SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for the 2023 stabbing death of his ex-wife, less than two weeks after allegedly murdering his current wife in Brooklyn, authorities announced Thursday.
Timothy Taylor, 38, pleaded guilty on July 1 to second-degree murder in the May 28, 2023 killing of Tishawn Folkes-Taylor, his former spouse of more than a decade, at her home on Pleasant Street in Schenectady. At the time of the murder, Taylor had three open charges involving Folkes-Taylor: criminal obstruction of breathing, criminal contempt, and harassment.
Authorities said the murder occurred in the presence of the couple’s two young children and a third child. Following the attack, Taylor fled the home through a window, discarded his clothes en route to downtown Schenectady, and took a taxi to the Albany bus station, leaving the city.
Investigators determined Taylor had traveled from North Carolina to Schenectady the night before and checked into a hotel before committing the homicide.
He was arrested on June 2, 2023, at a bar in Philadelphia by the U.S. Marshals Service and extradited to New York. While in custody, Taylor told detectives he felt remorse after the alleged May 13 murder of his current wife in Brooklyn, but said of his ex-wife, “she…deserved it.”
Taylor also faces an open indictment in Brooklyn for the murder of his current wife, who was fatally stabbed just 15 days before the Schenectady killing.
Investigators used surveillance footage, hotel records, and witness statements to track Taylor’s movements and secure the conviction. Multiple local and state agencies contributed to the case, including the Schenectady Police Department, New York State Police, and the Schenectady County Child Advocacy Center.