http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/sp...hp&oref=slogin
3 Held in Killing of Sean Taylor
By JULIET MACUR
Published: November 30, 2007
The police have detained three men for questioning in death of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, according to two law enforcement officials in Lee County, Fla.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Miami-Dade County police department is in charge of the investigation, and they would not provide further details.
Detective Mario Rachid of the Miami-Dade County Police Department said investigators were “looking for leads” in Lee County, which is 160 miles northwest of Miami.
Taylor, 24, was shot in his home in suburban Miami early Monday morning and died on Tuesday after what the police have said appeared to be a random attempted burglary.
Rachid said he could not confirm that anyone had been detained in connection with the case because the investigation continued.
The Miami Herald reported on its Web site that three men were brought in for questioning in Taylor’s killing. The men, all from the Fort Myers area, include two teenagers — one 17, the other 19 — and a 26-year-old, who were suspected of choosing the home after someone had bragged about Taylor’s wealth, the newspaper reported.
Taylor’s father, Pedro, a police chief in Florida City in Miami-Dade County, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Taylor, who had not played in two weeks because of an injury, had been asleep in his bedroom with his girlfriend and their 18-month-old daughter, when noises in their house awoke them. He grabbed a machete he kept under the bed for protection, while his girlfriend hid beneath the covers with the baby. At least one intruder appeared at the bedroom door, shooting twice. One bullet hit a wall. The other hit Taylor, severing a main artery in his leg, which caused massive bleeding. His girlfriend and daughter were not injured.
Taylor’s funeral has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Florida International University in Miami. Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, has chartered a plane to fly the team, coaches and others in the organization to the service.
The National Football League will hold a moment of silence in Taylor’s honor before each game this weekend, and teams have placed a decal of his No. 21 on helmets. The Redskins players will wear decals and jersey patches.
The tough and talented Taylor went from stardom at the University of Miami to a starting role with the Redskins, who signed him to a seven-year, $18 million contract after selecting him with the fifth over all pick in the 2004 N.F.L. draft.
The beginning of his professional career was chaotic, with tens of thousands of dollars in fines for various infractions, including late hits and uniform violations. In 2006, he was fined for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman. But last season, Taylor played in the Pro Bowl.