Estimated learn time: 6-7 minutes

UTAH STATE PRISON — By his personal account, George Anthony Taylor made plans 20 occasions to kill Jill Allen, however couldn’t undergo with it.

That was, till the twenty first try on Aug. 28, 1996.

Taylor was employed by Paul Allen to kill his spouse, 24-year-old Jill Allen, for $10,000. He testified in courtroom throughout his trial that on that day, he once more could not deliver himself to shoot her and as a substitute tried knocking her unconscious. However that solely led to Allen being brutally bludgeoned to demise.

“That is not the way in which it was deliberate. I did not know what I used to be doing in there, to be sincere with you,” Taylor informed the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole on Tuesday. “It is haunting.”

Taylor was convicted of homicide in 1998 and sentenced to a time period of six years to life on the Utah State Jail. Paul Allen was convicted of capital homicide in 2000 however was spared the demise penalty and as a substitute was sentenced to life in jail with the potential of parole. The center man within the situation, Joseph Sergious Wright — the person who put Taylor in touch with Allen — pleaded responsible in 1998 to tried homicide and felony solicitation and was sentenced to 5 years in jail.

Taylor, now 52, went earlier than the parole board for the primary time on Tuesday.

Whereas Taylor did not instantly ask to be paroled, he did categorical his want to be launched.

“I’d not ask you to outright parole me, as a result of I really feel like that is dishonest Jill’s household, her buddies. I’ve a want to depart this place, completely,” he stated. “So I am not telling you that I do not wish to depart right here. What I am telling you is I am not going to come back in right here and say, ‘Please give me a parole date.’ However in my coronary heart, that is the reality.

“I hate this place. I hate what occurred to deliver me to this place. On the identical time, I simply do not feel it is proper for me to ask that,” Taylor continued.

A number of occasions throughout the listening to, Taylor talked about how he thinks of Allen on daily basis and was apologetic to her household.

However Allen’s mom, Andrea Myler, who attended the listening to together with a lot of Allen’s members of the family and buddies, informed the board that Taylor deserves to spend greater than 25 years in jail.

“I’ve spent lengthy hours being haunted by the fear you prompted her,” she stated Tuesday.

Though Paul Allen employed Taylor to kill his spouse, Myler stated it was nonetheless Taylor’s resolution to undergo with it. She reminded the board that her daughter’s demise was so brutal that the household was compelled to have a closed casket at her funeral.

“Why did not you simply run away, let her reside?” she emotionally requested. “At some point I cried so arduous as a result of I could not keep in mind the sound of her chortle. … It took me 5 years earlier than I might even breathe.”

Jill Allen would have been 50 this 12 months. “As a substitute, I put flowers on her grave. I hate seeing her title on a gravestone within the cemetery,” her mom stated.

Myler stated she is aware of her spiritual beliefs inform her that she ought to forgive Taylor, however for years, “I informed the Lord he might do no matter he wished with me, I might by no means forgive you.”

On Tuesday, nevertheless, Myler said, “As we speak, I can truthfully say I can forgive you.”

Nonetheless, she stated that does not imply she desires Taylor launched from jail anytime quickly. Myler stated her daughter’s life is value greater than 25 years.

When requested to reply to the feedback from Myler and from Allen’s sister, who additionally stated 25 years isn’t lengthy sufficient, Taylor stated he asks himself most of the identical questions on a regular basis.

“The solutions that I’ve provide you with are missing,” he stated solemnly. “I did not simply take her away from you, I brutally took her away from you. … I’m so, so sorry.”

In 1996, Taylor stated he was consuming on a regular basis, had run up a playing debt and was going to be evicted from his residence. However fairly than ask an area church for assist, he known as his pal, Wright, whom he knew was a “thief,” to see if he might assist him steal one thing to get cash. Wright informed Taylor that Paul Allen would pay him $10,000 to kill his spouse.

However Taylor stated for months he would make excuses to keep away from going by means of with the crime. He stated there have been about 20 occasions when he was presupposed to undergo with the plan, however did not, generally not even displaying as much as the place he was presupposed to be. It wasn’t till 4 months later, after Taylor was given a key to the Allens’ North Salt Lake condominium, that he went there to attend for Jill Allen to come back residence.

“I do not know what on the earth I used to be considering,” he stated Tuesday. “In the long run, I used to be making an attempt to persuade myself I used to be evil sufficient.”

Taylor stated he even went so far as calling himself “the satan’s son” previous to the homicide.

“I consider that I used to be making an attempt to persuade myself that I used to be so evil that I might do one thing so deplorable and destroy so many lives,” he stated. “Why did not I make only one extra excuse? … I do know for a undeniable fact that Jill would nonetheless be right here if I had simply made another excuse.”

When requested why Allen’s demise was so brutal, Taylor stated the assault was spontaneous.

“It wasn’t intentional,” he stated. “I ask myself the identical query, ‘Why could not I simply stroll away?’

“I am really at a loss. And I hate the truth that … that is one thing (the household) needed to expertise, that Jill isn’t right here and he or she was murdered the way in which she was murdered,” he continued.

As we speak, Taylor stated he has labored arduous to change into a greater man. He attributes a big a part of the place he’s at this time to turning into energetic on the jail chapel since 2016.

“It is taken plenty of work and I am blessed to have an actual private relationship with God that’s really the muse of my psychological well being,” he stated. “It is not straightforward to vary. It is a course of. … However if you happen to’re keen, it occurs.”

The board famous that he has had eight disciplinary violations since being incarcerated, however none since 2016.

“I do not wish to disappoint anybody anymore. Not solely do I wish to be higher, however I wish to do higher,” Taylor stated of his motivation to vary.

When requested how he is aware of he might keep out of hassle if paroled, Taylor replied, “There’s completely no approach I might betray that belief individuals have put in me at this level in my life.

“My want at this time is to serve, is to make a distinction,” he continued, whereas once more speaking about how he wanted to honor the promise he made to Allen’s household. “I am completely sure that I will not disappoint anybody. That I might be a productive member of society and I’ll do precisely what I informed you I’d do.”

The complete five-member board will vote on whether or not to grant Taylor parole — a call that would take a number of months. Paul Allen is predicted to have his first parole listening to later this 12 months, although an actual date has not but been set.

×

Associated hyperlinks

Associated tales

Most up-to-date Utah police and courts tales