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Kelvin "KJ" Taylor 2002 - 2021

Kelvin "KJ" Taylor of West Virginia United States was born on September 19, 2002 in Charleston, Kanawha County, and died at age 18 years old on April 7, 2021 at Charleston, West Virginia..

Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Name
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West Virginia United States
Last residence
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September 19, 2002
Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Birth
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April 7, 2021
Charleston, West Virginia.
Death
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Male
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Updated: January 10, 2024
Biography ID: 192922657 What's this
Kelvin "KJ" Taylor Kelvin Taylor (2002 - 2021)
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Kelvin "KJ" Taylor's History: 2002 - 2021

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  • Introduction

    Kelvin Taylor, the 18-year-old West Virginia high school athlete, was shot to death on April 7, 2021. The shooting took place around 8:15 pm on the corner of Central Avenue and Glenwood Avenue. Eventually, the perpetrator was identified to be 19-year-old Dekotis Thomas, who was a resident of South Charleston and had been identified using surveillance footage from the area. The See No Evil episode, titled Fallen Star, chronicled the shooting death of the young school sports star in Charleston. The episode aired on January 10, 2024, at 9 pm EST on Investigation Discovery. The official synopsis reads: "In 2021, talented high school football star KJ Taylor is killed during a drive-by shooting outside a West Virginia convenience store; CCTV helps detectives follow the trail of the truck spotted stalking KJ's friends leading up to the shooting."
  • 09/19
    2002

    Birthday

    September 19, 2002
    Birthdate
    Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia United States
    Birthplace
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  • Early Life & Education

    Kelvin Taylor was born on September 19, 2002, to Kelvin Taylor Sr. and Tara Taylor and grew up on the West Side of Charleston. September 19, 2002 Kelvin Taylor, better known as KJ Taylor, was shot outside a West Virginia convenience store situated in Charleston's West Side during a drive-by shooting on April 7, 2021.

  • Personal Life & Family

    Dekotis Thomas, lower left, entered a Kennedy plea to first degree murder Wedneday. CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The man who shot and killed Capital High School student “KJ” Taylor last year pleaded guilty Wednesday less than a week before he was scheduled to go on trial. Dekotis Thomas (CPD) Dekotis Thomas, 20, of St. Albans, entered a Kennedy Plea to first-degree murder. A second murder charge in a separate case was dropped as part of the plea agreement. A Kennedy plea allows Thomas to accept punishment for the crime without having to give the judge details of what happened. Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Adam Petry told Kanawha County Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit the state’s evidence would have shown that it was Thomas who was driving a truck on the West Side of Charleston on April 7, 2021, when he fired several shots. The shots struck Taylor and claimed his life, Petry said. “KJ” Taylor starred at Capital High School. “The defendant was driving that vehicle and shot out of the window of that vehicle,” Petry said. Petry later told MetroNews the shots were meant for someone else. “There was another intended target there that was standing in close proximity to KJ. KJ was just the unfortunate recipient of what Dekotis did that day. It was intended for another individual,” Petry said. Thomas told Tabit no one forced him to enter the plea agreement. “Did you do that freely and voluntarily?” Tabit asked. “Yes ma’am,” Thomas said. AD Thomas’ attorney Joey Spano told MetroNews following the hearing that he presented all the state’s evidence to his client and Thomas made the decision to take the plea deal prosecutor’s offered. “It’s never my decision to make. It’s the defendant’s decision to make and when we went over all of the evidence in the case which was voluminous, probably the most evidence I’ve seen in the case, I’m not saying against him but the amount (of evidence), that’s his decision to make,” Spano said. Spano, who met with Thomas four separate times Tuesday and Wednesday, said Tabit’s decision last week to allow the prosecution to present evidence at trial that showed Thomas fled to Akron, Ohio after the shooting also played a role in Thomas’ decision to enter a plea. “That was coming in and that was one of the factors. There was numerous evidence. In this case there were 197 DVDs of evidence plus reports,” Spano said. “Charleston police did a lot of leg work in this case before they indicted him.” Prosecutors dropped murder charges against Thomas in a 2019 shooting death in Charleston as part of the plea. Thomas allegedly shot and killed 28-year-old Antwan Curnell of Dunbar on Interstate 77 at the northbound Westmoreland Road exit. The prosecution will also stand silent at sentencing. Judge Tabit will decide whether Thomas receives life with mercy or a life sentence with no chance for parole. Tabit granted a motion from Spano Wednesday to allow for a forensic sentencing evaluation of Thomas. “This is done by a psychologist and it’s a little more in-depth describing the defendant’s whole life history,” Spano said. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. Taylor, 18, was a well-known student at Capital High who starred in both football and basketball.
  • 04/7
    2021

    Death

    April 7, 2021
    Death date
    Shot in a drive-by shooting and he wasn't the actual target. His shooter got life in prison with no parole. KJ Taylor Lane was named after him.
    Cause of death
    Charleston, West Virginia.
    Death location
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4 Memories, Stories & Photos about Kelvin

Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
16.8k+ favorites
01/10/2024
Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Star athlete in basketball and football.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
16.8k+ favorites
01/10/2024
Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Basketball Star in High School.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
16.8k+ favorites
01/10/2024
Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
2002 - 2021 An entire city mourned the death of a star athlete who was shot by a psychopath who had already murdered someone else.
It was a drive-by shooting, and KJ Taylor wasn't even the target.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Kelvin "KJ" Taylor Scholarship Fund.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
16.8k+ favorites
01/10/2024
Kelvin "KJ" Taylor Scholarship Fund.
He mentored many children.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Kelvin Taylor's Family Tree & Friends

Kelvin Taylor's Family Tree

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Kelvin "KJ" Taylor
Kelvin "KJ" Taylor Sep 19, 2002 - Apr 7, 2021
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Friendships

Kelvin's Friends

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Other Biographies

Other Kelvin Taylor Biographies

Taylor, Kelvin (Apr 29, 1945 - Dec 8, 1986) Taylor, Kelvin (Born circa 1961) Taylor, Kelvin (Born circa 1977) Taylor, Kelvin (Born circa 1970) Taylor, Kelvin (Born circa 1971) Taylor, Kelvin (Mar 14, 1998 - Aug 17, 2001)
Taylor, Kelvin (Oct 20, 1983 - May 10, 2009) Taylor, Kelvin (Aug 29, 1899 - Oct 1977) Taylor, Kelvin (Oct 28, 2001 - May 5, 2002) Taylor, Kelvin (Dec 22, 1968 - Jul 19, 2007) Taylor, Kelvin (Dec 19, 1975 - May 31, 2011) Taylor, Kelvin (Jun 6, 1966 - Sep 24, 2004)

Other Taylor Family Biographies

Taylor, James (Born Feb 21, 1838) Taylor, Hattie (1898 - 1970) Taylor, Ora (1874 - Jan 1, 1968) Taylor, Elsie Taylor-Crawford, Ammie (Born Aug 3, 1874) Taylor, Vera (Born Nov 2, 1914) Taylor, Eliza (Born Jun 1886) Taylor, Charles (Born Aug 2, 1868) Taylor, Hazelle (Born May 9, 1895) Taylor, Anna (Born May 1, 1875)
Taylor, Roeana (Born Jun 6, 1876) Taylor, Jesse Taylor, Dorothy Taylor, Maria Palmer (Born Mar 5, 1793) Taylor, Elias (Born Apr 6, 1873) Taylor, Eliza Jane (Born Sep 9, 1877) Taylor, Nancy (Born Mar 15, 1851) Lake, Lura (Born 1895) Taylor, Ethel L. (Born Aug 14, 1916) Taylor, Robert (Born Apr 7, 1896)
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