John Albert Taylor visited with his family Tuesday afternoon before being transported to death row at Utah State Prison.
The 30-year-old Ogden man had been sentenced to die for the sexual assault and murder June 23 of 11-year-old Charla King and become the first person in 40 years to be sent to death row from Weber County.He was sentenced Tuesday morning by 2nd District Judge David Roth, who on Dec. 5 found Taylor guilty of first-degree murder.
Defense attorney Don Redd said Wednesday that Taylor was upset after the sentence was handed down. Redd said he went back to the Weber County Jail with his client.
"He's fairly upset," Redd said. "Not in an agitated or angry manner. He had a hard time talking. He was pretty choked up."
Redd said he now has 60 days to file an appeal with the Utah Supreme Court. A first-degree murder conviction in Utah is automatically appealed to the state's highest court. Redd said oral arguments then will be scheduled.
"It was quite a jolter," Redd said about the penalty. "That's quite an experience. I'm surprised a little bit."
The Layton attorney said he and co-defense attorney Martin Gravis were under some pressure with the case because no person has been sent to death row in Weber County since 1949.
He also complemented Roth on the way he handled the trial, saying Roth did an "excellent" job. "That's not to say he (Roth) didn't make any legal errors," Redd said.
The trial lasted seven days and the penalty phase took less than two days. Taylor has maintained his innocence throughout his arrest and trial.
King's body was found in her Washington Terrace apartment by her mother, Sharon King. A telephone cord wrapped around her neck.
Taylor was arrested a few days later after his fingerprints were found on the bottom of the telephone. He had been living in the same apartment complex as the victim. Taylor admitted to being in the apartment, but only to commit a burglary.
Following the sentence, Sharon King said Taylor deserved to die for his crime. "I'm relieved that it's over with," she said.
Weber County Attorney Reed Richards said he felt the death penalty was appropriate in this case. "This individual (Taylor) has no redeeming qualities," Richards said. "He's dangerous."
In imposing the death penalty, Roth said the aggravating facts surrounding the murder and Taylor's character outweigh the mitigating circumstances.
He called the murder of a child a brutal act, pointing out that Taylor stalked the victim like a predator stalks his prey.
The judge also said he based his decision on the fact Taylor had been committed to a sex-offenders program in Florida as a teenager and spent most of his adult life in a Florida prison for a burglary conviction.
Roth also said testimony revealed that Taylor had raped his younger sister when she about 13 years old and the defendant had committed other sexual acts against young girls.