Shaquille Taylor, the man accused of shooting and killing Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig last year, is set to appear in court next month for a competency hearing, according to WKRN.
The hearing is scheduled for May 1, according to the outlet.
Before allegedly firing the shot that killed Ludwig, Taylor (pictured above) had a lengthy rap sheet for violent crimes.
In 2021, Taylor was released back onto the streets after being deemed mentally unfit to stand trial on a felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
In Tennessee, the state may provide a treatment plan for up to two years in a bid to make a defendant able to stand trial when they are found to be incompetent to stand trial but also are found to be unlikely to become competent if involuntarily committed to a mental facility.
Despite this, Taylor was released in 2021 with no conditions instead of having treatment arranged for him to stand trial.
Ludwig’s family said they hope Taylor is found competent to stand trial at next month’s hearing so he can “finally be held accountable for his crimes.”
“Matt and I are seeking justice for our daughter and hope and pray that Taylor will be found competent to stand trial and finally be held accountable for his crimes. Jillian was murdered by Taylor while taking a jog in a community park in the middle of the afternoon. She did nothing wrong and was in the prime of her life, with big plans for her future. Taylor is a dangerous and violent repeat criminal, and his brutality cost Jillian her whole life. At just 18 years old, she was robbed of her future and we were all robbed of her. She would have made the world a better place and our family is completely heartbroken and devastated by her senseless loss,” the family of Ludwig said in a statement to WKRN.
“It is time for Taylor to be held accountable. If he is competent to load a gun and fire a gun, and even tamper with the evidence, he is certainly competent enough to stand trial and face the consequences. We are hopeful the prosecutors will be able to demonstrate his competency at the hearing and the judge will bring this case to trial,” the family added.
Shortly after Ludwig’s death, state lawmakers introduced a bill in the Tennessee General Assembly called “Jillian’s Law,” which would require mentally incompetent felony defendants to be committed to a mental health institution and be barred from owning or possessing firearms.
The bill is set to be voted on in the House next week.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
The Vanderbilt Doctors, the Judge and the District Attorney responsible for the prior release should all be required to testify at this next hearing. Their testimony as to why they were that incompetent explained. Then the new trial date for murder set.