A Milwaukee mother was given five years of probation after pleading guilty to a felony in the fatal shooting last summer of her 4-year-old son.
Casandra Taylor, 34, initially was charged with neglecting a child in which the consequence is death, as a party to a crime, and straw purchasing a firearm in connection with the July 10, 2025, death of Ralph Taylor III.
On June 22, Taylor appeared before Circuit Judge David Borowski to plead guilty to harboring or aiding a felon.
Borowski accepted the plea and imposed a sentence totaling five years of incarceration and five years of extended supervision but stayed its execution. He then ordered her to serve five years on probation, online court records show.
What happened to Ralph Taylor III?
Prosecutors argued in court documents that an argument escalated that day between Taylor and the child’s father, Ralph Taylor Jr., in a home they shared on the 9100 block of North 75th Street.
Investigators believe Ralph Taylor Jr. grabbed his 4-year-old son by the arm, took him to the upstairs bedroom and shot him.
A Milwaukee County jury convicted Ralph Taylor Jr. during his trial in March of first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon and of being a felon in possession of firearm in the case.
He is serving a life sentence.
What is the maximum sentence for someone guilty of harboring or aiding a felon?
In Wisconsin, the penalty for harboring or aiding a felon can vary, depending on the severity of the underlying felony committed by the person being aided.
A class-G felony carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mom gets probation in fatal 2025 shooting of Milwaukee boy, 4
Reporting by Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
