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Plea deal struck for Taylor murder suspect; A fifth arrested
Video
Timothy Lee Brown, 16, Fort Myers who is the fifth suspect in the murder of NFL star Sean Taylor had a court appearance this morning, May 14, 2008, in Fort Myers and is expected to be transported to Miami. Watch »
Video
Four suspects were arrested in Lee County in connection with the slaying of NFL star Sean Taylor. The Daily News had reporters on the scene at FDLE all day covering the arrests. Watch »
AP photo
Washington Redskins football player Sean Taylor is seen before the start of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla., in this Aug. 30, 2007 photo. Taylor died from injuries sustained when he was shot in the leg early Monday, said family friend Richard Sharpstein on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007.
AP VIDEOS
- • Fifth murder charge in Sean Taylor slaying: In Florida, a 16-year-old is facing a murder charge in the slaying of Washington Redskins player Sean Taylor. He's the fifth suspect in the case, where the football star was shot during a botched robbery. (May 14)
- • Death penalty off table in Sean Taylor case: Prosecutors in Miami say they won't seek the death penalty against four people charged with murder in the case of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor if they are convicted. (May 13)
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One of the four Lee County men initially arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of NFL player Sean Taylor, has accepted a plea deal.
In exchange for complete, truthful testimony in the upcoming trials for the other defendants, Venjah Hunte, 20, of Fort Myers, will plea guilty to second degree murder and armed burglary.
He will then serve 29 years.
Hunte's plea deal announcement coincides with the arrest of a fifth suspect in case, 16-year-old Timmy Brown, who was taken into custody last night.
Under the plea agreement, without Hunte's satisfactory testimony, he would instead be sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
Like the other initial suspects in the case -- Eric Rivera, 18; Jason Mitchell, 20; and Charles Wardlow, 18 -- Hunte had been charged with first degree murder in the shooting that left Taylor, a rising star in professional football, fatally wounded after he had confronted the burglars who had entered his Palmetto Bay home while he, his girlfriend and his young daughter were sleeping last November.
The young men's' trials had been scheduled to start in August in Miami-Dade County.
Brown was detained late Tuesday by the lead detective in the case on Tuesday, according to sources. He appeared in Juvenile Court in Fort Myers this morning.
Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office spokesman Ed Griffith said Brown is charged with first-degree murder under a sealed warrant.
All five suspects are accused of driving from Fort Myers to Miami in late November with the intention of robbing Taylor.
Eric Rivera Jr., 17 at the time of the shooting and 18 now, is the accused triggerman.
Richard Sharpstein, a Miami defense attorney who has acted as spokesman for the Taylor family, expressed gratitude Wednesday for authorities’ work on the case.
“The family is thankful that the investigation continues and that all individuals responsible for Sean’s death meet harsh justice,” he said.
Sharpstein said he could not speak about the facts of the case because of a gag order.
The Associated Press contributed to this report









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