Three men were held without bail on Tuesday in the killing of Sean Taylor, placed on a suicide watch and described as extremely distraught a day after thousands mourned at the funeral of the NFL star.
Charles Wardlow, 18, Jason Mitchell, 19, and Venjah Hunte, 20, appeared briefly by videoconference from Miami-Dade County jail, where they will remain after Judge John Thornton's ruling.
The three stood silently during the hearing. They were seen on video wearing special garments designed to keep them from using the clothes to make a noose.
PHOTO: AP
Taylor died on Nov. 27, barely 24 hours after he was shot in the bedroom of his home a few kilometers from where he grew up. Police say he was a victim of a botched burglary.
The three suspects and a fourth one, Eric Rivera, 17, were all indicted by a Miami-Dade grand jury on Tuesday on charges of first-degree felony murder and armed burglary. Rivera was being transported from Fort Myers to Miami-Dade on Tuesday night and was to make a court appearance yesterday morning. One of his attorneys said the grand jury's identification of Rivera as the gunman was expected.
Attorneys said all the men were agitated and jail officials confirmed that those denied bail were under suicide watch.
Hunte's attorney, Michael Hornung, offered glimpses of his client's possible involvement. He said Hunte was the only one of the suspects 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.
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 have also said some of the young men confessed, though they wouldn't elaborate.
David Brener, Wardlow's attorney, did not return a phone message. Another lawyer has said there is a fifth suspect police are seeking, 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 approximately 3,000 mourners. Among those attending were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, 300 members of the Washington Redskins organization, O.J. Simpson, the Reverend Jesse Jackson and actor Andy Garcia.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
RSS