New Trial Finally Set for Sean Taylor's Alleged Killer

Five and a half years after the murder of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor, none of the suspects has faced a trial. Now, a Miami-Dade judge has finally set a new trial date this summer for Eric Rivera Jr., 22, the man prosecutors say pulled the trigger that killed Taylor...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

April 2, 2013

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Five and a half years after the murder of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor, none of the suspects has faced a trial. Now, a Miami-Dade judge has finally set a new trial date this summer for Eric Rivera Jr., 22, the man prosecutors say pulled the trigger that killed Taylor.

Rivera and four others -- Jason Scott Mitchell, Timmy Lee Brown, Venjah Hunte, and Charles Wardlow -- are alleged to have broken into Taylor's Palmetto Bay home November 27, 2007, in a robbery attempt and ended up fatally shooting Taylor in the leg.

Hunte had cut a plea deal and accepted 29 years in jail. He's expected to testify against his co-defendants.

The other four have pleaded not guilty.

Rivera will be the first to go on trial, but his case has been delayed numerous times. A trial was set for last summer, but RIvera fired his attorney just a month before, and the new attorney asked for more time to prepare the case. It was the sixth time the case had been delayed.

The next trial is set to begin August 12, 2013.

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