Sean Taylor's tragic death shocked the football word and devastated the Washington Redskins and their fans. The two-time Pro Bowl safety was shot and killed during a botched burglary attempt of his Miami home. He was just 24 years old.
Police quickly arrested four suspects for the crime, and just last week one of the suspects, Venjah Hunte, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed burglary of an occupied dwelling. According to the terms of his plea bargain, Hunte, 20, will serve 29 years in prison.
While the other three original suspects continue to ponder their next course of action, police have now charged a fifth suspect in the slaying. Timothy Brown of Fort Myers, Florida, has now been charged with first-degree murder and armed burglary of an occupied dwelling. Brown is just 16 years old.
The other three suspects are Eric Rivera Jr, 18; Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 19; and Jason Scott Mitchell, 20. All five young men drove from Fort Myers to Taylor's home near Miami believing the safety was on the road with his Redskin teammates. Upon being confronted by Taylor, the intruders panicked and shot him.
Rivera was the alleged gunman responsible for Taylor's death. He was just 17 at the time of the shooting. Since he was under 18 when the crime was committed, Florida law prevents prosecutors from seeking the death penalty. The sooner justice is rendered in this case, the sooner the Redskins and their fans can get on with the healing process.
