![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wvih.com\/wp1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/guilty-plea.jpg?resize=125%2C125\")
\nA Hopkinsville man is awaiting his fate after pleading guilty to damaging religious property earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\nA Hopkinsville man is awaiting his fate after pleading guilty to damaging religious property earlier this year.<\/p>\n
According to court documents, on January 28 and 29, 27-year-old Marley R. Taylor of Hopkinsville destroyed a statue of Mary holding baby Jesus located at a Catholic church by using an axe to chop off both statues\u2019 heads. <\/p>\n
Taylor admitted that he intentionally decapitated the statue of Mary and Jesus because he believed people prayed to the statue as an act of worship. The statue had been hand-carved from marble and imported from Italy. <\/p>\n
He pleaded guilty to one count of damage to religious property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Taylor faces a penalty of not more than 3 years in prison and payment of not less than $35,935 in restitution. <\/p>\n
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.<\/p>\n
There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI Bowling Green Satellite Office and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
\nSource: WBKO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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