Teen ordered to be tried as adult in murder case

Published 4:51 pm Thursday, January 27, 2022

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An 18-year-old has been the second individual charged in the death of a 75-year-old man last October.

Nickalos Dewayne Taylor, 18, was charged this week with three felony charges, including second degree murder while committing a felony without intent, in connection to the death of William Hall, who was found dead at his home on Oct. 13.

He’s also been charged with aiding and abetting aggravated robbery and inflicting bodily harm as well as aiding and abetting first degree assault. Both are felonies.

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According to court documents from last October, Austin police officers were dispatched to a medical emergency at around 11:04 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the 800 block of 12th Ave. SE where an elderly man, which turned out to be Hall, was discovered lying on the floor of his residence by two people delivering food.

Security cameras at the property showed a group of individuals ranging from 12-years-old to 17-years-old at the property on Oct. 12. Audio captured indicated an encounter took place between Hall and the males. The footage also captured screaming in the video footage and showed the males riding bicycles on the north side of the owners property.

According to court documents, Taylor was interviewed by detectives on Oct. 26. He indicated that he, a 12-year-old and two other males went to the residence to “do a job” and “smoke some weed.”

Taylor said that he thought another of the juveniles, “J” pushed the victim, but didn’t know if he was punched.

When the 12-year-old was eventually interviewed by detectives, he indicated “he did it,” referring to the juvenile, and also admitted that he knew Hall and that Hall smoked marijuana. 

The 12-year-old told the detective that the juvenile male pushed Hall, which caused hIm to fall to the ground and hit his back on the metal bumper of a camper. When Hall tried to get back up again, court records state that the juvenile allegedly punched the victim in the face, according to the 12-year-old.

The 12-year-old said that he became scared after seeing the assault and hearing the victim groan in pain, admitting he didn’t think Hall was okay and that he was in a lot of pain. He then saw Hall push what might have been a medical alert button and then left the area. The youth said they took the pipe and a little bit of weed and that the juvenile got some money from the counter and another of the individuals, “Smokey” took a bottle of brandy.

Smokey was later identified as Francisco Javier Lagunes Silva, 18, who was arrested in connection to the death and charged with aid and abet second degree murder while committing a felony without intent, aid and abet aggravated robbery inflict bodily harm and first degree assault.

On Monday, during a certification hearing at Mower County District Court, the court ordered that Taylor stand trial as an adult, even though he was 17 at the time of the crime.

Taylor’s next court appearance is Feb. 7. He is currently being held on $500,000 bail.