Mother Brianna Williams is in jail connected to, but not directly charged, in her daughter's death.
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'It still hurts:' Remembering the disappearance of 5-year-old Taylor Williams one year later
A little after 7 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2019, 5-year-old Taylor Rose Williams was reported missing from home just north of Downtown Jacksonville. Six days later, her body was found in Alabama. One year later, her mother, Brianna Williams, sits in jail connected to, but not directly charged, in Taylor's death.
Williams has pleaded not guilty. Requests for an interview with Williams were declined. Her case has stalled, the pretrial pushed several times, for both sides to review the expansive discovery.
The Public Defender's Office, the State Attorney's Office and Baughman said this isn't abnormal, especially during COVID-19. As Baughman noted, she has never been charged with murder.
"She has already been formally charged with other charges, so there's no real rush to do this. If you're going to do it, from the State's perspective you want to do it right," he said.
Taylor's autopsy, while listed in discovery, hasn't been publicly released. The State said it's still reviewing it. Baughman said you need the cause and manner of death to determine charges directly related to Taylor's death.
"The autopsy may not totally reveal that. That's what the state is dealing with in charging her," he said.
With no trial date set, Williams remains in jail. The site where her daughter's remains were found is now marked with a headstone and a memorial, just down the road from Linden High School where a decade ago, Williams graduated at the top of her class.
First Coast News reached out to family members, friends, Taylor's father and neighbors, some of who we interviewed last year. All declined to comment, except Brianna Williams' father who said about Taylor one year later, "it still hurts. We're just sorry that she's gone."
Williams' next court date is set for Nov. 17.