JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man whose conviction in a 1986 sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl was vacated in May pleaded not guilty Tuesday in connection with a shooting that Jacksonville police said occurred in June, after his release from prison.
Edward Clayton Taylor, 57, appeared for his arraignment in Duval County, where he entered a not guilty plea to both one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
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On June 25, Taylor was arrested on those two charges following a shooting June 24 on A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in that shooting, a 61-year-old man was hospitalized for treatment of injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.
A JSO arrest report said the shooting was caught on JSO’s Real-Time Crime Camera. According to the report, Taylor was found removing items from the trunk of a car before he was arrested, and further examination of the car revealed several bullet holes in the rear.
“The suspect is seen walking towards the victim, points a firearm at him and shoots him in the chest,” an officer wrote in the report. 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, Taylor said he was at the scene but told police he heard a single gunshot, which made him 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.”
As of Tuesday, Clayton was being held in the Duval County jail on $1.1 million bond.
Conviction in 1986 sexual assault of child vacated
For 33 years, Clayton was imprisoned before his conviction in the sexual assault case was vacated in May.
Taylor was identified by the 4-year-old girl 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.
Documents show the then-child identified the alleged rapist as “Jermaine’s daddy,” but investigation documents show the then-child said Jermaine had “two daddies” and “three daddies,” referring to Taylor’s brothers. Authorities never showed the child photos of all three. There was never any DNA evidence linking Taylor to the child.
The Innocence Project filed a motion to vacate the conviction and sentence, and the State Attorney’s Office did not object to the motion.