Lawrence Taylor, a 44-year-old inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, has been sentenced to life in federal prison for the second-degree murder of his cellmate, Jan Stevens. Taylor, formerly of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to court documents, Taylor and Stevens had been cellmates in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) for only three days prior to the murder on January 12, 2019. At approximately 1:25 AM that day, a SHU staff member observed Stevens lying on the lower bunk, partially covered by a sheet, with his head positioned at the foot of the bed.
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Taylor was standing in front of the cell door window. Upon closer inspection, the staff member noticed a laceration on Stevens’s neck, along with blood spatter on the wall and floor.
An autopsy conducted the following day revealed that Stevens had sustained 43 stab wounds, primarily to the neck area, causing him to bleed to death. During an interview with FBI agents, Taylor admitted to killing Stevens with a weapon he had possessed for the previous three months.
At the time of the murder, Taylor was serving a 284-month sentence for a series of bank robberies committed in 2009. His projected release date prior to the murder was September 2031.
“This murder extends beyond the taking of a life – it shatters the lives of those closest to the victim. Taylor’s act was heinous; well justifying the imposition of a life sentence,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. He commended the FBI, corrections officers, and federal prosecutors for their dedication to the case.
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“This life sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to justice for all victims including those who are incarcerated in federal correctional facilities. The brutality of this violent murder deserves the maximum penalty allowed under the law,” stated FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton.
A Federal Bureau of Prisons Spokesperson added, “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message – those who threaten or harm others will be held accountable. The safety and security of our facilities will always be the FBOP’s top priority in our mission to ensure public safety.”
The FBI and the Federal Bureau of Prisons jointly investigated the case. U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II imposed the life sentence. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and former Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Warden for their prosecution of the case.
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