Camden, Tenn.–At a Benton County hearing Thursday morning, Katelyn Taylor pleaded guilty to the premeditated murder of her grandparents earlier this year.
Taylor, age 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder at a hearing before Circuit Court Judge C. Creed McKinley.
Taylor was indicted by the Benton County Grand Jury following the deaths of her grandparents Eugene McDaniel, age 82, and Celeste Holland McDaniel, age 67, both of Camden, on March 3, 2020.
Taylor entered her pleas, which carry a life sentence on each count to run concurrently. She will not be eligible for parole until 2072.
State Prosecutors District Attorney General Matthew F. Stowe and Assistant DA Jennifer Hedge, chief prosecutor for Benton County, presented the case on behalf of the people of the State of Tennessee. The defendant agreed to the deal in order to avoid the death penalty, according to Stowe.
“The thorough work of law enforcement and our office brought forth additional evidence which led to increasing the initial charge of Second-Degree Murder to the classification of First-Degree Murder,” Hedge said.
“Because death penalty cases have endless appeal processes thanks to pro-criminal advocates and some activist judges, this agreement of a guilty plea will spare the family of the victims the trauma of having to re-live this horrible crime ever year or two. The State and defense counsel have decided this plea agreement is the best resolution for all those involved,” Stowe said.
“We thank the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and especially Special Agent Joe Hudgins, Jr., for their dedicated and detailed work on this case,” Stowe said. “Our sincere thanks are also given to the Camden Police Department led by Chief George Smith and the outstanding investigative work by Officers Russ Wood and Alex Latimer also of the Camden Police Department. And finally, together with the family of the victims, we say a special thank you for the support of Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christopher and his staff.”