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Inset left: Darrell Williams (Al Cannon Detention Center). Inset middle: Quinton Taylor (Al Cannon Detention Center). Inset right: DeAndre Rivers (Allen Funeral Complex). Background: Gullah Avenue in North Charleston, South Carolina (Google Maps).
A man found guilty in a murder-for-hire plot in South Carolina has learned where he will be spending his coming years.
The South Carolina Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office reported on Monday that Quinton Taylor, aged 40, has received a life sentence. A jury in Charleston County found Taylor guilty of murder and using a weapon during a violent crime last Friday.
In early May 2020, it was found that Taylor had been trailing 27-year-old DeAndre Rivers “for days,” having attached a GPS tracker to Rivers’ vehicle. In the early morning of May 6, 2020, Taylor was lying in wait.
When Rivers exited a friend’s house on Gullah Avenue in North Charleston shortly after 4:30 a.m., Taylor fired six shots, according to the solicitor’s office. Officers from the North Charleston Police Department (NCPD) arrived, declaring Rivers deceased.
An investigation revealed Taylor’s involvement. Officers discovered that a black Dodge Ram pickup had been circling the area three hours before and right after the murder. Upon investigating, it was found that Taylor had rented the vehicle from Enterprise, listing his address, phone number, and email, as per the authorities.
Just 12 hours after the crime, police intercepted Taylor in the truck. They reportedly found Taylor’s iPhone, a black T-shirt, and a purple Crown Royal bag containing a black ski mask and $11,300 in cash.
Taylor was detained and eventually charged with murder. Still, the investigation sped forward. In addition to discovering that Taylor had been tracking Rivers’ location with a GPS tracking device, detectives “located a variety of text messages and phone calls on Taylor’s iPhone from nine days before the murder to the hours following the shooting, including a message minutes after the murder with a simple, one word message: ‘Done.'”
Investigators determined that Taylor was hired by an inmate at Evans Correctional Institution to be a hitman. Local outlets, such as CBS affiliate WCSC, reported that 33-year-old Darrell Williams was this inmate, and Al Cannon Detention Center records show Williams has since been charged with accessory before the fact of a felony.
“Through further investigation, NCPD learned that the co-defendant coordinated with a third party to provide payment to Taylor, and cell tower location information confirmed that Taylor and the third party met briefly in West Ashley just hours before Taylor was ultimately detained by police,” the solicitor’s office said.
West Ashley is located just south of North Charleston.
Crime scene investigators are said to have found a “single unfired round” at Taylor’s home that “matched the brand and caliber as the fired shell casings from the crime scene.”
It is unclear why Williams wanted Rivers dead. He was only arrested for the accessory charge late last month and transferred from the state prison to the local jail to face the charge. Williams has an initial appearance in court scheduled for Oct. 17.
Before his latest sentencing, Taylor had previously been convicted of third-degree burglary, the unlawful carrying of a pistol, disturbing schools, and other charges.
Rivers was described in his obituary as being “soft-spoken, but sweet, mannerable, and always known to have a charming smirk on his face.”
“His loyalty was unmatched, and he always made sure that the people he loved were taken care of,” the obit added. “He touched many lives with his presence and to know him was to love him. He enjoyed playing basketball, collecting sneakers, and traveling. He was a devoted son, brother, uncle, friend and soon to be father.”