U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Blair Taylor Found Guilty of Murdering Two People
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 20, 2024, BLAIR TAYLOR, a New Orleans resident, was found guilty by a jury of two-counts of causing a death through the use of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(j)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the evidence at trial, TAYLOR killed two individuals on August 10, 2014, in the so-called “Burgundy Massacre.” One of the homicide victims was a sixteen-year-old girl. Five other people were shot and seriously injured, including a 2-year-old child and a 4-year-old child. TAYLOR and two others went to Burgundy Street to retaliate against a narcotics dealer who had stolen drugs from the mother of one of TAYLOR’s co-conspirators. When they arrived, TAYLOR, opened fire on the crowd with a rifle, despite the presence of several young children. One of TAYLOR’s co-conspirators approached the intended target, then shot and killed him.
On February 2, 2017, TAYLOR and an accomplice were found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and five counts of attempted second-degree murder after the jury deliberated and returned an 11-1 verdict of guilty as charged on all counts. However, in 2021, they were granted new trials after the United States Supreme Court found that non-unanimous jury votes were unconstitutional. In October of 2022, the State of Louisiana re-tried TAYLOR and he was found not guilty. He was subsequently released from jail in March 2023.
Following the not guilty verdict in the state, a federal grand jury investigated the homicides, and indicted TAYLOR, for those murders.
As to each count, TAYLOR faces a maximum term of life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for October 3, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich, Unit Chief Attorney Elizabeth Privitera, and Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger, all of the Violent Crime Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated June 28, 2024
Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods