into his house cut his phone lines. The week before someone broke into his house and left a kife there....this sounds pre-meditated.

And yet, with all that info out there and apparently correct... the investigators are claiming (at least as of earlier today) that it seems to be a completely random thing and that he wasn't targeted in any way, etc. Something's not adding up here.

 

The Cardinals' Rolle, who grew up with him and was a teammate at Miami is convinced otherwise

 

As a huge Redskins fan, I am deeply saddened by his death.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

 

According to Yahoo news, they have 4 in custody, two adults, two juveniles.

 

I'm deeply saddened by this news. A 24 year old father of a young girl who was trying to turn his life around. It's just heartbreaking.

Your family, friends and teammates will be in my prayers, Sean.

R.I.P Sean Taylor

 

Three charged in Taylor shooting charged with unpremeditated murder



Three charged in Taylor shooting charged with unpremeditated murder

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) -- Three suspects charged in the shooting death of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor appeared in court by videoconference Saturday, with authorities and two of their lawyers saying that at least some of them have confessed.

Charles Wardlow, Eric Rivera and Venjah Hunte were denied bond in Fort Myers. All are charged with unpremeditated murder in Taylor's death, a killing police said was unplanned and arose out of a burglary at the player's home. A fourth suspect, Jason Mitchell, was arrested but had not yet been charged with any crime and did not appear in court.

Miami-Dade County police Director Robert Parker said the suspects didn't expect Taylor to be home when they broke in early Monday, but the Redskins safety was recuperating from a knee injury and had returned from Washington. When Taylor surprised them, he was shot.

"They were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone," Parker said. "They were expecting a residence that was not occupied. So murder or shooting someone was not their initial motive."

Authorities said they had more than one confession, but Parker would not elaborate.

The four were arrested Friday in southwest Florida, about 100 miles from Miami.

Wilbur Smith, the attorney representing Rivera, said Saturday he expected a speedy resolution.

"Don't expect this to be a long, drawn-out thing," he told The News-Press of Fort Myers. "Because there are confessions, I believe this will be quickly resolved."

Smith said while some media reports have pegged his client as the one who pulled the trigger, he had not yet spoken extensively with the suspect to determine if that's true. He said his client was remorseful.

"It's an indescribable tragedy for the Taylor family, and it's a tragedy for the families of these other young men because their lives are down the tube," Smith said.

John Evans, the attorney representing Wardlow, said all four suspects most likely will be transported to Miami on Sunday.

"My client has not, I don't think, come to terms with what is being alleged," Evans told the AP on Saturday. "He's in a position, dressed in the orange jumpsuit over there in the county jail, thinking about his life and thinking about his future. You can only imagine the things going through his mind now."

The four suspects all have prior arrests, according to Lee County Sheriff's Office records.

Wardlow, 18, was arrested twice for selling marijuana and once for grand theft of a vehicle. Rivera, 17, has been arrested in October for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, and he previously was behind bars for altering the identification number on a firearm.

Hunte, 20, was arrested previously this year on drug and trespassing charges. And Mitchell, 19, has been arrested twice, most recently in October on charges of driving with a suspended license and violation of probation.

Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney, said he had not spoken with the victim's family regarding Friday's arrests, but said he doubted they provided any comfort.

"I know they are just saddened and appalled. The fact that they arrested his killer is no comfort to them," he said. "It probably inflames them more, because it tells them people were trying to steal from him. They are murderers. They should be treated like murderers and put in the Miami River and floated away."

The 24-year-old Pro Bowl player died Tuesday, one day after being shot at his home in an affluent Miami suburb during what officials said appeared to be an attempted burglary.

Police have been investigating a possible link to a Nov. 17 break-in at Taylor's home, during which they said someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.

"We're looking into whether or not one or more of th

 

Grand jury identifies Rivera as gunman in death of Taylor

MIAMI -- The 17-year-old suspect in the death of Sean Taylor was accused Tuesday of firing the shot that killed the Washington Redskins safety.

A Miami-Dade grand jury identified Eric Rivera as the gunman in its indictment.

Rivera and his three co-defendants were indicted by the grand jury on charges of first-degree felony murder and armed burglary.
Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20; were ordered held without bail during brief court appearances via a videoconference from Miami-Dade County jail. The three, who stood silently during the hearing, will remain at the jail under suicide watch after Judge John Thornton Jr.'s ruling.

Rivera was being transported from Fort Myers to Miami-Dade on Tuesday night and will make a court appearance Wednesday morning. One of his attorneys said the grand jury's identification of Rivera as the gunman was expected.

"This does not come as a surprise," said Sawyer Smith, who along with his father Wilbur represents Rivera.

The 24-year-old Taylor died Nov. 27, a day after he was shot in the bedroom of his home. Police have said he was a victim of a botched burglary.

"I think he's in disbelief over what occurred," said Wilbur Smith. "His expression to me was that 'I can't believe this kind of thing happened.'"

Asked how he would defend his client, Wilbur Smith said simply: "Stay tuned."

Attorneys said the four young men were agitated.

"He's very distraught," said Hunte's attorney, Michael Hornung. "He's scared."

Hornung offered glimpses of his client's possible involvement. He said Hunte was the only suspect with a valid driver's license and behind the wheel at least part of the time. He said Hunte did not have a gun and did not know his friends' plans.

"Just a bunch of friends that evening said they were going to the East Coast, and he went along," Hornung said. "He had no idea whatsoever what was going on."

Hunte is cooperating with police, his attorney said, and would tell them everything he knows.

Probable cause affidavits for Mitchell and Rivera said the two confessed to participating in armed burglary. According to the reports, Mitchell and Rivera admitted entering the home and said someone had a gun and shot Taylor, but they didn't identify who. Police and attorneys also have said some of the young men confessed, though they wouldn't elaborate.

Wardlow's attorney, David Brener, did not return a phone message.

Wilbur and Sawyer Smith have said there is a fifth suspect, though police would not confirm that.

The court proceedings came a day after Taylor's funeral, which was held at a university arena and drew about 3,000 mourners. Among those attending were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, 300 members of the Redskins organization and actor Andy Garcia, uncle of Taylor's girlfriend, Jackie Garcia.

Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney, said the athlete's family was grateful for police and prosecutors' work, but that it did little to lessen their loss.

"They're still grieving, and no amount of justice could ever replace Sean to them," Sharpstein said. "However, they'll support this prosecution and wish the state attorney the best in achieving the most severe punishment to these people."