Missouri teacher charged with hiring hitman to kill student he molested
Deonte Taylor, 36, of St. Louis, Mo., was charged with with trying to hire a hitman to kill his former student and his family.
Deonte Taylor, 36, of St. Louis, Mo., was charged with with trying to hire a hitman to kill his former student and his family.
A St. Louis, Mo., teacher, accused of molesting a 7-year-old student three years ago, was charged last week with trying to hire a hitman to kill the child and his family. His 66-year-old partner was also charged in the incident after the intended hitman foiled the plot by informing the police.
Deonte Taylor, 36, was arrested in November and charged with molesting a male student at Lusher Elementary in 2015, where he worked as a teacher’s assistant.
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He reportedly escorted the child from class and to another room where he engaged the boy in oral sex, according to KSDK. The family of the victim reported the alleged incident to authorities at the time, but Taylor was not charged until last year, the report states.
Since charges were never been filed against him, Taylor was able to pass a background check upon earning his teaching certificate and eventually land a job with the Ferguson-Florissant School District, according to Newsweek.
Currently in jail awaiting trial, Taylor and his boyfriend, Michael Johnson, 66, concocted a plan in February to hire a hitman to kill the now 10-year-old victim and his family in an effort to silence them. The plan appeared to be a go until the intended hitman turned police informant and spilled the tea about the murderous plot, according to the charging document.
Last week, Taylor and Johnson pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a number of charges.
In addition to the charges related to the 2015 child molestation incident, Taylor was also hit with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of attempting to tamper with a victim in a felony prosecution. Johnson faces the same four charges.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to help the victim and his family cover the various expenses they have accumulated in the years since the teacher’s alleged epic violation.
“I am seeking to raise funds for the victim, his mother, and his family who have struggled financially and emotionally since the original incident in 2015.” the page’s description says.
So far, over $1,369 has been raised toward the fundraiser’s goal is $15,000.
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