Arrests made in the Sean Taylor murder case

By M&C US News Dec 1, 2007, 18:41 GMT

Arrest photos of the four suspects Venjah K. Hunte, 20, Jason Scott Mitchell, 17, Eric Rivera, Jr., 17, and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18, who were arrested Friday, 30 November 2007, in connection with the shooting death of Washington Redskins football player Sean Taylor Taylor. EPA/MIAMI-DADE POLICE /HO

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 given confessions.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that suspects Charles Wardlow, Eric Rivera and Venjah Hunte were held without bond in Fort Myers.

The men are all charged in what was decribed as an "unplanned murder" during a robbery of football player Taylor.

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 told reporters that the suspects didn't expect Taylor to in his home when they robbed him.

"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.''

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.''

He told the local press 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.

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

The Sun-Sentinel reports that Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney, said he had not spoken with the victim's family regarding the arrests.

"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 Miami Herald reported that Mitchell and Wardlow had connections to Taylor. Mitchell cut Taylor's lawn and did other chores at the house, Mitchell's twin brother, Scottie, told the paper. Taylor's sister, Sasha Johnson, dates Wardlow's older cousin Christopher, and Scottie Mitchell told the paper the couple invited Jason Mitchell to Johnson's birthday party within the past two months.

A woman who identified herself as Jason Mitchell's mother told the Naples Daily News her son was at a birthday party at Sean Taylor's home a couple months ago. She also said her son was at home all week and last weekend.

SeanTaylor and his girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, were awakened early Monday by loud noises at his home in an affluent Miami suburb. Taylor grabbed a machete he kept in the bedroom for protection, Sharpstein said.

Someone broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor in the upper leg. Only Taylor sustained injuries that ultimately led to his death.

The bullet damaged the femoral artery in Taylor's leg, causing significant blood loss. Taylor never regained consciousness and died a little more than 24 hours later.

A public viewing for Taylor is scheduled Sunday in Miami, and the entire Redskins organization plans to fly to Florida to attend Monday's funeral at Pharmed Arena at Florida International University.

The Redskins also announced that fans attending Sunday's game will receive a towel with Taylor's No. 21 jersey on it, and his name will be displayed prominently in an end zone.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder said the team will contribute a minimum of $500,000 to a fund to benefit Taylor's daughter, and he released a statement late Friday acknowledging the arrests.