William K. Taylor

Case details

• Name: William K. Taylor
• Date of birth: 09/08/58
• DC#: 111640
• Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County
• Case #: 01-8692
• Sentencing judge: The Honorable Barbara Fleischer
• Trial attorney (Assistant Public Defender): Deborah Goins
• Direct appeal: Andrea M. Norgard
• Collateral appeals (CCRC-M): Mark Gruber

Timeline

• 05/25/01 — Date of offense
• 06/12/01 — Indicted
• 03/26/04 — Mistrial declared
• 06/02–09/04 — Retrial held
• 06/09/04 — Jury returned guilty verdicts on Counts I through V
• 06/14/04 — Jury recommended death by a vote of 12-0
• 09/29/04 — Sentenced
• 11/19/04 — Direct appeal filed in the Florida Supreme Court
• 06/29/06 — Florida Supreme Court affirmed Taylor’s conviction and death sentence
• 10/25/06 — Circuit Court entered an order finding competency to waive postconviction proceedings & counsel
• 12/04/06 — Appeal of the Circuit Court order filed in the Florida Supreme Court

Background

William Taylor met Sandra Kushmer and her brother, Billy D. Maddox, at Harry’s Bar in Riverview. Taylor knew Kushmer from school. When Taylor noticed that Kushmer’s brother bought expensive drinks and left generous tips, he decided to rob them.

Taylor’s first trial ended in a mistrial because jurors were mistakenly allowed to hear a portion of Taylor’s confession in which he discussed committing burglaries in Miami.

The offence

Taylor took Kushmer and Maddox to their mother’s house, where he attacked them and robbed them. Taylor hit Kushmer in the head, then shot her in the face with a shotgun. He then severely beat Maddox. Maddox nearly died from the beating and received several fractures to his skull, and it was alleged that he still suffers from lasting brain damage from the incident.

After the incident, while still in Tampa, Taylor washed his bloody clothes, pawned the shotgun, made charges to Maddox’s credit card, and attempted to cash one of Maddox’s checks.

Taylor fled to Memphis, Tennessee, where he assumed Maddox’s identity of a stockbroker and used his stolen credit cards and checks to make purchases. Taylor was arrested in Memphis.

Taylor gave various accounts of what happened. At one point he claimed that his wife, Lorena Taylor, and a man named Jose Arano were present and participated in the crimes; however, neither of them has been charged with a crime.

Prior incarceration history

In the State of Florida, Taylor had the following prior incarceration history:

• 04/23/85 — Burglary; Assault any person — Sentence date 09/22/86 — Sentence: 2Y 0M 0D — Prison sentence 04/23/85
• 04/24/85 — Forgery/Uttering — Sentence date 09/22/86 — Sentence: 1Y 0M 0D — Prison sentence 04/24/85

In 1976, Taylor shot a woman and assaulted another in Delaware. He spent 23 years in prison for the crimes.

It was stipulated that under the name of Mark Levy, Taylor lived in Elko County, Nevada and assaulted and burglarized a female co-worker in 1977.

Trial

Charges and indictment (06/12/01)

Taylor was indicted as follows:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder
• Count II: Attempted Murder
• Count III: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon
• Count IV: Robbery with a Firearm
• Count V: Armed Burglary of a Dwelling
• Count VI: Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Mistrial and retrial

• 03/26/04 — Mistrial was declared
• 06/02–09/04 — Retrial held

Sentencing

On 09/29/04, Taylor was sentenced as follows:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder — Death
• Count II: Attempted Murder — Life
• Count III: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon — Life
• Count IV: Armed Burglary — Life with a 20 year mandatory minimum
• Count V: Armed Burglary of a Dwelling — Life with a 10 year mandatory minimum

Appeals

Direct appeal

On 11/19/04, Taylor filed a direct appeal in the Florida Supreme Court. Taylor argued:

• that the trial court erred in denying the motion to suppress evidence seized in an unlawful search;
• that the sentence of death is disproportionate for this case;
• that the Florida Capital Sentencing process is unconstitutional because the judge, rather than the jury, determines the sentence;
• that the existence of his prior violent felony should not bar the application of Ring to his death sentence;
• that jury instructions given during the penalty phase unconstitutionally shifted the burden of proof onto him;
• and that the instructions improperly minimized and denigrated the role of the jury in violation of Caldwell v. Mississippi.

The court affirmed Taylor’s conviction and death sentence on 06/29/06.

Competency waiver order and related appeal

• 12/04/06 — An appeal of the Circuit Court order was filed in the Florida Supreme Court
• The appeal is pending.

Outcome

Taylor’s conviction and death sentence were affirmed on 06/29/06.

Other details

• Taylor met Kushmer and her brother at Harry’s Bar in Riverview and knew Kushmer from school.
• After attacking and robbing them at their mother’s house, Taylor shot Kushmer in the face with a shotgun.
• Maddox’s injuries included fractures to his skull, and it was alleged that he suffered lasting brain damage.
• After the incident, Taylor pawned the shotgun and used Maddox’s credit card and check for attempted financial transactions.
• Taylor assumed Maddox’s identity of a stockbroker in Memphis and used stolen credit cards and checks to make purchases.
• Taylor’s confession included discussion of committing burglaries in Miami, which contributed to the declaration of a mistrial.
• Lorena Taylor and Jose Arano were claimed by Taylor to have been present and participated, but neither has been charged with a crime.