A Memphis man charged with first-degree murder was rearrested after being mistakenly released from jail with no bond on Sunday.
Gary Taylor, 26, a known gang member, is accused of shooting and killing Markeith Taylor at 660 Wells Avenue on December 21, according to Memphis police via NBC affiliate WMC.
Police say the witness, who claimed to have seen the alleged murder, said Taylor kept shooting at the victim even after he had fallen. The witness was not identified in the arrest affidavit because the witness is afraid of Taylor and his gang.
Taylor was arrested on Saturday but released one day later with no bail on his own recognizance, according to county documents, per WMC.
Taylor was arrested again and appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge said Taylor was released in error and had his bond revoked, ABC 24 reported. He is now back in prison.
— Shelby County District Attorney’s Office (@ShelbyCountyDA) January 3, 2023
Markeith Taylor’s mom was shocked that her son’s alleged killer was released from prison.
“There must have been a glitch in the system. I mean how could they let a first-degree murderer go. There’s no explanation for that,” Tacora Taylor told Fox 13 Memphis.
The victim’s mother also told the outlet that Markeith had four daughters and that she fears for hers and their safety.
“I don’t know when somebody is going to do something to me. Everybody I see now I’m really terrified, because I don’t know who is who,” she said. “I’m trying to keep my family safe, and I have nothing.”
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s (D) office released a statement Tuesday, saying they had no part in releasing Taylor:
The DA’s Office played no role in the decision to release [Taylor]. Per longstanding procedure, the judicial commissioner made an initial bond decision to set “no bond.” Subsequently, a process error resulted in Mr. Taylor’s release. The matter never got to the point where a prosecutor was involved in the bond decision.
The district attorney’s office statement also denied that Taylor’s release was associated with bail reform policy, noting that alleged first-degree murderers are not released on their own recognizance. Mulroy has been noted to be an advocate for far-left jailbreak policies.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.