Grand jury: Taylor gunman was only 17

December 5, 2007 in NFL Talk
Tags: gunman, redskins, sean taylor

The 17-year-old suspect in the death of Sean Taylor was accused Tuesday of firing the shot that killed the Washington Redskins safety.

A Miami-Dade grand jury identified Eric Rivera as the gunman in its indictment.

Rivera and his three co-defendants were indicted by the grand jury on charges of first-degree felony murder and armed burglary.

Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20; were ordered held without bail during brief court appearances via a videoconference from Miami-Dade County jail. The three, who stood silently during the hearing, will remain at the jail under suicide watch after Judge John Thornton Jr.’s ruling.

Rivera was being transported from Fort Myers to Miami-Dade on Tuesday night and will make a court appearance Wednesday morning. One of his attorneys said the grand jury’s identification of Rivera as the gunman was expected.

“This does not come as a surprise,” said Sawyer Smith, who along with his father Wilbur represents Rivera.

The 24-year-old Taylor died Nov. 27, a day after he was shot in the bedroom of his home. Police have said he was a victim of a botched burglary.

read the full story @ dampsfootball.com