Judge Orders Mental Evaluation for Deadly Shooting Suspect
DOWNTOWN JACKSON — A mental evaluation is ordered for a man charged in a deadly shooting and attempted armed robbery. Craig Taylor appeared in court on Thursday morning with new representation, who requested the 21-year-old undergo mental evaluation. Taylor was arrested in April after a 17-month investigation, and is now charged with felony murder and attempted armed robbery. On Nov. 15, 2012, police say Taylor approached Devon Staten’s girlfriend outside of her home with a gun. When she screamed, Staten, 24, came outside and exchanged gunfire with Taylor. Staten was transported to Jackson-Madison General Hospital where he later died from a gunshot wound. After the shooting, officers found the suspect’s camouflage mask near the crime scene. Investigators sent the mask to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for DNA analysis where the DNA was positively matched to Taylor. The mental evaluation is expected to take two or three weeks.
