On a Sunday evening in May 2016, 56-year-old John Michael Taylor was walking home from a convenience store in Prattville, Alabama, after withdrawing cash from an ATM. Tragically, he was followed, shot, and left mortally wounded on a busy street. A passing motorist discovered him and alerted authorities. Before succumbing to his injuries on May 22, 2016, Taylor was able to provide crucial details to the police that would lead them to his assailants.
The investigation moved swiftly, aided
by Taylor's dying declaration and security camera footage from the convenience store. Three individuals were identified and arrested in connection with the robbery and murder. The suspects were Santwone Jones, Devonte Hill, and Lil' Roderick Williams. All three were charged with capital murder. At the time of the killing, Hill and Williams were just 14 and 15 years old, respectively, but were charged as adults.
In the years that followed, the three men faced the consequences of their actions. In February 2021, Lil' Roderick Williams pleaded guilty to murder. Two months later, in April 2021, Santwone Jones and Devonte Hill also pleaded guilty to felony murder. Prosecutors noted that the three men pointed fingers at each other when it came to who fired the fatal shot. Taking into account their ages at the time of the crime, prosecutors recommended 20-year sentences for Williams and Hill. For Jones, who had prior felony convictions, the state sought a sentence of life in prison under the habitual felon act. The sentencing for all three was scheduled for August 26, 2021.
