Greenville, MS – With a jury pool drawn from across Washington County and ready to hear his case, Ellison Lafayette, 32 yoa, chose to plead guilty to causing the death of William Taylor, 51 yoa. Circuit Judge Richard Smith accepted Lafayette’s guilty plea to the charge of Manslaughter and withheld sentencing until a later date. Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.
Lafayette was charged in the death of William Taylor following an incident that took place on Thanksgiving Day in Greenville in 2019. That day also happened to be Mr. Taylor’s birthday. Lafayette had come to Taylor’s home and following an argument struck the 51-year-old victim in the back of the head. Taylor sustained serious injuries and had to be transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center where he died. Several members of Taylor’s family were present and witnessed the incident and were prepared to testify about what they witnessed in the death of their loved one.
John Herzog Jr. prosecuted the case for the District Attorney’s Office. Herzog said “Lafayette finally took responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to the charge of Manslaughter. His actions took a family member away from his loved ones on Thanksgiving, a day where families should be able to gather together in peace.”
Contact: W. Dewayne Richardson District Attorney, Fourth Circuit Court District | 662-378-2105