Accomplice Gets 25 Years to Life in Radio Personality’s Death

The second of the three defendants convicted of killing KPFK radio personality Michael Taylor was sentenced to 25 years to life for his role in the murder.

Jornay Rodriguez, 22, dressed in a blue prison jumpsuit, sat nonchalantly in an almost empty downtown courtroom as Superior Court Judge Andrew Kauffman sentenced him.

The judge told Rodriguez he would be eligible for parole, yet warned him that any parole violation would mean an immediate return to prison and a $5,000 fine.

Prosecutors say Rodriguez was the driver of the vehicle when he helped Shawn Alexander and Andrew Lancaster kidnap Taylor before tying him up and shooting him to death. Police found the body in a Compton lot April 23, 1995.

Rodriguez pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, said Al Deblanc, his attorney.

Taylor, 45, was a controversial radio personality and a fervent activist on behalf of issues such as homelessness. Prosecutors say the three defendants killed him because of a dispute over radio equipment.

Lancaster, the alleged shooter, was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping and the jury recommended the death penalty. He is scheduled to be sentenced today. Alexander was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison.