BRADENTON, FL. (THECOUNT) — Quazone Elijawun Taylor, 34, of Bradenton, Florida, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Starr Nicole Lashua, 44, of Bradenton, while already jailed on an attempted murder charge involving the stabbing of a 15-year-old boy.
Manatee County homicide detectives obtained a murder warrant for Taylor in connection with Lashua’s death. The warrant was served Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Manatee County Jail, where Taylor was already being held on the attempted murder case.
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Taylor had been in custody since Aug. 24, six days after investigators said the unidentified 15-year-old boy was stabbed multiple times outside a home in the 600 block of 33rd Avenue Drive East in Bradenton.
According to authorities, the teenager suffered stab wounds to his neck and upper body. Taylor was arrested in connection with that incident and remains charged with attempted murder in the stabbing case.
As part of the investigation into the teenager’s stabbing, detectives with the Manatee Homicide Investigation Unit conducted witness interviews and collected forensic evidence. In a Sept. 11 update, investigators said the evidence ultimately connected Taylor to Lashua’s death.
Authorities said Taylor had been hiding at a duplex in the 700 block of 59th Avenue East while wanted in connection with the Aug. 18 stabbing. Investigators have not publicly described the forensic evidence they say links Taylor to the homicide.
Additional details about Lashua’s death have not been released. Authorities have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, where it occurred, or a possible motive.
The new murder charge was filed while Taylor remained in the Manatee County Jail on the attempted murder allegation. His cases are expected to proceed through the Manatee County court system.
Investigators have not announced whether additional arrests or charges are expected. The homicide investigation remains active, and authorities could release further information as the case develops.
The charges against Taylor are allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Bradenton is located in Manatee County on Florida’s Gulf Coast, approximately 50 miles south of Tampa and within the broader Tampa Bay region. The reported investigation involves locations in Bradenton, including the areas of 33rd Avenue Drive East and 59th Avenue East.
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