Sean Taylor Thread, Mk II

[SirFozzie]

I deleted the first thread, because it had devolved into a racism/religion/homophobia flame war. Not FOFC's finest day, by a long shot.

Apparently this is more and more looking like a targeted killing, with the note that when the house had been broken into 8 days previously, a knife had been left on Taylor's bed.. and that the land line phone line to Taylor's house had been deliberately cut, which delayed emergency response (Taylor's fiancee called 911 via cell phone)

[Fighter of Foo]

Well that's not cool. Lock the freaking thing but don't delete it.

[rkmsuf]

people lost posts!

[SirFozzie]

Well that's not cool. Lock the freaking thing but don't delete it.

would if I could, but I can't so I didn't :P

[molson]

So this one will just be two pages of generic comments about what a great guy he was? The old one was more interesting.

[Lorena]

Oh good I only lost 2 posts

[Fighter of Foo]

would if I could, but I can't so I didn't :P

That needs to get fixed.

[larrymcg421]

I actually thought there was an interesting religious discussion going on that wasn't a flamewar. Too bad that's gone now.

[SirFozzie]

So this one will just be two pages of generic comments about what a great guy he was? The old one was more interesting.

Interesting in a train wreck kinda way.. one of those slow motion ones, with two trains carrying napalm?

If the admins want to undelete it, go ahead.. It's amazing how many people just decided to let loose their biases in the thread. I'd think that the phrases "judge not, lest ye be judged", and "Don't speak ill of the dead" apply.

[st.cronin]

Some threads should be deleted, that was one of them.

RIP, Sean Taylor

[rkmsuf]

Interesting in a train wreck kinda way.. one of those slow motion ones, with two trains carrying napalm?

If the admins want to undelete it, go ahead.. It's amazing how many people just decided to let loose their biases in the thread. I'd think that the phrases "judge not, lest ye be judged", and "Don't speak ill of the dead" apply.

so what

they still have those bias, big deal.

[Crapshoot]

Deleting a thread is just bush league, IMO - I expect that from PSU, not from Foz.

[Maple Leafs]

I actually thought there was an interesting religious discussion going on that wasn't a flamewar.
Speaking as someone who wasn't taking part in the discussion: no, it really wasn't.

[SirFozzie]

Deleting a thread is just bush league, IMO - I expect that from PSU, not from Foz.

I consider the "discussion" in that thread to be bush league.. especially with how it ended. Someone throwing the race card down with "Yes, it's those uppity black people's fault" when talking about the recent incidents was just the final straw.

EDIT: Yes, I know, whoever it was was being majorly sarcastic, but still.. come on people.

[Maple Leafs]

I'd think that the phrases "judge not, lest ye be judged", and "Don't speak ill of the dead" apply.
There are bigger social/sports issues involved here and I think it's valid to comment on them, even though not all the information is available. There has to be a certain level of respect and decency and some people crossed that line, but it's not realistic to post something like this on a discussion forum and not expect some level of discussion.

[molson]

Interesting in a train wreck kinda way.. one of those slow motion ones, with two trains carrying napalm?



That'd be interesting.

When you delete someone's posts you're giving them legitamacy in a way, since you're choosing that over responding to them with logic and reason.

I think there was potentially some interesting things going on there (the prior evils and hip-hop culture in sports rather than the religion/homosexual stuff).

We're just a message board, we really don't effect the incident in any way whatsoever. "Sorry to hear that" posts aren't any more helpful than controversial posts are damaging. We're not his friends or family.

[larrymcg421]

Speaking as someone who wasn't taking part in the discussion: no, it really wasn't.

I'm not talking about the discussion about gays.

[miami_fan]

So this one will just be two pages of generic comments about what a great guy he was? The old one was more interesting.

If it bothers you so much, start the "Sean Taylor was a terrible guy" thread so that side gets fair and balanced coverage

[molson]

EDIT: Yes, I know, whoever it was was being majorly sarcastic, but still.. come on people.

It was sarcastic, but I don't get the "but still" - it was sarcastic, that poster didn't mean that, period. It was in reponse to a perception that someone else was bringing up the race card, when they mentioned the hip-hop culture in pro sports. Which is a very relevant discussion, and one that has been covered here before.

[Crapshoot]

I consider the "discussion" in that thread to be bush league.. especially with how it ended. Someone throwing the race card down with "Yes, it's those uppity black people's fault" when talking about the recent incidents was just the final straw.

EDIT: Yes, I know, whoever it was was being majorly sarcastic, but still.. come on people.

Yeah, that was me. I'm not a fan of "code words" that whoever I was responding to (Gstlemack?) was using - he should have had the courage of his convictions.

[rkmsuf]

Yeah, that was me. I'm not a fan of "code words" that whoever I was responding to (Gstlemack?) was using - have the courage of your convictions.

yeah but without the code words you get deleted

[SnDvls]

Some threads should be deleted, that was one of them.

RIP, Sean Taylor

I agree I just caught parts of the last page and decided to stay away from it as it was totally taking a wrong turn.

[SirFozzie]

I agree I just caught parts of the last page and decided to stay away from it as it was totally taking a wrong turn.

Exactly. As I said, if the mods want to undelete it, or undelete/lock it, go ahead. Just I expected.. well... better.

[PilotMan]

I didn't read the first one, but deal with it and move on. It's Foz's choice, it's done. Certainly there is a bigger issue to deal with then whether or not it should have been deleted.

and no. I don't have anything to add except to feel sorrow for the sadness that his family will feel everyday without him.

[Subby]

Sean Taylor was my favorite football player on my favorite football team and I cried in my car on the way to work when I heard the news that he had passed away.

That's about as honest and non-generic as I can be about the whole tragedy.

[gstelmack]

Yeah, that was me. I'm not a fan of "code words" that whoever I was responding to (Gstlemack?) was using - he should have had the courage of his convictions.

Oh, come on. I was NOT playing the race card, not by a long shot. It's been a LONG time since I was under the illusion that gangsta hip-hop was part of a particular race's culture, wherever it may have got its start or whoever may try to lay claim to it. Eminem alone was enough to cure me of any bias I may have had that way, but you've also got the South and Central American gangs working their way in and other aspects to it. What phrase should I be using for the violent gang-based no-longer-inner-city under-society or whatever that is glorifying violence, packing heat, promoting dogfighting, and generally working to destroy our society from within so that I can make it clear I don't think it's a race-based issue at all?

[rkmsuf]

I'm amused that the solution to being disappointed in the other thread was to delete it and start another thread on the same topic.

[Super Ugly]

So this one will just be two pages of generic comments about what a great guy he was? The old one was more interesting.

Well, here's one such generic comment. RIP. What a senseless waste of life. The guy was an exciting football player to watch.

[Galaxy]

I got a feeling this thread isn't going to be much better.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Are we sure that the song wasn't done by Akon?

[MikeVic]

Are we sure that the song wasn't done by Akon?

Hey man, wrong thread.

[gstelmack]

I got a feeling this thread isn't going to be much better.

I really don't want to turn it into some war and will try to avoid taking it much beyond my post above, but I'd like at least some chance to explain the comment and defend myself if I'm going to get called a racist. My post in that thread was the last thing I saw in there, and I'm sorry an honest attempt to discuss society's ills, which likely contributed to the death being talked about, was pulled down the race road, as that was NOT my intent.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Hey man, wrong thread.
Every thread is the right thread for Akon.

[ISiddiqui]

Does someone need his edit button taken away?

[st.cronin]

Tangent: When I first heard Akon on the radio, I thought the DJ said "that song was by A Clown."

[rkmsuf]

Tangent: When I first heard Akon on the radio, I thought the DJ said "that song was by A Clown."

so black people are clowns. nice.

[MikeVic]

Every thread is the right thread for Akon.

Whoooooo Hoooooooo!!! Yeeeeeeeeee Hooooooooo!

[MikeVic]

so black people are clowns. nice.

What a racist.

[SnDvls]

I'm amused that the solution to being disappointed in the other thread was to delete it and start another thread on the same topic.

just pretend it was a WW thread and no one lost post that don't count anyhow. :D

[Izulde]

While I could see justification for it being locked... deleted? Tsk, tsk.

[Atocep]

Definitely not one of FOFC's better days.

RIP Sean Taylor.

Post counts and religious beliefs shouldn't overshadow the fact that a 24 year old father died violently after being attacked in his own home and he leaves a young daughter behind.

[korme]

New thread

MORE OF THE SAME SHIT

[larrymcg421]

Definitely the lowest FOFC moment since this thread...

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=48226

[astrosfan64]

Does anyone know of the motive for the killing?

[rkmsuf]

Definitely the lowest FOFC moment since this thread...

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=48226

I'm still amazed she would log on and pick virtual flowers.

[molson]

Definitely the lowest FOFC moment since this thread...

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=48226

I still find that funny.

[sabotai]

The other thread turned into a heated, controversial thread on gays, race and religion. This thread has turned into a discussion about Akon.

Surely the latter is more offensive.

[astrosfan64]

The other thread turned into a heated, controversial thread on gays, race and religion. This thread has turned into a discussion about Akon.

Surely the latter is more offensive.

I missed the other thread. But, could someone tell me how gays factored into a discussion about Sean Taylor at all? That seems to be completely out of scope.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I missed the other thread. But, could someone tell me how gays factored into a discussion about Sean Taylor at all? That seems to be completely out of scope.
Sean Taylor -> football player -> death -> Reggie White -> the word "homophobe" -> gays

[astrosfan64]

Sean Taylor -> football player -> death -> Reggie White -> the word "homophobe" -> gays

Thanks, I'm glad I missed it. It sounds like that thread was overrated.

[korme]

Outside the Lines doing a report on his career and life right now.

[larrymcg421]

I'm still amazed she would log on and pick virtual flowers.

"I'm still amazed he would post on an online forum dedicated to sports games that don't even have graphics."

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'm still amazed that any thread about Sean Taylor today is getting dry-humped faster than a 14-year-old at an Akon concert.

[rkmsuf]

"I'm still amazed he would post on an online forum dedicated to sports games that don't even have graphics."

I heard there was a ceremony today for a fallen Warlock. You should get over there.

[larrymcg421]

Sean Taylor highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5lQUGKk42E

[miami_fan]

Damn. Talk about your coincidences. One of the fire rescue personnel who arrived on the scene at Taylor's house on Monday morning? Former UM MLB George Mira Jr(1984 to '87). Small small world!

[Dutch]

RIP Sean Taylor.

[Subby]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/11/27/tucker.taylor/index.html?eref=T1

Soft-spoken Taylor defied expectations as a teammate

Posted: Tuesday November 27, 2007 4:31PM; Updated: Tuesday November 27, 2007 5:45PM

By Ross Tucker, Special to SI.com

I admit I had a certain perception of Sean Taylor (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/6764) based on his transgressions off the field -- guns, DUI charge later dismissed, etc. That was before I actually met him after I signed with the Redskins as a free agent in March.

The Sean Taylor I met was the exact opposite of everything I thought he would be. His previous issues on the field and with the law can't totally be discounted. But to me, he came across as easy-going and likable, and extremely intelligent.

I was only an acquaintance of Sean's, not really a friend. Our one real face-to-face conversation was in the cold tub after practice, when I told him some of my theories on the NFL. He listened intently to me, a back-up interior lineman hoping to make the team, trying to teach something to a Pro-Bowl player 10 times better and more gifted than I could ever dream of being.

I also talked with him briefly about what I had seen as it relates to the media in my seven years with five organizations. Sean did not often make himself available to the media, presumably because he didn't trust them. I mentioned to him that the media was and is the only voice to his fans. And if you give reporters the time they desire and treat them with respect, they will be much more inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt, both on the field and off. He shook his head and it appeared as if he understood. I have no idea if I had any influence on him or not, though I do know he spoke with the media shortly thereafter and acknowledged how blessed he was to be an NFL player.

Ironically, Sean's minimal interactions with the media actually contributed to his popularity among players and his role as a team leader on defense. While most guys strive to be in the spotlight, Sean was comfortable keeping a low profile. His focus on the game and becoming the best player that he could be, as opposed to trying to wrangle in additional endorsement opportunities, was extremely endearing to his teammates.

He never fit the stereotypical mold of a leader. He was quiet and soft spoken and led by example, not words. Franchise-caliber players are often given some leeway in practice, but Sean showed up ready to work every day. It is an overused cliché, but any Redskin will tell you that Sean literally practiced every day as if it could be his last.

If a straw poll had been taken in the locker room to determine the players' favorite teammate, my hunch is Sean would have won.
I have limited interaction with the guys on the Redskins' active roster as I rehab my neck injury on injured reserve. I can't even fathom how difficult it will be for them to focus on football this week. Most jobs allow for some sort of bereavement leave in times of tragedy, but the nature of the NFL does not allow it to be like most jobs.

The Redskins are blessed to have one of the strongest cores of veteran leaders that I have ever played with, and those leaders will be needed now as much as ever. High-character guys with tremendous faith like James Thrash (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/4065) and LondonFletcher-Baker will be counted upon to carry their younger teammates through this ordeal.

There is no doubt that Sunday will be an intensely emotional day for all of the Redskins players and coaches. Sean was a great player, whose talent will be impossible to replace. But more than that, he'll be missed tremendously for what he contributed as a person to his teammates. (Send comments to [email protected])

Ross Tucker is an NFL player on Injured Reserve with the Washington Redskins and co-founder of www.gobigrecruiting.com (http://www.gobigrecruiting.com). He can be reached at [email protected].
http://i.cnn.net/si/images/1.gif

[Raiders Army]

RIP Sean Taylor. (I believe that's what I said in the other thread)

[Galaxy]

Kind of ironic that Washington is hosting Buffalo, with Everett's situation. Both played together for the Hurricanes.

[Celeval]

Very nice article there.

[flounder]

Sean Taylor highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5lQUGKk42E

Nice video, but it didn't have his best highlight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHQH8TuWJWo

[Subby]

Good information from the Washington Post Redskins Insider Blog (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/2007/11/final_post_of_the_night_i_thin.html?nav=rss_blog)


Final Post Of The Night (I Think)

Okay, I think this is going to be it for me until tomorrow. I am pretty wiped out.

Wanted to get a few more pieces of info up before I crashed and went to bed.

Spoke to Richard Sharpstein, Sean's lawyer and de facto family spokesperson at this point. He cleared a few things up.

Sean did have an alarm system on his home, Sharpstein said, but it was not engaged that night. Sharpstein said he spoke to Jackle, Sean's girlfriend, about that evening and she said that here sister had been staying with them and coming and going from the house, so Sharpstein said that may have been why the alarm was not on at that time. Sharpstein said that Jackie had difficulty getting a dial tone and struggled to make the 911 call then "scurried to get her cellphone," and made the call from that.

However, Sharpstein said he could not say for certain whether the intruders had actually cut the phone lines at the house, as some have reported, and Sharpstein said the police were investigating that aspect of the case.
Sharpstein said that at the time the person or persons entered the house, making a noise in the living room that startled Sean and his wife, Sean's baby was in her crib. However, as they heard the clutter Sean reached for the machete under his bed - he is prohibited from having a firearm from his prior felony weapons charge - his girlfriend grabbed the baby from the crib and put her in bed with her (I believe Jackie was attempting to shield her from whatever was to come, but my last conversation with Richard was cut short and I could not get that 100 percent verified).

Jackie, Sean and the baby were the only three people in the house at the time of the murder. Sharpstein said the intruder/intruders kicked in the door, immediately fired two shots into the bedroom - one of which struck Sean, ultimately killing him - the retreated without ever entering the bedroom.

Richard also said that he could not confirm for certain that Sean was engaged to marry Jackie (some players have said he was; some of his family members have told out reporters in Miami that they did not know he was engaged to be married). Sharpstein said Sean and Jackie definitely had multiple conversations about getting married after the season, but he was not certain they had actually set a date.

Spoke to a few Redskins on the drive home from The Park. They said that it is not unusual at all for a player to return home the weekend when hurt and it was not surprising to them at all that Sean was there. They said that they did not get the sense from Sean that week that he was worried there was going to be another attack on his house and that they never got the sense that any of the issues he faced two years ago over the ATVs was at the forefront of his mind or that he thought there would be some carry over from that.

Tackle Cornelius Griffin said: "If Sean thought there was a chance that something was going to happen, there is no way he would have put his family in danger. No way. I don't believe that for one minute."

Moving on is not going to be easy. Griffin said he spoke to several teammates today and found out the news himself from television (he's an early riser and was up at 5, an hour before word got out about Sean's passing).

"It's going to be difficult to think about football and go on, but we've got to find a way to grieve for Sean but also finish this season strong. These next two weeks are going to be tough, but those other teams aren't going to be thinking about what we're going through once the games start. We've got to find to win these next two games and play as hard as we can, and after that (the Thurs. Dec. 7 game against Chicago) we can get a little break. It's a tough road but that's what we have to do."

By Jason La Canfora | November 27, 2007; 9:55 PM ET

Previous: Contract Details (Read The Disclaimer, Please) (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/2007/11/contract_details_read_the_disc.html) |

[Logan]

Jackie, Sean and the baby were the only three people in the house at the time of the murder. Sharpstein said the intruder/intruders kicked in the door, immediately fired two shots into the bedroom - one of which struck Sean, ultimately killing him - the retreated without ever entering the bedroom.

I find this to be interesting (probably not the best choice of words, I know)...it's basically set up as a hit, but they hit him with one bullet in the leg and don't try to finish the job. He/they can't assume that the bullet would hit a major artery and ultimately kill him.

[Subby]

I find this to be interesting (probably not the best choice of words, I know)...it's basically set up as a hit, but they hit him with one bullet in the leg and don't try to finish the job. He/they can't assume that the bullet would hit a major artery and ultimately kill him.
Yeah the whole thing just does not make sense, does it? Why would they kick in the door and shoot twice and then retreat?

[larrymcg421]

Yeah the whole thing just does not make sense, does it? Why would they kick in the door and shoot twice and then retreat?

Because he had a machete?

[Logan]

Because he had a machete?

You have a machete and a bullet hole in your leg five feet away from me...I'll have a loaded gun. I'd feel pretty confident.

[larrymcg421]

You have a machete and a bullet hole in your leg five feet away from me...I'll have a loaded gun. I'd feel pretty confident.

Yeah, but who knows what these guys were like. Doesn't sound like they were a good shot. If I missed (I'm assuming they weren't aiming for his leg) twice, then I'd be a little worried about the dude with a machete.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah, but who knows what these guys were like. Doesn't sound like they were a good shot. If I missed (I'm assuming they weren't aiming for his leg) twice, then I'd be a little worried about the dude with a machete.

The girlfriend told Taylor's lawyer that Taylor hit the ground right away after he was shot. It was a dark room and my assumption would be that the intruder likely thought he hit his target by Taylor's reaction.

[SirFozzie]

3 people being questioned in the Taylor shooting..

http://www.local10.com/news/14736793/detail.html

MIAMI -- An attorney and family friend for Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor said three people have been detained in the Fort Myers area for questioning in connection with his death.

Richard Sharpstein confirmed Friday that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Miami-Dade police detained two teenagers and a third person, Local 10's Rad Berky reported.

The Miami Herald reported that investigators believe the three learned of Taylor's house through someone who unwittingly set up the burglary by bragging about his wealth. The newspaper reported their ages as being 17, 19 and 26.

Investigators removed a large amount of physical evidence from Taylor's Palmetto Bay home after he was shot early Monday morning. Berky has learned that evidence can place the two or three people in the house.

Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Lt. Nancy Perez would only confirm that homicide detectives are in Fort Myers, but she would not say why.

Taylor's mother on Thursday said she has her own ideas about the death of her son but prefers to keep them to herself and let the police investigation play out.

"It's very hard to say," said Donna Junor. "But I have some thoughts in my mind."

Many of Taylor's family members gathered at the small house in Homestead where he spent much of his time growing up. Junor seemed to show her frustration with the attention focused on Taylor's past brushes with the law when asked about statements that having a young daughter had changed him.

"He was not exactly a bad person, so I don't see where he was turning his life around because of a baby," she said.

Taylor died early Tuesday morning, one day after he was shot in his home during a random burglary, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Robert Parker said.

"There is some information that is known by members of the public and we believe that information hasn't reached law enforcement," said Parker.

Funeral services will be held at the Pharmed Arena at Florida International University on Monday, Dec. 3, at 11 a.m. The services are open to the public, but seating is limited.

At a news conference Wednesday, Parker said there are no suspects because there were no witnesses who could give police a description of the person or people responsible for the killing, but he urged anyone with information to call police or Crime Stoppers.

Parker also said that there were no indications that Taylor was targeted or knew his assailant.

"There is nothing thus far in the investigation that indicates that there was an involvement on the victim's part," said Parker.

Local 10's Rad Berky reported that investigators are focusing their attention on the friends, or more likely, friends of friends of Taylor, who may have visited the NFL star's home.

Parker said evidence indicates that one or more intruders barged into Taylor's home. Parker called it "a random event" and said police are looking at the home as a "bona fide" crime scene.

But on Tuesday, Richard Sharpstein, an attorney speaking on behalf of Taylor's family, said the shooting was not random.

"There are too many coincidences," said Sharpstein. "It's clear this house was targeted."

[Subby]

I think they knew it was Taylor's house but they didn't know he would be there. Purely interested in robbing a rich dude.

They kicked in the door because the bedroom was where the safe was. When they saw Taylor, they freaked, shot twice, and bolted.

[miami_fan]

http://www.miamiherald.com/1246/story/326903.html

LEHIGH ACRES -- Miami-Dade police and prosecutors have arrested four people in connection with this week's slaying of NFL star Sean Taylor.

The men: Jason Mitchell, 19, Eric Rivera, 17, Charles Wardlow, 18 and Venjah Hunte, 20. They will be charged with murder.

Miami-Dade Director Robert Parker said Friday night that the men targeted the house in a burglary and did not think Taylor was home.

''They were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone,'' Parker said.

Relatives of Mitchell, 19, told The Miami Herald that he attended a birthday bash for Sasha Johnson, who is Sean Taylor's sister. Johnson dates Christopher Devon Wardlow, 21, Mitchell's family said. His brother, Charles Wardlow, 18, was also being interviewed by Miami-Dade homicide detectives. No one has been charged.

Rivera was also being questioned at Florida Department of Law Enforcement Headquarters in Fort Myers. Police were looking for two other men, but no one has been charged.

According to Scottie Mitchell, 19, Jason's twin brother, Johnson and Christopher Devon Wardlow invited Jason Mitchell to the birthday party within the past two months. He even did work around Taylor's house, Scottie Mitchell said: ``He cut his grass and everything.''

Scottie Mitchell said he believes his brother was home in Lehigh Acres the night of the murder.

Sasha Johnson turned 21 on Oct. 1. The twins have been friends with Christopher Devon Wardlow for about eight years, Scottie Mitchell said, adding that he does not know Charles Wardlow or the 17-year-old.

Frank Fuller, who identified himself as the grandfather of Charles Wardlow, answered the door at his home in a hardscrabble area of east Fort Meyers, and told a Miami Herald reporter: ``We don't know anything. We don't know where Charles is. We haven't seen him for hours. And even if we did [know], we wouldn't talk to you about it.''

Relatives say Jason Mitchell worked at a Bob Evans restaurant and had gone to a job interview at UPS Friday morning before being picked up by police.

FDLE agents and at least two Miami-Dade homicide squads picked up the three in the Fort Myers area Friday morning. At least two others are being sought for questioning.

Police believe bragging about Taylor's wealth may have attracted the intruders to the NFL star's home. Taylor was shot early Monday by an burglar who surprised him in the bedroom of his Palmetto Bay home.

Taylor wielded a machete as he tried to protect his fiancée, Jackie Garcia, and their 18-month-old baby girl. The two were hiding under the covers as Taylor was shot.

One bullet pierced the wall. The other struck Taylor in the groin, severing his femoral artery and causing massive blood loss. He died at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Pedro Taylor and his family have set up a memorial scholarship in the name of his son and his granddaughter to help high school and college students.

Miami Herald staff writers Trenton Daniel and Larry Lebowitz contributed to this report.

[King of New York]

Man.

If this news story turns out to be true, then it looks like Sean Taylor died a hero, trying to protect his family from thieves who had broken into his house, and whose only connection to Taylor (if I am following the story right) was that one of them mowed his lawn, and another was the brother of a guy dating his sister.

I'll be damned. Sorry that I doubted you, Sean.

[miami_fan]

After conviction, accused Sean Taylor shooter could face life in prison - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/04/3730780/jury-to-resume-deliberations-in.html)

Jurors in the trial of Eric Rivera couldn’t say whether he fired the shot six years ago that killed football star Sean Taylor.

But on Monday, they still found Rivera, 23, guilty of murder.

The conviction, delivered to a hushed Miami-Dade County courtroom, was for second-degree murder without possession of a firearm. The 12-member jury — six men and six women — seemed to have had trouble believing Rivera’s confession to police that he pulled the trigger.

Prosecutors had charged Rivera with first-degree murder in the death of Taylor, a safety for the Washington Redskins who died in November 2007 after a group of men from Fort Myers broke into his suburban Palmetto Bay home.

The jury also found Rivera guilty of armed burglary. He could face up to life in prison.

Rivera stood quietly, holding his hands in front of him, as the verdict was announced. Jackie Garcia Haley, Taylor’s girlfriend, bent over in the court gallery and buried her face in her hands.

Jurors struggled with the case for much longer than prosecutors from the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office and Rivera’s defense attorneys had expected, deliberating for some 16 hours over four days before reaching an apparent compromise.

They did not speak to reporters when they left the criminal courthouse. Neither did Taylor’s or Rivera’s attorneys or their families, who sat on opposite sides of the courtroom throughout the 11-day trial.

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Dennis Murphy said Rivera would probably be sentenced before Christmas. He scheduled an initial hearing for Dec. 10.

Three of the other four accused men have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. The fourth pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is serving 29 years in prison.

The murder, just days after Thanksgiving, rocked South Florida and fans of the Redskins, the University of Miami and Gulliver Preparatory School, where Taylor had been a football standout in college and high school. The entire Redskins team attended Taylor’s funeral and took the field one player short in their next game in his honor.

Rivera, then 17, and the four others made the trip across Alligator Alley on Interstate 75 intent on raiding the thousands of dollars in cash they thought Taylor kept inside his house on Old Cutler Road. One of the men had attended a birthday party there for Taylor’s sister and had seen Taylor gift her $10,000 tucked in a new purse.

To the men’s surprise, Taylor, 24, was not in Tampa with the Redskins that night — but at home, asleep with his girlfriend and their 18-month-old daughter.

In prosecutors’ version of events, Rivera kicked open the master bedroom door and, upon seeing Taylor, who was holding a small machete, shot him in the groin. The bullet hit Taylor’s femoral artery, which supplies much of the blood to the lower half of the body. He died the next day.

Jurors viewed a videotaped confession Rivera gave police a few days after the murder. He told a judge under oath two years ago that the confession was true.

Prosecutors Reid Rubin, Penny Brill and Ray Araujo also pointed to a letter Rivera penned in jail to a cousin, asking him to pressure a key prosecution witness to change her testimony; to cell phone records between Rivera and the other men accused in the case, and to footprint marks found in Taylor’s house that prosecutors say match Rivera’s shoes.

But when Rivera testified in his defense last week, he said the confession was coerced by police who claimed Rivera’s family was being threatened because of his role in Taylor’s death. He said he had previously lied in court so he wouldn’t have to testify against one of his buddies also charged in the crime.

Rivera said he only tagged along for the ride and never even left the burglars’ car.

As for the jailhouse letter, it was an attempt to bolster his defense at the time, Rivera said. He chalked up the calls to one of his friends in the group who often borrowed his phone and said he was not wearing the Nike Shox sneakers identified in the footprints.

Defense attorneys Chris Brown and Janese Caruthers also noted there was no DNA or fingerprints to tie Rivera to the scene. Police said the murder weapon, which was never found, was wrapped in a sock and hurled into the Everglades.

Yet the evidence was enough for jurors to convict Rivera as a key player in the crime.

Rivera entered the courtroom Monday morning escorted by corrections officers. In the hallway, his mother hollered, “Eric!” Rivera turned around, smiled and mouthed, “Hi.”

He crossed the same hallway about five hours later, in handcuffs and an orange prison jumpsuit.

This time, no one said a word.

Read more here: After conviction, accused Sean Taylor shooter could face life in prison - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/04/3730780/jury-to-resume-deliberations-in.html#storylink=cpy)

[miami_fan]

Killer of NFL star Sean Taylor gets 57.5 years in prison - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/24/3887742/sentencing-thursday-for-man-convicted.html)

After six years waiting for justice, the father of NFL football star Sean Taylor finally got the chance to speak directly to the young killer who broke into his son’s Palmetto Bay house looking for cash.

“A young man that wanted to take shortcuts took the shortcuts — and took a man’s life,” Pedro Taylor said, looking sternly at Eric Rivera Jr., seated feet away at the defendant’s table in a Miami-Dade courtroom.

Taylor, Florida City’s police chief, minced no words in describing the raw experience of dealing with his son’s death.

Hours after his son died, Pedro Taylor recounted returning to the stained hallway where police say Rivera shot the Washington Redskins star in the groin.

“I cleaned up every bit of the blood of my son,” Pedro Taylor said.

His words packed a powerful emotional punch in a hearing Thursday that finally ended a protracted legal battle that had drained family, friends, and supporters of the slain former University of Miami and Gulliver Prep safety.

A Miami-Dade judge sentenced Rivera, convicted of murder in November, to 57 1/2 years in prison for the slaying and break-in that cut short a promising life and career.

That means Rivera, a 23-year-old who was 17 at the time of the shooting, will likely not emerge from prison until after his 70th birthday.

Three other alleged participants are awaiting trial. A fifth defendant, Venjah Hunte, 25, already has pleaded guilty and will receive a 29-year sentence.

Prosecutors said Rivera shot and killed Taylor when he and four pals — not believing the football star was home — broke into Taylor’s home in November 2007. Taylor, who had been sleeping alongside his girlfriend and their young daughter, surprised the group as Rivera kicked in the master-bedroom door, authorities said.

Taylor’s girlfriend, Jackie Garcia Haley, recounted her “magical” life with her high-school sweetheart. Their daughter, also named Jackie, is now 6 years old.

“Every father-daughter day at school, my daughter has an empty seat next to her … because of Mr. Rivera,” Garcia Haley wrote in a letter read aloud to Judge Dennis Murphy, as the young mother herself sat in the back of the courtroom, her head buried in her hands.

Rivera, who had faced up to life in prison, offered a brief statement of remorse.

“I’m going to have to live with the consequences and I’m truly sorry for your loss ... I'm sorry,” he said.

Rivera, who confessed in a video-recorded statement to Miami-Dade homicide detectives, was initially charged with first-degree murder.

But last fall, jurors — who deliberated 16 hours over four days — could not agree unanimously that Rivera pulled the trigger. Instead, Rivera was convicted of second-degree murder without a firearm and armed burglary.

During the 11-day trial, jurors heard that Rivera and four other friends drove across Alligator Alley intent on raiding the thousands of dollars in cash they thought Taylor kept in his house on Old Cutler Road. One of the men had attended a birthday party there for Taylor's sister — and saw her open a gift of $10,000 tucked into a new purse.

Prosecutors also pointed to a letter that Rivera penned in jail to a cousin, asking him to pressure a key prosecution witness to change her testimony. Cellphone records tracked Rivera and the group’s phone calls from Florida’s west coast to the area near Taylor’s home.

And Nike footprints found at the scene — including on the kicked-in master-bedroom door — were “consistent” with the sneakers Rivera said he wore that night.

Rivera, however, took the stand in his own defense, insisting that Miami-Dade detectives coerced him into confessing to the murder. He claimed he only tagged along for the ride but never entered Taylor’s house.

“He's a sophisticated, manipulative criminal. There is no good reason to believe he’s going to change,” Miami-Dade prosecutor Reid Rubin told the judge Thursday.

During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Murphy noted a 2012 Supreme Court ruling, which bars automatic life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles convicted of murder and mandates that judges consider the youth of certain defendants when issuing sentences.

The sentence Murphy wound up doling out was by no means lenient, assuring Rivera will remain behind bars until he is an old man.

That was a disappointment for Rivera’s family. They and his lawyers talked about his good behavior growing up as a youth football player in Fort Myers, and how he has matured since being in prison.

“I don’t think it was appropriate he got life because he was a juvenile,” his lawyer, Chris Brown, said after the sentencing hearing. “But we were hoping for a lesser sentence.”

[Dutch]

“I don’t think it was appropriate he got life because he was a juvenile,” his lawyer, Chris Brown, said after the sentencing hearing. “But we were hoping for a lesser sentence.”

Agreed, he should've got death.