Taylor Santiago (Missouri Department of Corrections).
A mother serving a life sentence in Missouri for killing one of her children’s fathers during a multistate shooting spree that resulted in one death and another person injured is now being extradited to Arkansas.
Taylor Santiago, 31, from Aurora, admitted guilt in April to charges of first-degree murder, robbery, unlawful weapon use, and child endangerment related to her ex-husband, Troy Huffman’s death at her home in Missouri. She now faces capital murder and attempted murder charges for allegedly attacking the surviving parent and his new partner, who was killed during the assault at their home in Arkansas.
The killing in Arkansas was part of a prolonged January 23 incident that extended from Missouri to Arkansas. Prosecutors state Santiago murdered Huffman and then used his Mercedes to travel to the neighboring state, shooting her estranged partner, Nathan Green, and his girlfriend, Sophia Williams, in front of the child she shares with Green. Williams died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Court records indicate an extradition hearing for Williams’ death is set for October 30. Arkansas prosecutors claim Santiago “fled from justice in the aforesaid state” and must face charges that include capital murder, attempted murder, aggravated burglary, battery, and child endangerment. A legal complaint was filed against Santiago, currently held at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri, on Tuesday.
Santiago reportedly admitted to shooting her children’s fathers and Williams, with authorities stating she called 911 from the parking lot of the Aurora Police and Fire Facility in Missouri around 2 a.m. Officers promptly detained Santiago and went to her apartment, finding Huffman dead.
While detained, Santiago allegedly confessed to killing Huffman and driving approximately 55 miles to Carroll County, Arkansas, in his Mercedes to shoot Green and Williams at their trailer residence, according to CBS affiliate KCTV in Kansas City, Missouri. She surrendered after returning to Missouri following the double shooting, officials report.
Aurora Police Chief Wes Coatney told Springfield, Missouri, NBC affiliate KYTV that he believed the motive was related to custody issues between Santiago and the two male victims. Coatney said it’s unclear why Santiago drove back to Missouri to turn herself in.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” he told KYTV. “I’m glad she did (turn herself in). I wish she would’ve come to us before she did all of this so we could’ve helped her.”
Santiago told a detective during her police interview that she invited Huffman over to her apartment to see their son before he was killed. Santiago said that when he arrived, she told the child she was going to “take care of the bad guys” and had the youngster cover their ears. Santiago pulled out a .38 revolver and hid it behind her back before walking into a room where Huffman was and killing him, according to the Lawrence County Record.
Santiago lived in an apartment building in Aurora, according to police officials, and her neighbor’s daughter was reportedly home at the time of the shooting attack.
“My daughter was home,” neighbor Karla Rodgers told KYTV. “She did hear some banging on the bathroom walls.”
Santiago’s child endangerment charge stems from Santiago’s daughter being present during the shooting in Arkansas, which left Green critically injured; the child was unharmed.
“At first, she was very nice,” Rodgers said about Santiago. “I don’t know if something happened. I believe she had gotten into drugs.”
Santiago reportedly described herself as a “disgusting, evil murderer” while speaking to police in Missouri. She said she believed that “death or jail forever” would be the only appropriate punishments.
