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The parents of a slain Belmont University freshman who was shot dead by a Nashville man while jogging in 2023 tore into their daughter’s killer after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Monday.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Jillian Ludwig was jogging in a park close to her university dormitory, when Shaquille Taylor, a self-admitted gang member, fired shots at rival gang members in a car. He missed his intended targets, but struck Ludwig in the head. Ludwig was put on life support and died the next day.
As part of a plea agreement, Taylor was sentenced to 35 years for the murder without the possibility of parole, and three years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Jessica Ludwig, Jillian’s mother, delivered a victim impact statement after Taylor pleaded guilty.
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She began by placing a large photograph of Jillian in a standing frame facing in the direction of Taylor on the witness stand, where she made her statement.
She described her daughter as “extraordinary,” and said Jillian “left a lasting mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her.”
“To me she was more than just my only daughter,” Jessica said. “She was my best friend.”
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Then she ripped into Taylor.
“The man who is being sentenced today is the exact opposite,” she said. “A man with a list of crimes so long it is shocking. A man who hurts people and families, and not only lacks compassion and remorse but one who has been known to even brag about his crimes. A man who proudly goes by the gang nickname ‘the reaper.’ Let that sink in. What does that tell you?”
She later said Taylor “has no regard for human life,” and that it gave her the chills to look at him.
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Matthew Ludwig, Jillian’s father, also delivered a victim impact statement.
“I hope he does not see life outside of prison,” he said, adding that he had some sympathy for Taylor, who he said had a tough upbringing and was “unfortunately destined for a life of crime.”
“But he needs to be in jail,” he said. “For us today, 38 years will have to do.”
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“Imagine reading the autopsy report for your 18-year-old daughter,” he said. “No drugs or alcohol in her system. Perfect weight. Gunshot to the head. There is no worse pain than a father who loses his only daughter to murder.”
Both parents slammed what they viewed as systemic failures in the criminal justice system in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.
Taylor had a lengthy violent criminal record dating back to 2015, including a conviction for assault.
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In 2021, he was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm after allegedly firing a weapon into a vehicle occupied by a woman and her two young children. However, that case was dismissed when Taylor was found incompetent to stand trial.
He was also charged with auto theft in 2023, before he killed Ludwig. He had an active arrest warrant at the time of Ludwig’s November murder.
“In 2023, I trusted Nashville, Tennessee, to keep to keep my daughter safe for four years as she ventured off into the world to succeed, to thrive,” Matthew said. “But in only 83 days, Nashville failed her and us so miserably.”
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Ludwig’s parents influenced state legislation called “Jillian’s Law,” which passed in 2024. It prevents alleged criminals deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial from being released onto the streets without supervision or treatment.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Nashville Public Defender’s office.
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