Venjah Hunte will testify in Sean Taylor’s murder

Venjah Hunte, one of the five suspects in the murder of former UM safety Sean Taylor, is set to testify against the other suspects after deciding not to withdraw his guilty plea.

Hunte, 21, was arrested last year in connection to Taylor’s murder.

Hunte, along with Timmy Lee Brown, 18, Eric Rivera,19, Charles Wardlow, 20, and Jason Scott Mitchell, 21, allegedly drove to Taylor’s house in Cutler Bay on Nov. 26, 2007 intending to rob it.

They were surprised to find Taylor and his girlfriend at home. Taylor was shot in the leg and died the next day from blood loss.

Hunte pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and armed burglary after being arrested. In return for his testimony against the four other suspects, he would get 29 years in prison instead of a life sentence.

In a hearing in Miami on Friday, Aug. 7, Hunte was supposed to withdraw from his plea deal but ended up not doing so.

Michael Hornung withdrew from the case citing irreconcilable differences in April. Hunte has since hired Reginald Mathis as his lawyer.

As part of his plea deal he is set to testify against the four remaining suspects, amongst which is Eric Rivera, the alleged gunman.

All remaining suspects have pleaded not guilty. The trial date has been postponed several times, and is currently slated for January.