GUILTY KY - Alex Johnson, 32, Lexington, 20 December 2013

[Sporky]

January 25, 2015

http://www.kentucky.com/2015/01/25/3660432/family-of-alex-johnson-still-grieving.html

"Alex, we miss you every minute of every day," Judy Johnson wrote on a lantern during a recent birthday celebration for her son, Alex.

Police have charged Robert Markham Taylor and Timothy Ballard with the slaying of Johnson. Taylor, 29, is charged with murder, kidnapping and tampering with physical evidence. Ballard, 43, is charged with kidnapping, tampering with evidence and being a persistent felon.

Their trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 5. If convicted, the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's office will seek the death penalty for Taylor.

 

[OkieGranny]

From October:

http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article42633285.html

According to Fayette Circuit Court documents, Robert Markham Taylor and Timothy Ballard are scheduled to have a jury trial June 1, 2016 on multiple charges stemming from the beating and slaying of Johnson, 30.

 

[0101ABA]

Man Charged With Murder Of Former UK Chef Fighting To Avoid Death Penalty

(...)

More than two years ago, Mark Taylor was arrested for the murder of Alex Johnson.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against him, but his attorneys are working to get that taken off of the table.

(...)

Since then, he has been sitting in a Lexington jail cell.

His trial date is in June.

His next hearing will be March 11th, where he’ll be one step closer in finding out if he will face the death penalty if convicted for the murder.

http://www.lex18.com/story/31388844...ormer-uk-chef-fighting-to-avoid-death-penalty

 

[Tssiemer]

"Timothy Ballard pleaded guilty to kidnapping (victim not released alive) and tampering with evidence, said Assistant Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrea Williams"

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article70771967.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article70771967.html


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[JaelynKL]

20 to 25 years is not enough time for this senseless and brutal murder.

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[OkieGranny]

http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Ju...valid-in-Lexington-murder-case-380020171.html

Mark Taylor, is charged with murder and kidnapping in the 2013 death of, Alex Johnson. On Wednesday, Judge Thomas Clark ruled against his request to have some evidence tossed out of the trial.

Taylor's trial is scheduled to begin June 6th.

 

[SeaEclipse]

20 to 25 years is not enough time for this senseless and brutal murder.

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His plea is contingent on testifying against Mark Taylor, who the police have seemed to think was the mastermind/had the larger role from the beginning. A 20-25 year sentence for having the smaller role + cooperation isn't actually a bad deal for LE if they think they need the testimony.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wtvq.com/2016/06/06/trial-begins-for-accused-killer-of-uk-chef-alex-johnson/

Opening statements which included graphic descriptions and demonstrations of how Alex Johnson was killed in 2013 kicked off the trial for a Lexington man accused in the UK chef’s kidnapping and murder.

Robert Markham Taylor, who goes by “Mark” sat with his defense attorneys Monday afternoon in a Lexington courtroom...

Twitter feed at link:

http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Ju...profile-Lexington-murder-trial-381975801.html

The first witness on the stand was Alex Johnson's mother. She talked about how her family placed flyers around town after her son went missing. She also discussed hiring a private investigator to help in the search for her son.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article83467597.html

University of Kentucky chef Alex Johnson suffered neck and skull fractures before he died, a medical examiner testified Monday in the trial of the accused killer...

Before projecting images of Johnson’s injuries and torn clothing on a large screen, prosecutors brought out Johnson’s mud-coated left shoe and the blue barrel in which his body was found in the Kentucky River.

Frame told the jury that Johnson had 26 cuts to his head and bruises on his chest, left hand and right leg. He also had a neck fracture and a “depressed skull fracture,” meaning bone was pushed into his brain, Frame said. The injuries were fatal, she said.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wtvq.com/2016/06/15/mark-taylor-found-guilty-murder-kidnapping-alex-johnson/

Taylor was found guilty of murder, kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence in the death of Lexington Chef Alex Johnson...

After a few hours of deliberations jurors recommended the judge give Taylor 22 years for Johnson’s murder, 22 for his kidnapping, and the maximum 5 years for tampering with physical evidence, a total of 49 years.

Taylor’s sentencing is set for July 22nd.

http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article87096582.html

A Lexington man was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for his role in the beating death of a University of Kentucky chef whose marijuana business led to his slaying.

Timothy Ballard, who testified against convicted killer Robert Markham Taylor in June, was sentenced in a Fayette County court.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wtvq.com/2016/07/22/taylor-sentenced-49-years-alex-johnson-murder/

Just over a month after a jury convicted Mark Taylor of murdering UK chef Alex Johnson, a judge handed Taylor a sentence of 49 years Friday morning.