By Matt Sedensky, AP
MIAMI-Three men charged with murdering Sean Taylor were denied bail Tuesday, a day after thousands of mourners attended the funeral for the Washington Redskins safety.
Charles Wardlow, 18, Jason Mitchell, 19, and Venjah Hunte, 20, all made brief court appearances via a videoconference from Miami-Dade County jail, where they will remain after Judge John Thornton Jr.'s ruling. The three stood silently during the hearing.
Taylor, 24, died Nov. 27, barely 24 hours after he was shot in the bedroom of his home a few miles from where he grew up. Police say he was a victim of a botched burglary.
"I think he's in disbelief over what occurred," said Rivera's attorney, Wilbur Smith. "His expression to me was that 'I can't believe this kind of thing happened.'"
Landon Miller, Mitchell's attorney, said his client was distraught and on suicide watch. Hunte's attorney, Michael Hornung, said his client did not have a gun.
"My client had no knowledge whatsoever where they were going," he said.
Another lawyer has said there is a fifth suspect that police are seeking.
Probable cause affidavits for Mitchell and Rivera said the two confessed to participating in armed burglary. According to the reports, Mitchell and Rivera admitted entering the home and said someone had a gun and shot Taylor, but they didn't identify who. Police and attorneys also have said some of the young men confessed, though they wouldn't elaborate.
Keith Leonardo, president of Florida Christian Institute in Fort Myers, said Rivera and Wardlow are both seniors at the school, which has 190 learning-disabled students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Both played on the school's flag football team, Leonardo said.
Some 3,000 mourners attended Taylor's funeral Monday seeking closure through prayers, tributes and gospel music. One singer expended so much emotion she collapsed in a chair and was carried away in it as the service continued.
"Many times God must have looked down and said, 'Man, I made a great football player,'" Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said.
There were plenty of tears during the three-hour service, but also ripples of laughter and words of inspiration.
"Let me hear you scream!" shouted the Rev. Jesse Jackson, urging the audience to cheer Taylor's memory. "One more time! This is a celebration!"
"It's times like this that all of us struggle to find meaning in life," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told mourners.
Taylor helped the Miami Hurricanes win the 2001 national championship, became a first-round NFL draft pick by the Redskins in 2004 and led the NFC in interceptions this season when a knee injury sidelined him last month.
"Today my heart is broken," said LaVar Arrington, wiping away tears as he recalled his two years as Taylor's teammate with the Redskins. "I'll get through it. We'll all get through it."
The list of celebrities in attendance was long. They included more than two dozen former Hurricanes now in the NFL, among them Edgerrin James, Devin Hester and Jeremy Shockey. Former Hurricanes coaches Larry Coker and Butch Davis sat in the front row, along with current coach Randy Shannon.
Mourners also included O.J. Simpson, whose children attended the same high school as Taylor, and actor Andy Garcia, whose niece, Jackie Garcia, was Taylor's girlfriend and the mother of their 18-month-old daughter.
About 300 members of the Redskins organization attended, with even their mascot present. The Redskins flew down in a charter one day after an emotional 17-16 loss to Buffalo, and they play again Thursday against Chicago.
"I think the guys feel better after going to the funeral," linebacker London Fletcher said after the team returned to Washington. "It was a little bit of closure in a sense. It was something that we needed as a team. We're going to still carry his memory with us, so it's still a healing process we're going to go through, but this part was a necessary part of it."
Gibbs' eulogy focused on faith. He told the mourners Taylor became more spiritual as he matured after joining the team.
"His life began to change," Gibbs said. "You saw the way he loved Jackie and Jackie."
Others also spoke of Taylor's transformation following the birth of his daughter. They addressed only indirectly his earlier brushes with the law, which started with a 2001 fist fight and included most recently a 2005 confrontation involving guns.
There was pointed criticism for the way the media portrayed Taylor's past in the wake of his violent death.
"One of the things that I hope comes out of this tragedy is that the media get a small lesson in grace and humility," said Florida City mayor Otis Wallace, a friend of the Taylor family. "For those who took the liberty of recklessly speculating that this young man's death was caused by the way he lived, all I can say is they should be ashamed."
The audience responded with a standing ovation.
Associated Press Writers Steven Wine, Mitch Stacy, Rasha Madkour and Sarah Larimer contributed to this report.
Comments: (112)
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By: A Sharpton on 12/04/2007 4:13PM
The cops are racist. They should let those brothers out the jail. The need to be with their families for the holidays! If they were white they would have got bail!
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By: Cecil Jones on 12/04/2007 4:47PM
Hey Mr. A. Sharpton, I get the joke. I don't think it's right that you drag the Rev's name through the mud like this. He's doing a fine job of making a butt out of himself by himself. As for these guys, I think "Bucky, Johnson, Redbone, and Peanut" are fine behind bars. A great new job opportunity just opened up for someone in Florida. Does someone want to cut Mr. Taylor's grass? I'm ready to let him rest in peace, but there is one loose end. Why didn't the alarm work? Why didn't the alarm company call someone?
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By: Andi on 12/04/2007 4:47PM
This whole ordeal is senseless. This guy is not the first football player to be killed at home during a robbery. The guy got targeted by friends of his sister. The economy is bad. People don't have jobs. Kids don't go to school and if they do they are not learning anything. People steal for all kinds of reasons. To me the guy should have been in Washington. They have nice houses in Washington. If he thought he was in danger he could have been in DC. And I have this little thing about shacking up. Here you have a guy talking with a Preacher at will and nobody saying anything about marriage. Some States have Common Law Marriage laws. Stay in the same house for six months and you are married. Anyway, I hate the guy got killed but that is life in Miami.
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By: Andi on 12/04/2007 4:57PM
Does anybody watch the First 48 on A&E? There is always segments of Murder in Miami. It really hurts me to see these senseless killings. I was born and raised in Coconut Groove and Richmond Heights. I am glad I left the day after I graduated from High School. I am still alive and doing well.
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By: JC on 12/05/2007 12:18AM
If There Is Enough Evidence That These Young Men Committed This Crime, Then They Should Be Kept In Jail. It's Sean Taylor That Should Be With His Family For The Holidays! My Condolences To Sean Taylor's Family. "Rest In Peace Sean Taylor".
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By: Zenobia on 12/05/2007 6:50AM
Hard to believe what I am hearing. Although there are a lot of "ifs" in this case, I hardly see any reason to bring up how hard times are, as a reasoning behind killing someone to get what you want, or even robbery without killing. I could see it if Sean Taylor was alive and the robbers got away with a bunch of "stuff" and no one was hurt or had to leave this world. As it is, nobody won. Neither the robbers or the one who had the misfortune of being robbed.
Everybody lost. Unfortunately, one of those will not be back to tell about it.
There is no "safe" area. Let's quit fooling ourselves.
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By: PJ on 12/05/2007 7:06AM
This has nothing to do with racism. I'm greatful that bail was denied how dare you usethis as a racism issue you dont think Sean wanted to remain with his family? So these men went into this mans home without permission and in a sudden rage the victim was shot and later died. My god throw the book at these individuals they did something they didnt have to do who knows all they vprobaly had to do was ask the victim and he probaly would have given it to them now your upset because bail was denied and here we have a innocent man dead with a 18month old daughter who will never see or know her father. Get a life and hurry up and convict these criminals.Oh and by the way I'm a afdrican american woman.
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By: JAZZ-O on 12/05/2007 7:08AM
Simply tragic. And, the holidays will surely make it worst for his family. Damn.
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By: alexis on 12/05/2007 7:20AM
THEY DONT NEED BAIL AND THE NUMBER 1 PERSON WHO SAID THEY NEED TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES FOR CHRISTMAS IS TRUELY STUPID THESE LOSERS TOOK THIS MAN AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY AWAY FROM HIS DAUGHTER ON HER FIRST CHRISTMAS WHY THE HELL SHOULD THEY GET BAIL THEIR GUILITY LEAVE THEM IN JAIL
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By: archie anderson on 12/05/2007 7:40AM
i tthink its a shame what happened to mr.taylor and i really feel bad for his little princess who will never understand what her dad has done wrong to be taken away.......my prayers to the garcia and taylor family i love yall from the heart and if you need someone to talk to feel free to email me for contact info...once again my prayers to yall..........
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