UPDATE: Four Arrested in Taylor's Death

Look in the corner of ESPN News. They are now reporting the confession.

The following explains what sentences Sean Taylor’s assailants may face if convicted of murder. It does not discuss the admissibility of any evidence (e.g., the confession), possible defenses, or other charges that may be filed against the assailants (e.g., weapons charges). It's a pretty quick and dirty analysis (I spent just 15 minutes putting it together), but for what it is worth.

Sean Taylor’s Killer

Pursuant to Florida Statutes § 782.04(1)(a)(2), “[t]he unlawful killing of a human being when committed by a person engaged in the perpetration of, or in the attempt to perpetrate any … burglary … is murder in the first degree and constitutes a capital felony, punishable as provided in § 775.082.” According to § 810.02, “burglary,” includes “[e]ntering a dwelling … with an intent to commit an offense therein.” The planned offense need not actually occur; the mere intent to commit an offense is sufficient to sustain a conviction of burglary. Theft is, of course, an offense and, pursuant to § 812.014, “[a] person commits theft if he or she knowingly obtains or uses, or endeavors to obtain or to use, the property of another with intent to … deprive the other person of a right to the property.”

Assuming that the shooter entered Sean Taylor’s home with the intent to commit theft, he committed burglary. Moreover, because the shooter unlawfully killed Sean Taylor during the course of the burglary, he committed murder in the first degree.

According to § 775.082, a criminal defendant convicted of a murder pursuant to § 782.04(1)(a)(2) shall either be put to death or receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. In short, if Sean’s Taylor’s killer is convicted under § 782.04(1)(a)(2), he is either a dead man walking or will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The Accomplices

Pursuant to § 782.04(3), “[w]hen a person is killed in the perpetration of, or in the attempt to perpetrate any … burglary … by a person other than the person engaged in the perpetration of or in the attempt to perpetrate such felony, the person perpetrating or attempting to perpetrate such felony is guilty of murder in the second degree." This “felony murder” rule essentially provides that if a defendant commits burglary and, during the course burglary, another person is killed, such defendant is guilty of second degree murder. The felony murder rule may seem to work harsh results (i.e., convicting a defendant of murder when he only intended to commit a burglary), but supporters argue that it is reasonably foreseeable that a murder may occur during the course of a burglary and, therefore, any such murders should be imputed to all parties to the burglary.

Here, as you may have already guessed, all of the shooter’s accomplices who took part in the burglary may be charged with and convicted of felony murder under § 782.04(3).

Furthermore, pursuant to § 782.04(3), felony murder is “punishable by imprisonment for a term of years not exceeding life [in prison].” Although defendants convicted of felony murder may be paroled and receive less than a life sentence, the accomplices, if convicted, will likely be eligible for Social Security by the time they see freedom.

They have more than one confession and they have the gunmen.

One more MySpace ID, from the Venjah guy.

268656289

First and foremost, I'm just very glad it appears they have the TRASH BAGS that commited this horrible crime, off the street.

Next, in due time they will pay the price for the crimes commited. Hopefully to the full extent of the law.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_rivera.jpg 17 years old
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_taylor.jpg 19 years old
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_hunte.jpg 18 years old
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_wardlow.jpg !9 years old

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_rivera.jpg 17 years old
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_taylor.jpg 19 years old
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_hunte.jpg 18 years old
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i140/Roylp/16112-071130_MUG_wardlow.jpg !9 years old

makes me sick to my stomach to see them.

That Wardlow guy is Sean Taylor's sister's boyfriend's brother.

Sean->sister->boyfriend->wardlow

The other inmates will have "fun" w/ these teenagers in prison.

It's a damn shame. They are so young. Young black men killing other young black men. I'm glad that I made the choices that I made in life to keep myself from turning into a statistic. I can only pray for their families. Hopefully they can turn their lives around but I honestly don't see them making it in prison that long. They shouldn't have tried to steal what wasn't theirs. They shouldn't have killed that man, they shouldn't have killed Sean Taylor. Not saying I wish they would've died that night but I wish the good guy had won that fight. I just hope the good guys win the war.

Hail To The Redskins............Hail Sean Taylor !

This doesn't help me at all, in fact it makes me even sadder. It's now five lives wasted, over nothing. Shit, if they had just asked the man he probably would have given them a fucking tv. I'm even more devastated today, I need a drink.