The evidence is circumstantial. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork)-- Sixteen years after a murder that stunned Suffolk County, Thursday was sentencing day for the convicted killer. "How could there not be emotion in the court? Kalila Taylor will get credit for time already served, so she'll be eligible for parole in eight years. We are a small family-owned operation. The incident took place just four days. A Riverhead high school student was taken into police custody Friday after bringing more than a dozen .22 caliber bullets into the school and prompting a security alert that sent the school into lockdown, according to police officials. District Attorney James M. Catterson Jr. said the suspect, Kalila Taylor, 20, was driven to kill by jealousy over a boyfriend the two young women had shared, Carl Brown, who left Miss Taylor for Miss Morning. Is the Riverhead IDA serving the publics interest? In March of this year, she was involved in a fight in a bar in Riverhead, and on April 17, at a party in Riverhead, she fired a gun several times near a crowd of people, he said. Taylor stabbed Morning, who was 17 and Riverhead High School's homecoming queen, over 90 times in a jealous rage over a boy. She faces two counts of second-degree murder -- one count for inflicting fatal wounds and another count for stabbing Miss Morning to death. The survival of local journalism depends on your support. The situation comes. She was motivated, prosecutors said, by a jealous rage over a boy. You have to go back to your classroom and tell your teacher to lock the door. She said that her daughters teacher had no idea what was going on. ", Reflecting on the years her cousin has been imprisoned, Brandon said, "They took her life for something she did not do. Denis, who immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 12 years old, had studied nursing while in high school and at the time of his death, was working at a rehabilitation center for the elderly. The slain teen's former classmate, now 35-year-old Kalila Taylor, said nothing when given the chance. Her daughter's chilling killing captivated a nation. She said that as several parents stood outside the schools front door, one parent slipped by a security guard, got into the school, and exited with her child a few minutes later. Ms. Parsons said she observed students exiting the side of the building without a security guard present while the lockdown was still in place, and asserted that it appeared that anyone could have entered the school at that point. What made Denis more special was that he always did it with a smile and he could always find a way to make you laugh when you needed it, stated the GoFundMe campaign created by the family. Denise Civiletti. The wall holds the names of 89 veterans and fallen soldiers who attended the Riverhead Central School District. In January 1996, authorities said, she stabbed Mr. Brown. UNTIL three weeks ago, Karen and Robert Pace had been eagerly looking forward to the graduation of their son, Robert D. Pace, from Riverhead High School. "There is not murder weapon recovered from the scene. The victim was a 17-year-old homecoming queen.. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Many had tears in their eyes. June 11, 2012 / 6:31 PM Back in 1996, Curtisha Morning, a college-bound nursing student, high school senior and homecoming queen, mysteriously vanished. Anyone can read what you share. Her first conviction, in 1999, was overturned in 2004 by an appellate court, which ruled that the trial judge incorrectly instructed the jury regarding DNA evidence. Officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Calverton Hills condominium complex around 3:55 p.m., police said. The trial is expected to take up to three weeks. The 16 years since her 17-year-old daughter Curtisha Morning was found murdered, stabbed over 90 times and left near Riverhead High School, have been filled with pain, Viola Morning said on Thursday. The woman, Kalila Taylor, 35, was sentenced on Thursday in Suffolk County Court. 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Powers said. A jury found Kalila Taylor guilty three years after it happened, but an appellate court threw out that decision in 2004 because of faulty jury instructions. "Justice has been served, that's all I can say. Building 3, Suite 2 Last June, Harvard College rescinded its admission of Kyle Kashuv, a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 people were killed in a 2018 shooting. What made Denis more special was that he always did it with a smile and he could always find a way to make you laugh when you needed it, stated the GoFundMe campaign created by the family. He told his mother that he had arrived and, then she told him, go to sleep because tomorrow you have to work, Ruano explained. 700 Harrison Ave Riverhead, NY 11901 Telephone: 631.369.6727/23 Grades: 9-12 A Riverhead high school student was taken into police custody Friday after bringing more than a dozen .22 caliber bullets into the school and prompting a security alert that sent the school into lockdown, according to police officials. This is the second conviction for Ms. Taylor in the murder case. Taylor was convicted of stabbing then-classmate Curtisha Morning, 17, more than 90 times in a jealous rage in 1996. Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below First published on August 23, 2012 / 5:16 PM. Kalila Taylor, who was convicted in July for the second time of murdering a Riverhead high school homecoming queen, will be sentenced in Suffolk County criminal court on Thursday. '', A woman who described herself as Miss Taylor's grandmother said on leaving the arraignment: ''We've got God on our side. ''This is a very difficult kind of case to bring home when you don't have actual eyewitnesses who observed the event,'' Mr. Catterson said. "I just want it to be over. "I know my cousin and she is innocent," she said. Catherine Sullivan- Wilson Memorial His father said that the family is in shock and eagerly awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Officers could be seen escorting residents of Hill Rise who lived past a police blockade to their homes. Send us a letter to the editor instead. All Rights Reserved. Kalila Taylor was convicted for a second time last month of stabbing Morning in a fit of jealously in February 1996. See the article in its original context from. "I feel bad for Ms. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Sep 16, 2022, 4:49 pm. But the verdict brought some measure of closure. "There's a hole inside of me. A heavy law enforcement presence remained at the scene Wednesday as the suspect remains at large. By Chris Francescani and Melissa Azofeifa. An aunt of the suspect told McLogan, "I am here for Kalila Taylor's side, and it's in Jesus' name.". The survival of local journalism depends on your support. Riverhead School District Superintendent Augustine Tornatore informed the school district community of the shooting in a call to parents and a letter posted on the district website. The survival of local journalism depends on your support. A confrontation among teenagers in Calverton left a 15-year-old dead Wednesday, according to Suffolk County police. Weve been in school since September. Justice has been served," Patrina Morning said. We are a small family-owned operation. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community. Suffolk County Police said Preston Gamble was involved in an altercation between two groups of teenagers and young adults on Hill Circle in Calverton when a male shot him at 3:55 p.m. Gamble was taken by family to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, where he was pronounced dead, police said. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Kalila Taylor was convicted for a second time last month of stabbing Morning in a fit of jealously inFebruary 1996. The superintendent said counselors will be available Thursday for all students, faculty and staff districtwide and additional support measures will be assessed as needed. The guilty verdict on July 2 was the second time Taylor was convicted of the homicide. Send her an email: juliana@tuprensalocal.com. While you are reminiscing about the times you spent in high school at Riverhead High School, you should also check out alumni photos . ", Her eyes filled with tears, Morning said rehashing the details of her daughter's murder has made the pain fresh, 16 years later. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Police said Preston Gamble was involved in an altercation between two groups of teenagers and young adults on Hill Circle in Calverton when a male shot him at 3:55 p.m. The family is inviting everyone who knew Denis to join them for a service at St. Johns Roman Catholic Church in Riverhead on Monday at 6 p.m.. Denis is survived by his parents and two brothers, ages 8 and 4. The ferocity of the attack that killed a Riverhead High School homecoming queen became quietly clear as the Suffolk chief medical examiner described 94 stab wounds on the victim's body.. One deep . The survival of local journalism depends on your support. We are a small family-owned operation. One of the last people to see a Riverhead High School homecoming queen alive 16 years ago testified Thursday about seeing her in an "animated discussion" with a shorter girl before turning and . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "She took all that she had inside of her and she did it, for me. Two 15-year-old boys were accused of making threats against Riverhead High School in less than 24 hours and a 13-year-old boy made a threat against Westhampton Beach Middle School on Thursday, Riverhead Town and Westhampton Beach Village police said. Prosecutors said Ms. Taylor believed that her boyfriend, the father of her child, had shown a romantic interest in Ms. CBS2's request for an interview . The AP participation rate at Riverheads High School is 18% . On Monday, the classmate convicted of the. A mobile crime scene unit was also called to the scene and officers began flying a drone as the search for a suspect continued. After that, she said, parents were allowed into the building after having their IDs scanned by security. Ruano said that even though he doesnt have a clear understanding of what happened to his son yet, he had never shown heart health issues before. They said DNA tests on various samples were delayed by the demands on the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office and the police crime lab caused by the crash of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 and the need to identify crash victims. At no point were students or faculty in danger, school superintendent Dr. Augustine Tornatore said in a Friday afternoon letter to parents. She had the students go and huddle in a corner together, out of view of the classroom door.. When a second student, 14, turned in a matching bullet that he said was given to him by another 14-year old student, administrators contacted a Riverhead police officer on campus. On Monday, the classmate convicted of the shocking stabbing went on trial for a second time. A scholarship fund at Riverhead High School is being set up in John Dennis Anderson's name, to honor his memory. The woman, Kalila Taylor, 35, was sentenced on Thursday in Suffolk County Court. In August 2021, a scourge of overdoses traced to fentanyl-laced cocaine led to six deaths in Southold Town and Southampton Town police arrested a 25-year-old from Flanders Sunday after he reportedly threatened someone with a box cutter in A former Suffolk County police sergeant who has given trainings at hundreds of schools, businesses and houses of worship Riverhead Town initiated a second attempt to complete its comprehensive plan update Saturday during a workshop at The Suffolk. A publication of Times Review Media Group, 7555 Main Road He declined to say whether the evidence included the knife used in the murder. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Ms. Parsons said she received the first text from her daughter at 1:25 p.m., and received a recorded message from the school alerting parents to the incident at 2:44 p.m. She said she immediately drove to the school after receiving her daughters text, where she met other parents gathered outside the front door who were equally upset and insisting they be let in to retrieve their children. Curtisha Morning's family flew on for the trial from North Carolina. Now the family plans to send his body to the municipality of Morales, in Izabal, Guatemala, where he will be buried. A 15-year-old male student yelled into a classroom, "I'm going to shoot up the school." The student was . In 1996 she had it all -- youth, beauty, smarts. Regan, 48, a husband and father of two, was promoted from assistant principal to principal at Riverhead High School in 2013. Denis was known to everyone as the friend they could call on when anyone needed help. Viola, who has since moved to North Carolina, is back in Riverhead this week for the re-trial of her daughter's alleged murder Kalila Taylor. Let Patch save you time. In 2004, an appellate court overturned her first conviction, ruling the judge in the 1999 trial incorrectly instructed the jury to treat DNA evidence as direct evidence instead of circumstantial evidence. The Chamber of Commerce announced its 2023 Academic Achiever scholarship winners Tuesday, April 25: Abigail Ralston- Riverheads. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) A Long Island woman has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing a high school homecoming queen in 1996. The doctor came and said that he was very sorry, but that his heart had stopped working, that they were treating him, but if nothing happened, they were going to have to disconnect him from all the machines, Ruano said. / CBS New York. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. I know she's innocent.''. Beyrer said. ", Of reliving the agony of her daughter's murder in court, Morning said, "It's really rough.". He wanted to continue studying medicine, since he was a nursing assistant, he wanted to be a nurse practitioner. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- It's been more than 16 years since a Riverhead High School homecoming queen was killed in a frenzied rage. The dispute erupted into gunfire and a teenage boy was killed, he said. Mr. Catterson said jealousy then drove Miss Taylor to stalk Miss Morning as she walked across the playing field to an early-morning nursing class, approach her from behind and repeatedly stab her in the back. Ms. Hagemeyer's contract runs through. 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please enter valid email address to continue. Back in 1996, Viola Morning told CBS 2's McLogan, "They found my baby's body last night. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The survival of local journalism depends on your support. Suffolk. / CBS New York. ''We believe she is an extremely violent and out-of-control young lady,'' Mr. Once DNA tests were completed, the evidence was presented to a grand jury, which indicted Miss Taylor on Monday. It is our hope this second conviction will provide the Morning family with some measure of peace and closure, District Attorney Thomas Spota said. She decided to wake up the rest of the family and thats when they discovered that he was having a seizure, he said. Scholarship awardees are selected based on one-page essay or video presentation, educator or personal references, school and community activities, and overall high school transcripts. Later that same year, she slashed another woman in the face. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Justice for the murder was not swift. A Central Islip woman has been charged with murder for the homicide of an Aquebogue man last March. With many big projects about to seek agency benefits, the answer is critical. The survival of local journalism depends on your support. Rehashing the details of the tragedy have made the pain fresh, Morning said. Around 1:30 in the morning, Deniss grandmother was the first to realize that something was not right with the young man after she heard him struggling and strongly complaining, Ruano said. 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She has two sons. Knowing what the climate [in schools] is nationally, its ridiculous that they havent held a drill all year., In an April 3 statement, Riverhead officials said the district is in compliance with the required drills up to this point in the school year. Though it came 16 years later, Morning's family said it's better than never. The victim, Curtisha Morning, was stabbed more than 90 times in February 1996 near Riverhead High School, on eastern Long Island. My sister's not here, and she's not gonna be back," Patrina Morning said. After the verdict, Morning was filled with gratitude. "I am in emotional turmoil right now," she said Monday evening. The Riverhead community is mourning the sudden death Saturday of a 2022 Riverhead High School graduate who had an apparent cardiac arrest following a seizure, according to his family. Prosecutors said she was stabbed dozens of times in a jealous rage. The shaken community, frantic that a sexual killer was on the loose, was stunned when Curtisha Morning's female classmate, Kalila Taylor, also 17 years old, was arrested and convicted in the vicious violent murder. A Riverhead High School student threatened students and faculty on Wednesday, police say. . It is our hope this second conviction will provide the Morning family with some measure of peace and closure, Spota said. In August 2021, a scourge of overdoses traced to fentanyl-laced cocaine led to six deaths in Southold Town and Southampton Town police arrested a 25-year-old from Flanders Sunday after he reportedly threatened someone with a box cutter in A former Suffolk County police sergeant who has given trainings at hundreds of schools, businesses and houses of worship Riverhead Town initiated a second attempt to complete its comprehensive plan update Saturday during a workshop at The Suffolk. A publication of Times Review Media Group, 7555 Main Road No sales tax increase for clean water initiative: government must find another way, Holidays open the floodgates of family memories, March is an awareness month that hits home. Hours after a Suffolk Countyof killing Curtisha Morning 16 years ago, the weeks preceding the verdict were filled with the pain of having to relive her daughter's horrific last moments. ', Long Island Siblings Saved By Heart Transplants Beat COVID. Courtesy Bell family CNN Two Atlanta-area high-school basketball coaches have been charged with second-degree murder after the heat-related death of a 16-year-old in August 2019,. Upon further investigation, police determined that a family member legally owns a .22 caliber rifle, which was properly secured and never in the possession of the teenager. She was convicted again in July. Her work has been recognized with six journalism awards, including the Simn Bolvar National Award from Colombia. A Riverhead High School student threatened students and faculty on Wednesday, police say. A month before Miss Morning disappeared, the police said, Miss Taylor assaulted Mr. Brown during an argument over Miss Morning, stabbing him in the back. Our thoughts and prayers are with the students family and friends at this time.. "I can't it's just too much, too much right now," said Viola Morning, the mother of the victim. The Riverhead community is mourning the sudden death Saturday of a 2022 Riverhead High School graduate who had an apparent cardiac arrest following a seizure, according to his family. Two separate school shooting threats last year led to the arrests of Riverhead High School students. With many big projects about to seek agency benefits, the answer is critical. We are a small family-owned operation. Hopefully we get another appeal," sister Katisha Taylor said. She took away my 17-year-old baby for nothing. Romantic Rival Is Arrested in 1996 Death of a Teen-Ager, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/11/nyregion/romantic-rival-is-arrested-in-1996-death-of-a-teen-ager.html. Send us a letter to the editor instead. The incident began early Friday afternoon, when an unidentified student found a bullet in a school hallway and brought it to the attention of school administrators. 16 years after Riverhead High School student Curtisha Morning was brutally murdered, families on both sides speak out. I called the emergency room, they came, and quickly started to provide first aid and resuscitation, but everything went so fast, I think he almost died here at home, the distraught father said. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Sixteen years after a murder that stunned Suffolk County, Thursday was sentencing day for the convicted killer. The eyewitness is unreliable and tainted," defense attorney John Loturco said. Speaking to reporters at the scene Wednesday night, Suffolk County Police Det. Close family friend Wendy Alexander said Morning's future was bright; she had excellent grades and was headed to college to study nursing. August 23, 2012 / 5:16 PM The victim was a 17-year-old homecoming queen. Morning and her daughter Trina Morning have been attending the trial. In a call to district families Wednesday, Mr. Tornatore confirmed that Preston was a high school student. After several attempts to save his life, the young man was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for further treatment. "Right now, she's able to rest in peace," said Patrina Morning, the victim's sister. Riverheads High School is ranked 97th within Virginia. Parents and guardians were asked to pick up children who lived in the area from the high school Wednesday afternoon. /. Some were friends of both Miss Morning and Miss Taylor, who has worked at several fast food restaurants since she graduated from Riverhead High in 1995, one year ahead of Miss Morning's class. On Thursday, Feb. 17, Riverhead Police officers responded to Riverhead Middle School at 600 Harrison Ave., to assist with a school investigation into students ingesting a commercially made THC candy the day before while at school. He said her criminal record began in early 1992 when she slashed the arm of a woman in Riverhead. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community. Inside the courthouse, Tyisha Brandon, Taylor's cousin, said her cousin had also been a victim. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including investigative reporting and writer of the year awards from the N.Y. Press Association. Poor, young girl brutally murdered and the saddest part is her family -- they have to relive this again," Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Janet Albertson said. They have no witnesses, and that's because Kalila didn't do it. After 10 minutes they came back and told us that there was nothing to do. Judge Pitts ordered that she be held without bail and return to court on June 30. They moved away unable to cope after their daughter's murder. It is with the deepest sorrow that we inform you this evening that a Riverhead High School student was a victim of an act of violence that occurred in our community. The Riverhead Central School District Board of Education approved new hires last Wednesday for two positions in the office of Pupil Personnel Services. The student who brought the bullets to school told authorities that he found them on a shelf at his brothers business, police said in a press release. Riverhead Central School District buses that were en route to drop students off at the complex were diverted back to the high school campus, according to a message from superintendent Dr. Augustine Tornatore sent to parents. They said Kalila Taylor believed her boyfriend -- the father of her child -- was dating Curtisha Morning and she snapped. It is our hope this second conviction will provide the Morning family with some measure of peace and closure, District Attorney Thomas Spota said. Email Chris Francescani and Melissa Azofeifa, Historic Young Observatory reopens at Riverhead High School, Swastikas found on desks at Shoreham-Wading River High School, Editorial: Fentanyl-related arrests hark back to local horrors, Blotters: Flanders man charged with menacing after threatening someone with a box cutter, At mass shooter survival training at Riverhead theater, expert urges Run, hide, defend strategy, Public weighs in as town resumes completion of Riverhead master plan update. In a call to district families Wednesday, Mr. Tornatore confirmed that Preston was a high school student. RIVERHEAD, NY A " hold-in-place" response at Riverhead High school after bullets were found in the hallway Friday led to terrified students, not sure if there was an active shooter in. As soon as Curtisha M. Morning, a 17-year-old senior, disappeared from Riverhead High School nearly a month ago, her family, friends and schoolmates had been making emotional appeals for help. When the state's highest court overturned the conviction, ruling the judge had given the original jury faulty instructions concerning DNA evidence, a second trial was ordered, CBS 2's McLogan reported. Last month there was a second conviction. We went to see when they began to disconnect him and at that moment we realized that our son had died.. Building 3, Suite 2 Historic Young Observatory reopens at Riverhead High School, Swastikas found on desks at Shoreham-Wading River High School, Editorial: Fentanyl-related arrests hark back to local horrors, Blotters: Flanders man charged with menacing after threatening someone with a box cutter, At mass shooter survival training at Riverhead theater, expert urges Run, hide, defend strategy, Public weighs in as town resumes completion of Riverhead master plan update.