10/20/2021
Justice for Gaige Taylor
We have reached out to the News stations to get coverage on our story. We have received 20 read receipts but no response. Please help make people aware of our story, what our family has gone through in the last 5 years. Please share, if possible, please come down to the courthouse November 2nd. We will be standing with signs. We will demand Gaige’s voice be heard because the DA’s office has not. Ashley Rich looked us in the eyes and told us that our family would have justice, but I have not seen nor heard word from her since. She would not answer our families calls. Ashley, I am sorry, but this is not justice. Our District Attorney’s office seems to be in a place where it barters with criminals. Sadly, our family does not stand alone there are many victims who do not get the justice they deserve. No wonder our crime rates soar, every time you turn on the news it seems another life has been senselessly taken. The DA’s office is not doing our community any favors, we are dealing with human lives here, by allowing murderers to go back into our community with a slap on the risk, we are jeopardizing the safety of our children.
This is our story
On February 24, 2017, our family changed forever. I vividly remember walking up to the Hospital; my cousin was leaned up against a wall crying. We made it around to the front of the ER to see the rest of my family in tears; It was obvious. Gaige was gone long before he made it to the hospital. There was a second stab victim, another boy from Theodore High, he was a friend of a friend to Gaige. I remember what the dad said as he walked by us. " We are lucky. We could have easily been that family." That young man was lucky. He was able to walk away with his family with only one stab wound. Gaige had multiple stab wounds; he was gutted. One of his wounds had severed a main artery, as his heartbeat, his body was drained of its blood, he was unconscious within seconds, a few seconds later he had died. Gaige never had a chance, nor has he had anyone to uphold the law for him since. It was a long night for my family one that haunts us to this day.
Gaige did not deserve to die. Gaige had a big heart. He loved his family and friends. He had a contagious laugh and enjoyed making others laugh. Everyone who knew Gaige knows he was able to leave a soft spot in anyone's heart. He had his whole life ahead of him and it was taken in a flash, because of a heinous act that was consciously committed against him. Gaige was involved in one fight he believed he was doing what was right. He had no weapons, and it was witnessed at some point that he was fighting off multiple young men alone. The young men he was fighting had been terrorizing other kids. The weekend before Gaige’s death his cousin had been jumped on during an altercation and sent to the hospital with a concussion. The day that Gaige was killed the defendants were involved in multiple fights. They prowled the streets looking for victims to jump. They harassed a young man playing basketball alone at a local church. There is video of them just hours before Gaige’s death going to a young man’s home and calling him out to fight. One day as our family was discussing Gaige’s case at lunch, we were approached by a man, he introduced himself as the uncle of the young man whose home they had went to and demanded for him to come out and fight. He said, he believed his nephew could have lost his life that day, if it was not for a neighbor who chased the perpetrators away with a shot gun. Please pray for our family, pray for justice to be served and pray for all the other victims who are relying on a broken system for Justice. November 2nd will be a big day for us if it is not postponed again. We will be at the Court House seeking Justice for Gaige, for our family, and for the community. We have waited long enough. We will see if the DA's office will try and push Gaige's death under a rug or if they will fight for the Justice Gaige deserves
Court date after court date passes, as we wait for Justice to be served, it feels like we are the ones in a prison. Both the accused young men have been able to move on with their lives while we wait. Every court date is a reminder this is not over. The most rememberable day in court, the Judge request to watch the video evidence, to determine if they would be tried as adults. Apparently, the Judge saw enough to have them both trialed as adults. It was good news, but this victory would be short lived. Four years after Gaige’s death the DA’s office cuts a plea deal Billy refuses the offer. Now once again we are left wait for another court date.
Since the last plea deal was denied, the DA feels it is acceptable to offer something better. We were informed Billy Southammavong was offered a 14.5-year sentence but would only serve 2.5-years, after his release, he will be on probation for 5 years. The DA tries to assure us by informing us that if he commits any other offences in this 5-year probationary time he will return to serve the remainder of his sentence. I should take comfort in knowing that if this young man murders or hurts someone again; this time he will do substantial jail time? That is not assurance for our family, this is exactly why we have such a problem with repeat offenders. When murder is involved why do we allow this to happen? November 2, 2021, our family will find out if Billy accepts the plea deal. There is substantial evidence in this case, Billy has shown no remorse or interest in taking responsibility. This is a joke. This is unacceptable. How is it okay for a murderer to serve a shorter sentence than the one our family has waited to see someone held accountable.
