Man Killed Current Wife, Then Murdered Ex-Wife, Saying She ‘Deserved It,’ Police Say
NEW YORK — A 38-year-old man has admitted to the brutal killing of his ex-wife, less than two weeks after allegedly murdering his current wife. Timothy Taylor pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Tishawn Folkes-Taylor, whom he claimed “deserved it,” according to police statements.
Authorities say Taylor traveled from North Carolina to Schenectady, New York, with the sole purpose of killing Folkes-Taylor. The murder came just 13 days after the fatal stabbing of his current wife in Brooklyn — a crime for which he has been separately indicted and awaits prosecution.
A Calculated Attack Fueled by Animosity
According to the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office, Taylor arrived in Schenectady on May 27, 2023, and checked into the Imperial Hotel, located less than two miles from his ex-wife’s home. Surveillance footage and street cameras later tracked his movements as he wandered the city until the early morning hours of May 28.
Taylor then entered Folkes-Taylor’s home on Pleasant Street, where she lived with their two children. He stabbed her more than 22 times in front of the children before fleeing through a bedroom window. As he walked the streets afterward, he discarded bloody clothing and other items in an attempt to cover his tracks.
Despite the brutal nature of the killing, Taylor did not harm the children. Schenectady District Attorney Robert M. Carney praised Folkes-Taylor’s bravery, noting, “People should know that Tishawn Folkes-Taylor, while facing down her killer and knowing his intent, made sure to protect her children.”
“She Deserved It,” Taylor Allegedly Told Police
After the second murder, Taylor fled to Philadelphia, where he was captured by U.S. Marshals and extradited back to New York. During an interrogation with detectives from the NYPD and Schenectady Police Department, Taylor reportedly confessed to both killings.
“He told the detectives that after he had killed his then-current wife he felt bad, and he knew he had to come to Schenectady to kill his former wife,” the DA’s office said in a statement. “In his words, she, unlike his first victim, deserved it.”
Taylor reportedly harbored deep resentment toward Folkes-Taylor, who had previously filed multiple complaints against him. At the time of her murder, Taylor faced three pending criminal charges involving her, including criminal obstruction of breathing, criminal contempt, and harassment.
Guilty Plea Brings Some Closure
In exchange for his guilty plea, Taylor will be sentenced to 22 years in a New York state correctional facility. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2025, before Judge Matthew J. Sypniewski in Schenectady County Court.
The plea deal does not impact the pending charges in Brooklyn related to the earlier murder of his current wife. Prosecutors there are expected to pursue additional charges, and the DA in Schenectady expressed hope that Taylor “never lives in the world again as a free man.”
A Family Shattered
The murders have left an indelible scar on the victims’ families, especially the children who witnessed their mother’s death. The oldest child, a high school student at the time, played a key role in helping investigators build their case.
District Attorney Carney acknowledged the courage and strength of the surviving children and their extended family, saying, “These children… were instrumental to our office in bringing this case.”
As Taylor awaits sentencing and further prosecution, the community continues to grapple with the horrifying details of a man who, by his own admission, sought to erase the women in his life out of resentment and rage.
