Alabama executes Michael Shannon Taylor for 1991 double murder in Etowah County
The 19-year-old former sailor was killed by lethal injection for beating Ivan and Lucille Moore to death during a robbery.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Michael Shannon Taylor died at 6:10 p.m. on Thursday at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. A physician pronounced the death row inmate dead after a lethal injection. He was 53 years old at the time of his execution.
Taylor was sentenced to death for the 1991 murders of Ivan and Lucille Moore in Etowah County. The state Attorney General, Steve Marshall, cleared the execution to proceed at 5:47 p.m. that same evening. According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, Taylor had four visitors and one phone call on the day of his execution. He refused all meal trays and declined a final meal request, though he consumed assorted beverages.
Gov. Kay Ivey declined to exercise her clemency powers earlier in the evening. She directed Corrections Commissioner Greg Lovelace to carry out the lawfully imposed death sentence. In a statement, Ivey noted that the Moores had opened their home to Taylor 35 years prior. She described the crime as a repaying of kindness with a beating by a metal bar for money to buy clothing and jewelry.
Ivey stated that Alabama would enforce the law in contrast to other states. She said, "California may let their criminals escape justice, but not Alabama." She added that the state would always enforce the law.
Attorney General Marshall issued a statement following the execution. He described the moment as long overdue for the relatives and loved ones of the Moore couple. Marshall said the jury swiftly found Taylor guilty on all counts and unanimously recommended death. The trial judge accepted that recommendation. He commended his Capital Litigation Division for its dedication to the case.
The legal summary of the case states that Taylor was 19 years old and absent without leave from the U.S. Navy when he committed the crimes. On Nov. 4, 1991, he traveled to Gadsden and asked the Moores for a ride to their home. Ivan Moore was 83 and Lucille Moore was 79. Taylor left a duffel bag outside and asked to use the telephone. He retrieved a barbell from the bag and hid it in his shirt.
While Ivan Moore looked in the refrigerator, Taylor struck him in the head with the barbell. Lucille Moore entered the kitchen and found her husband on the floor. Taylor repeatedly struck her as well. He took the couple's wallet, purse, checkbook, and their 1986 Cadillac. Taylor drove to Birmingham where he cashed several checks totaling $1,500. He used the money for clothing and jewelry purchases over the next five days.
A neighbor found the Moores on Nov. 6, 1991. Ivan Moore had died on the kitchen floor. Lucille Moore was unconscious and died from her injuries on Nov. 10. Both died from severe blunt-force injuries to the head that resulted in fractured skulls. Taylor was arrested outside the Galleria in Hoover while attempting to leave in the stolen Cadillac. He confessed to beating the couple during a robbery. He became eligible for execution in November 2016 after exhausting his direct appeals and post-conviction remedies.
