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Man who spent 33 years in prison back behind bars, now charged with attempted murder

Edward Taylor’s conviction in 1986 sexual assault of 4-year-old girl was vacated

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For 33 years, Edward Clayton Taylor, 57, was imprisoned. Just a month ago, his conviction in a 1986 sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl was vacated.

Authorities confirmed to News4JAX on Monday that Taylor was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Records show the shooting occurred Friday night on A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in that shooting, a man was hospitalized for treatment of injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.

News4JAX received a copy of Taylor’s arrest report Monday night. It states that the shooting was caught on video, which provided officers with a description of the suspected shooter. According to the report, Taylor was found removing items from the trunk of a car before he was apprehended, and further examination of the car revealed several bullet holes in the rear.

The report describes what was captured on surveillance video. “The suspect Is seen walking towards the victim, points a firearm at him and shoots him in the chest,” the officer writes. A bronze colored vehicle is seen driving off from the area, and while the vehicle is in motion, the report states that “several males begin discharging their firearms at this vehicle. After looking at this vehicle in the video surveillance and also looking at the suspect’s vehicle on scene that had several bullet holes shot in it, the vehicles look to be one in the same.”

According to the report, the suspect confirmed being at the scene, but told police he heard a single gunshot, prompting him to get in his vehicle and leave. The report states that he “advised that his vehicle began receiving gunfire because there were bullets being shot through it. He then stepped on the gas to accelerate the vehicle, which is when he realized one of his tires was flat. He then pulled over on the side of the road, removed items out of his trunk onto the roadway and attempted to change his tire, which is when he was contacted by police.”

The report adds that the suspect then requested an attorney.

A statement from the State Attorney’s Office reads:

“In 2019, the Florida Commission on Offender Review granted Edward Taylor parole and he was released from prison. Coincidentally, our office’s Conviction Integrity Review received three separate referrals regarding Taylor’s 1986 conviction.

“In the three years since his release, the CIR thoroughly investigated the matter and discovered evidence that had not been disclosed to Taylor’s defense. This failure, in conjunction with other errors and the victim’s recantation, informed the State’s decision to consent to Taylor’s post-conviction motion. We stand by the CIR’s work in that case, which can be found in detail here.

“As in all cases, the State will review Taylor’s unrelated arrest and make a filing decision.”

Records show he was held in the Duval County jail on a $1.1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 18.

Notably, Taylor had served his time and been released from prison when he was exonerated.

In 1986, the then-4-year-old, Stephanie McIntyre, who’s now known as Stephanie Love, lived next door to Taylor, his son, his mother, his brother and his half-brother. Love was childhood friends with Taylor’s son, Jermaine.

The child tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease, which led to a law enforcement investigation.

Taylor was identified by the child as someone who touched her. He was arrested at age 21, tried and convicted of sexual battery of the child, who testified at the trial about what was done to her during a sleepover at Taylor’s house.

In 2010, the Innocence Project got involved in the case and found discrepancies — and it filed a motion to vacate the conviction and sentence. The State Attorney’s Office didn’t object.

Documents show the then-child identified the alleged rapist as “Jermaine’s daddy,” but investigation documents show Love said Jermaine had “two daddies” and “three daddies,” referring to Taylor’s brothers. Authorities never showed the child all photos of all three. There was never any DNA evidence linking Taylor to the child.

In its conclusion, the state wrote in part:

“Because there was no physical evidence linking Taylor to the crime, the defense theory of the case was that Love had misidentified Taylor. The evidence of 4-year-old Love’s statements that Jermaine had multiple daddies, which indicated confusion on her part over the identity of Jermaine’s daddy, was exculpatory and material. Love now believes that she identified the wrong person and has conveyed her belief to Florida’s Parole Commission, Taylor’s counsel, and the CIR.”


About the Authors
Renee Beninate headshot

Renee Beninate is a Florida native and award-winning reporter who joined the News4Jax team in June 2021.

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