Ronald Taylor

Case record: Ronald Taylor

Ronald Taylor was a 39-year-old man from Wilkinsburg who went on a racially motivated shooting rampage after disputes over apartment maintenance and a broken door. Taylor surrendered to police after a hostage standoff.

Background

Ronald Taylor lived in a fifth-floor apartment on Wood Street in Wilkinsburg using a Section 8 certificate. He was treated for mental illness in the past and was on Social Security Disability. Neighbors described him as low-key and sometimes disgruntled about noise complaints when nephews visited.

In the period leading up to the shootings, property managers at an apartment complex regarded Taylor as “Strange but harmless.” A maintenance worker described a running feud centered largely on race. One maintenance worker, John DeWitt, said he picked up a hammer for self-defense during work at Taylor’s apartment because of verbal abuse from Taylor.

Taylor had shown past mental health issues, and a psychiatrist later testified at a competency hearing. Dr. Christine Martone, chief psychiatrist for the Allegheny County Behavior Clinic, said Taylor should be transferred from the county jail to Mayview State Hospital for competency evaluation, diagnosis and treatment.

The offence

Taylor flew into a rage over a broken door and went on a rampage. He shot a maintenance worker at his apartment and then went on to shoot customers at two fast-food restaurants.

Two men died and three others were wounded during the rampage.

Police described a pattern of shootings across locations:

• Authorities said Taylor torched his apartment residence after being angered by repair problems and the slow replacement of his apartment door.
• Taylor killed maintenance worker John Kroll and then went to the Wilkinsburg business district.
• At two fast-food restaurants, Taylor shot and killed Joseph Healy and Emil Sanielevici.
• Taylor also shot Richard Clinger and Steven Bostard, who survived.

Police said Taylor used a .22-caliber revolver. One report stated that the handgun police say Taylor used was purchased by his grandfather 18 years earlier, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Investigation

Police did not speculate on motives that propelled Taylor to unleash a shooting spree, but investigators later charged him with a racially inspired hate crime.

Police said anti-white and anti-Semitic writings were found in Taylor’s apartment, which he set on fire. One former hostage reported that Taylor said, “Not you, sister,” as he threatened to shoot other hostages.

Authorities found a suicide note and other writings from Taylor in a backpack at his apartment. The writings included statements about hatred for “racist whites.”

A profile of Taylor described him as an angry loner with a history of mental illness and obsessions about race, and investigators found lengthy screeds denouncing a variety of races and religions.

Police described additional conduct including that Taylor fired two errant shots at Wilkinsburg police officers before surrendering.

FBI investigation for civil rights violations was also described.

Arrest

Taylor was arrested in an office building after he kept police at bay for two hours. He held four or five people in wheelchairs hostage at a senior hospice center during a hostage standoff before surrendering to police.

In one description, after his arrest Taylor was laughing and smiling and was characterized by police as relatively cocky.

Trial

Taylor went to trial on multiple counts. He was convicted on November 8 on 46 counts, including three counts of homicide. The convictions included:

• three counts of homicide
• four counts of aggravated assault
• three counts each of making terroristic threats and unlawful restraint
• one count of arson

A jury of six men and six women convicted Taylor. The jurors deliberated for about six hours on Saturday afternoon and night in the sentencing phase without reaching a verdict. They later returned and announced the decision.

Taylor was initially arraigned and ordered behavioral evaluation. During the arraignment, District Justice Alberta Thompson asked whether Taylor understood the charges; he answered, “No. Not really.” Thompson set a $500,000 straight cash bond and ordered behavioral evaluation for Taylor. She also ordered him not to contact the victims.

Taylor had pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. A defense psychiatrist, Dr. Horatio Fabrega, said he thought Taylor was suffering from deep-seated paranoia and schizophrenia. The prosecution argued Taylor had the mental capacity to know his actions were wrong.

During sentencing, O’Toole rejected an option of sentencing Taylor to life in prison without hope of parole.

Quotes included in proceedings and writings

A tearful Carol Kroll, widow of one of the victims, addressed the court before sentencing and said:

“I think Ronald Taylor needs to pay for this with his life. He pulled the trigger ... for no other reason but that [Kroll] was white. He took my life as well.”

Taylor’s defense counsel, John Elash, made comments after the death sentence and about the law allowing victims’ relatives to address the jury before sentencing. Elash said:

“This political baloney of these impact statements [resulted from] where some stupid Republican senator wanted to get elected to Congress, so he allows these impact statements,”

He continued:

“The jury members “listen to two days of tearful testimony and see pictures of the loved ones in happy moments. They cried for a day. They go through two boxes of Kleenex. Then the judge says we want you to ignore” the impact statements when the jury makes its decision.”

A coroner’s inquest was set for March 13.

A widely excerpted part of Taylor’s suicide note included statements beginning:

“Try to understand ... when a person is physically suffering for a long time ... and I’m treated by racist bias doctors and nurses who so often gives me generic ... cheap medication that is inaffective, much causes return visits to emergency rooms and frustration so often sets in. I got fed up with doctors treating black patients different from whites ... in terms of unfairness, unequal, and like dirt. Jesus Christ made a very big costly mistake by putting white trash people on the face of the earth ... Why? How so? ... Just look at this world ... the way it is ... racism, evil, greed, hate, wicketness, faggs, domination, power & control, criminals, murderers, dykes, racists news-media, etc. I’ll see all my enemy’s in hell. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha. P.S. Lights out. We all have to die someday.”

Another excerpt from Taylor’s suicide note included:

“To my family starting with you, mother, who I love so much, I know this will probably destroy your life but I’ve been suffering physically for too long. ... I’ve been experiencing so many different health problems from the time that I was born till now.
“I've been patient year after year, decade after decade with my health but I decided to end it all.”

A separate passage included:

“So [expletive] Jesus Christ,”

and:

“You no good, heartless, evil, bias, favoritism, Jewish cold-blood [expletive]. And most of all [expletive] the entire world.”

The writings also included:

“I'm sorry, mother, for taking my own life with your gun that I sneaked for the second time in two years.
“Try to understand when a person is physically suffering for a long time ... and I'm treated by racist, biased doctors and nurses who so often give me generic, cheap medication that is ineffective [and] causes return visits to emergency rooms [that] frustration so often sets in. I get fed up with doctors treating black patients differently from whites in terms of unfairness, unequally and like dirt.
“Jesus Christ made a very costly mistake putting white people on the face of the earth. ... I'll see all of my enemies in hell. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.”

Another writing began with:

“As long as the system remains racist white and racist Jew, black people will never overcome. ... Poor blacks will remain poor with no hope as God continues to look down on us with complete neglect and no intervention.”

It also predicted:

“the United Snakes of America will burn in hell.”

Sentencing

A judge ordered Taylor to die by lethal injection for the March 1, 2000, racially motivated shootings. The sentencing judge also added 65 to 130 years to the death sentence.

Common Pleas Judge Lawrence J. O’Toole told Taylor:

“These offenses are more onerous than usual,”
“You’re obviously a poor candidate for rehabilitation. You showed no remorse during the trial and you show no remorse now.”

Taylor was sentenced on January 11, 2002.

Appeals

No appeal outcome was provided in the case material.

Outcome

On March 1, 2000, the rampage resulted in three deaths and two survivors being wounded. At sentencing, Taylor received a death sentence.

Aftermath

After the death sentence, family members and community figures made statements. Wilkinsburg Mayor Wilbert Young said he had been hoping there would not be a death penalty and respected the jury’s decision.

Bishop Donald W. Wuerl released a statement emphasizing opposition to using the death penalty, stating:

“It is regrettable that, once again, a choice has been made to respond to violence with more violence,”
“We have the means to protect society from even the most violent criminal without having to resort to the death penalty. Life imprisonment without parole serves the need for justice and at the same time reaffirms the essential dignity of all human life.”

A televised town hall meeting was described as drawing more than 100 residents.

A judge ordered a presentencing report and later formally sentenced Taylor to death after the jury rejected life without parole.

Timeline

• March 1, 2000 — Ronald Taylor carried out the shootings in Wilkinsburg, killing three men and critically wounding two others.
• March 1, 2000 — Taylor set fire to his apartment and surrendered to police during a hostage standoff.
• March 13, 2000 — A coroner’s inquest was set for March 13.
• November 8, 2001 — Ronald Taylor was convicted on 46 counts, including three counts of homicide.
• November 12, 2001 — A jury announced it recommended execution; Taylor was led from the courtroom.
• January 11, 2002 — Judge Lawrence J. O’Toole sentenced Ronald Taylor to death by lethal injection and added 65 to 130 years.