Family of slain Medford woman joins lawmakers to push for passage of Sarah's Law

Nearly a decade ago, Dante Taylor of Mastic was convicted of the brutal rape and murder of Sarah Goode, a young Medford mother, and sentenced to life in prison.

But when Taylor took his own life the following year while his criminal appeal was still pending, the ex-Marine's conviction was automatically vacated due to a centuries-old legal standard that state lawmakers and Goode's family contend must be immediately corrected.

On Friday, state and county lawmakers joined with Goode's three sisters and the victim's teenage daughter at a news conference in Hauppauge to introduce Sarah's Law, which would end New York State's use of the 19th century nationwide legal doctrine known as abatement ab initio.

Preserving 'truth'

"If justice can be undone so easily; if everything the criminal justice system stands for can be erased by an antiquated doctrine — not even a law — then the entire criminal justice system is compromised," said Elizabeth DeMuria, one of Goode's older sisters. "This affects not only our case, but the confidence of all citizens in every case. It also tells the victims' families that the system will protect convicted murderers, rapists, pedophiles and other horrendous criminals over the truth."

Abatement ab initio, a rule in criminal law which negates a conviction if the defendant dies before they can exhaust all appeals, was previously used in Massachusetts to vacate the murder conviction of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

That state's Supreme Judicial Court eventually reinstated the conviction and ended use of the doctrine in Massachusetts. 

State Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue), the bill's lead sponsor, said New York must quickly follow suit and pass Sarah's Law.

"If you look up the record right now to see how Sarah Goode died, you will not see [Taylor's] name," Murray said. "He's 'not guilty.' But he is. He is guilty."

The proposed law would stipulate that if a convicted defendant dies before their appeal can be heard, the appeal — and not the conviction — would be dismissed. The bill would also allow district attorneys to retroactively reinstate criminal convictions, including Taylor's.

"Sarah's Law stands for fairness, finality and respect," said Assemb. Joe DeStefano (R-Medford), the bill's lead sponsor in the Assembly. "It ensures that the truth is preserved and ensures that accountability is not undone after the fact. And it endures that families are not forced to relive the trauma after believing the legal process had finally run its course."

The bill has the support of Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine and his Nassau County counterpart, Bruce Blakeman, both of whom attended the news conference. Blakeman is the likely GOP nominee for governor and his campaign has focused on state laws that he contends are too lenient on criminals.

'It erased Sarah'

Prosecutors said Taylor met Goode, 21, at a party on June 7, 2014, and then met her again later that night closer to her Medford home. After she resisted his advances, prosecutors said Taylor raped Goode, stabbed her more than 40 times and left her body in the woods.

Taylor was convicted in 2016 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. But Taylor died by suicide in prison the following year. He had been serving his sentence at the Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo.

Taylor's attorney, John Lewis, of Farmingdale, declined to comment on the bill or the potential reinstatement of his client's conviction.

"What does it say about our criminal justice system if a technicality can undo an entire process while the truth remains undeniable," said Jennifer Driver, another of Goode's sisters. "This did not just erase a conviction, it erased accountability. It erased justice. It erased Sarah."

Tabitha Miller said her younger sister was preparing to make a lifetime of memories with her then-4-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, who is now almost 16.

But she said her family was re-traumatized — and barely healed wounds needlessly reopened — when Taylor's death allowed his conviction to be vacated.

"New York ripped our hearts," Miller said, "whatever shred was left of it, and buried Sarah deeper in the hole that she's been in since 2014, and silenced victims yet again."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.