Daniel Taylor

Daniel “Danny” James Taylor was a 17-year-old White male and a senior at Rockridge High School who lived with his family in Milan, Illinois. In the early morning hours of April 14, 2023, his life was cut short during a violent home invasion.

Around 12:45 a.m., Danny’s father, David, heard loud noises coming from his son’s basement bedroom. When he went to investigate, he found two masked intruders confronting Danny. David testified that he attempted to fight off one of the intruders before hearing a second gunshot and seeing his son collapse. Authorities responded to the family’s home on Ridgewood Road and found Danny with multiple gunshot wounds. Although first responders attempted life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene. An affidavit later revealed he died from a gunshot to the chest.

The investigation quickly led to three arrests. About 20 minutes after the shooting, a 15-year-old boy, Johnell Smith III, arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and home invasion. Days later, a second suspect, 16-year-old Napoleon Jackson, was arrested in Newton, Iowa, and charged as an adult with first-degree murder, home invasion, and aggravated battery. A third individual, 19-year-old Tationna T. Taylor, who is not related to the victim, was also charged. Authorities alleged that she directed Smith and Jackson to Danny’s home and provided instructions on how to get inside with the intent to commit a robbery.

In February 2025, Tationna Taylor pleaded guilty to home invasion, a Class X felony. The following month, a judge sentenced her to nine years in prison, to be followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.

Johnell Smith III was transferred from juvenile court to be tried as an adult. During his trial, prosecutors argued that he and Jackson broke into the home to rob Danny. Smith’s defense claimed he was there to buy drugs and was forced into the robbery by Jackson, who then shot Smith when he refused to participate. On April 4, 2025, a jury found Smith guilty of first-degree murder and home invasion.

At Smith’s sentencing hearing in June 2025, Danny’s family gave emotional statements. His father tearfully recounted the night of the murder, saying, “It’s been 788 days since I watched my son fall to his knees and take his final breath. A child should feel safe, protected by his father… I’ll never forgive myself for my failures then.” Following the family’s statements, Smith was sentenced for his role in the crime. As of that month, the charges against co-defendant Napoleon Jackson remained pending.