Defendant in fatal stabbing at Fresno group home gets plea deal, won’t spend life in prison
A 26-year-old man who committed a fatal stabbing at a Fresno group home won’t serve life in prison, after making a plea deal with prosecutors Thursday.
Shawn T. Abrams, 26, of Fresno pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter for the 2016 stabbing death of 57-year-old Kevin Taylor.
The plea also included an enhancement for using a knife and no contest to robbery.
Although Abrams would have faced life in prison if he had been convicted of murder, under the plea deal he won’t serve more than 15 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Dept. 32.
Police said Taylor’s body was found on July 26, 2016 inside a room and board group home for those with a severe mental illness. It was supposed to be Abrams first night there, said prosecutor Tim Galstan.
Galstan said he spoke with the victim’s sisters, who were grateful he kept them updated on the case. “I’ve encouraged both of them to write something and or speak at the sentencing even if they disagree with my offer on the case,” Galstan said.
Stephanie Negin, Abrams’s public defender, said she was pleased with the outcome of the case. “It is a just resolution to a tragic situation involving a youthful defendant who had a traumatizing childhood and suffers from several mental illness,” Negin said.
Abrams escaped arrest for nearly a year, but was found and taken into custody by police in May 2017.
In exchange for pleading no contest, Abrams agreed to withdraw his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Since his arrest in May of 2017, Abrams’ mental health was evaluated several times by doctors. In January 2018, he was sent for treatment at the State Hospital in Atascadero.
Six months later, he was deemed competent to stand trial and the case against him continued. Abrams was scheduled to go to trial later this month, until the plea agreement was reached.
This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
