BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A man serving a life sentence for two murders in the McRae area has now been indicted for threatening the judge and prosecutor in his murder trial.
Twenty-six-year-old Taylor Ryan Hill was convicted of shooting three people at a Lori Loop Road home, killing two on New Year’s Eve, 2019.
He subsequently pleaded two years later to possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, armed robbery, attempted murder, and first-degree murder and was sentenced to life.
Since then, the case has been reopened, resulting from the defendant’s claims that he received inadequate counsel and was coerced into the plea.
A judge had scheduled a hearing to hear Hill’s arguments. However, the hearing was delayed because, according to a federal indictment, the defendant sent a letter threatening to kill the prosecutor and judge involved in his case.
Hill’s girlfriend at the time of the crimes told investigators that the shooting was sparked because the victims had been stealing clothing from her and Hill and that she and the defendant were planning on stealing the clothing back and then leaving the residence they shared with the victims.
