More than a year after an Alva man accused of murdering a woman was found incompetent to stand trial, he can now head to court.
Dalton Taylor, 35, faces charges of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was found competent to stand trial on April 27. A Nov. 18, 2024, order declared him incompetent to stand trial.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, Shanika Gladney, 31, died July 13 after Taylor shot her.
An arrest affidavit says the location of the shooting, 2960 Third St., in Alva, is Taylor’s registered home.
During the investigation, authorities recovered a .40-caliber firearm containing 14 live rounds from Taylor’s bedroom.
When authorities spoke with Taylor, he could not explain why the firearm and rounds were in his bedroom, where they also found his wallet and ID. Taylor said he knew there were several firearms in the home, but said he did not own any, according to the affidavit.
A forensic examination of the firearm confirmed a link to Taylor, the report said.
Authorities also found Taylor is a convicted felon out of Hendry County.
Taylor, who has remained in custody since his arrest, did not have an upcoming court hearing listed by publication.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Alva man accused of murdering woman now competent for trial
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
