Fifth Person Charged In Slaying Of Redskins Star Sean Taylor

Miami, FL (AHN) - A fifth person has been charged in the slaying of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor, according to prosecutors in Miami.

Timothy Brown, 16, of Fort Myers, Florida, has been charged under a sealed warrant with first-degree murder and armed burglary of an occupied dwelling according to Ed Griffith, spokesman for the state attorney's office. On Tuesday, Brown was arrested and booked in Lee County and will likely be transferred to Miami-Dade County to face the charges.

The 24-year-old Taylor was shot on Nov. 27 at his Miami-area home after surprising intruders the night before. The Washington Redskins' safety later died of massive blood loss due to the gun shot wound.

Days after Taylor's death, four persons -- Eric Rivera, Jr., 18; Charles Kendrick Wardlow, 19; Jason Scott Mitchell, 20; and Venjah K. Hunte, 20 -- were arrested and later indicted before a grand jury last year on the same charges as Brown is facing. In Brown's sworn statement, he related that five people, not four, were responsible for the attempted robbery.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have stated that they are not seeking the death penalty in the Sean Taylor case where the alleged gunman, Rivera, was only 17 when the crime occurred. Under Florida law, the death penalty will not be imposed on a juvenile even if his co-defendants are no longer minors.

The murder trial for the four accused is set for August 25.