Dateline: Who was Dante Taylor and what do we know about his crimes? Disturbing details of the 2014 murder, explored

Dante Taylor was a former US Marine who was convicted of the 2014 rape and murder of a 21-year-old single mother, Sarah Goode.

According to reports, the case received national attention after Taylor's conviction. However, in 2024, the crime made headlines again after years. Taylor, who hailed from Chicago, committed suicide in prison while serving for his crimes in solitary confinement in 2017. His mother, Darlene McDay, sued the prison officials for putting him in solitary confinement despite his deteriorating mental health.

The case got featured on the popular true crime show, Dateline. The nature of the crime and the investigation that unfolded revealed some crucial details about the case.

On the night of August 14, 2014, Sarah Goode was fatally shot in her apartment in the South Side of Chicago. According to reports, she was killed during a robbery. Read on to know about some disturbing details of the case.

Who was Dante Taylor as per the Dateline episode?

Dante was serving for his crimes and was an inmate at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York. On October 7, 2017, he died by suicide in prison following a violent incident the previous day. He was allegedly beaten up by the correctional officers, leading to severe injuries. His mental health was already deteriorating, with him attempting to commit suicide many times before.

According to reports, his mother has sued the prison officials, alleging violations of constitutional rights and seeking accountability for the events that led to her son's death.

Here is what we know about the crimes of Dante Taylor, as per Dateline?

Dante Taylor, along with a partner, had planned to rob Sarah, but the robbery went haywire, and they ended up killing her. As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that Sarah and Dante shared a close relationship. This added a layer of betrayal to the tragedy.

The case already involved multiple law enforcement agencies, while the investigators pieced together information from several sources, such as the CCTV footage and other testimonies, to build a case against Taylor, as shown on Dateline.

According to reports Sarah was stabbed 40 times and was also raped before getting killed. Later, the DNA and the semen found in Goode's body matched Taylor.

During the trial, the prosecutor's case was strong with evidence against Taylor while also stating the incident as a pre-planned one and not accidental, as the defence argued. The jury convicted Taylor of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 45 years in prison, as shown on Dateline.

Trending

Sarah's family reminisced about her memories sin Dateline, how her laugh was loud and fearless, and that she always used to be up to help others. She was the one someone needed to talk to or cry to about their problems. The case received extensive media coverage, with Dateline airing a special episode titled "The Betrayal of Sarah Goode," which delved into the details of the murder, the investigation, and the trial.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback