The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly. This information; however, is subject to changeand may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not berelied upon for statistical or legal purposes.
TAYLOR, William K. (W/M)
DC# 111640
DOB: 09/08/58
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County Case #01-8692
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Barbara Fleischer
Attorney, Trial: Deborah Goins – Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Andrea M. Norgard – AssistantPublic Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Maria Perinetti – CCRC-M
Date of Offense: 05/25/01
Date of Sentence: 09/29/04
Circumstances of Offense:
William Taylor met Sandra Kushmer and her brother, Billy D.Maddox, at Harry’s Bar in Riverview. Taylor knew Kushmer fromschool. When Taylor noticed that Kushmer’s brother bought expensivedrinks and left generous tips, he decided to rob them. He took them to theirmother’s house where he attacked them and robbed them. Taylor hit Kushmerin the head then shot her in the face with a shotgun. He then severelybeat Maddox. Maddox nearly died from the beating, he received severalfractures to his skull and allegedly still suffers from lasting brain damagefrom the incident.
After the incident, while still in Tampa, Taylor washed hisbloody clothes, pawned the shotgun, made charges to the Maddox’s credit cardand attempted to cash one of Maddox’s checks. Taylor then fled toMemphis, Tennessee, where he assumed Maddox’s identity of a stockbroker andused his stolen credit cards and checks to make purchases. Taylor wasarrested in Memphis.
Taylor has given various accounts of whathappened. At one point he claimed that his wife, Lorena Taylor, anda man named Jose Arano were present and participated in the crimes; however,neither of them has been charged with a crime.
Additional Information:
Taylor’s first trial ended in a mistrial because jurors weremistakenly allowed to hear a portion of Taylor’s confession in which hediscussed committing burglaries in Miami.
Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:
| Offense Date | Offense | Sentence Date | County | Case No. | Prison Sentence Length |
| 04/23/85 | BURGLARY ASSAULT ANY PERSON | 09/22/86 | INTERSTATE | 8551751 | 2Y 0M 0D |
| 04/24/85 | FORGERY/UTTERING | 09/22/86 | INTERSTATE | 8561610 | 1Y 0M 0D |
In 1976, Taylor shot a woman and assaulted another inDelaware. He spent 23 years in prison for the crimes. It isstipulated that under the name of Mark Levy, Taylor lived in Elko County,Nevada and assaulted and burglarized a female co-worker in 1977.
Trial Summary:
06/12/01 Indicted as follows:
CountI: First-DegreeMurder
CountII: Attempted Murder
CountIII: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon
CountIV: Robbery with a Firearm
CountV: Armed Burglary of a Dwelling
CountVI: Felon in Possession of a Firearm
03/26/04 Mistrialwas declared.
06/02-09/04 Retrialheld.
06/09/04 Jury returned guilty verdicts on counts I through V of the indictment.
06/14/04 Jury recommended death by a vote of 12-0.
09/29/04 Sentenced as follows:
CountI: First-DegreeMurder – Death
CountII: Attempted Murder – Life
CountIII: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon –Life
CountIV: Armed Burglary – Life with a 20year mandatory minimum
CountV: Armed Burglary of a Dwelling– Life with a 10 year mandatory minimum
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 04-2243
937 So.2d 590 (2006)
11/19/04 Appeal filed
06/29/06 FSC affirmed Taylor’s conviction and sentence
07/27/06 Mandate issued
State Circuit Court
CC# 01-8692
10/25/06 Order finding competency to waive postconviction proceedings & counsel
Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Appeal
FSC# 06-2542
962 So.2d 336 (2007)
12/04/06 Appeal filed
07/09/07 Voluntarily dismissed
Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 01-8692
10/09/07 Motion filed
02/14/08 Amended Motion filed
11/19/09 Motion denied
Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Appeal
FSC# 09-2417
(Pending)
12/30/09 Appeal filed
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus
FSC# 10-2169
(Pending)
11/08/10 Petition filed
Case Information:
On 11/19/04, Taylor filed a Direct Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court. He argued that the trial court erred in denying the motionto suppress evidence seized in an unlawful search and that the sentence ofdeath is disproportionate for this case. Taylor also contended that theFlorida Capital Sentencing process is unconstitutional since the judge, ratherthan the jury, determines the sentence and the existence of his prior violentfelony should not bar the application of Ring to his death sentence. Finally, Taylor argued that the jury instructions given during the penaltyphase unconstitutionally shifted the burden of proof onto him and the instructionsimproperly minimized and denigrated the role of the jury in violation ofCaldwell v. Mississippi. The court affirmed Taylor’s conviction and deathsentence on 06/29/06.
On 10/25/06, the Circuit Court entered an order findingcompetency to waive postconviction proceedings & counsel.
On 12/04/06, an appeal of the Circuit Court order was filedin the Florida Supreme Court. On 07/09/07, this appeal was voluntarilydismissed from the Florida Supreme Court.
On 10/09/07, Taylor filed a 3.851 motion in the CircuitCourt and then filed an Amended Motion on 02/14/08. This motion wasdenied on 11/19/09.
Taylor filed a 3.851 appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on12/30/09. This case is currently pending.
Taylor filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in theFlorida Supreme Court on 11/08/10. This petition is currently pending.
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Report Date: 09/29/06 DDK
Approved: 09/29/06 JFL
Updated: 12/02/10 EMJ