Sisters Of Slain Medford Mom 'Will Not Stop' Until Proposed Legislation Reinstates Conviction

HAUPPAUGE, NY — For the three sisters of Sarah Goode, their lives changed forever on June 7, 2014.

It's the day that the 21-year-old Medford mother of two young children was stabbed to death.

When Goode did not return home, members of the community formed a search party to look for her.

Her body was found stabbed more than 42 times in a wooded area in Medford.

And the trio vowed they would fight for justice for her.

They've never stopped.

Friday morning at the unveiling of proposed legislation in Goode's honor, at a news conference at the Perry Duryea state building, her sister Jennifer Driver, tearfully recounted the experience of her family, including her mother and eight siblings, in the aftermath of the murder, and lauded the move to close the loophole that lawmakers say allowed the criminal conviction of her killer to be vacated when he died.

Dante Taylor, 19, of Mastic, was convicted of murder and attempted rape in connection with the case, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole, but investigators at the time say he hung himself while appealing his conviction.

Because New York law required his conviction be dismissed at the time of his death, no one was left legally convicted of Goode’s murder.

Taylor's mother later filed a lawsuit, charging that he was beaten in prison, and it led him to commit suicide, the New York Daily News reported.

Taylor's defense attorney, John Lewis of Farmingdale, declined to comment.

Driver referred to Taylor as an "evil monster," and spoke of how for the first time since Goode was "taken" from her family, they had "a small measure of peace in his conviction."

"It was a sentence, a permanent record that said this happened, and this mattered," she said. "But instead of facing the consequences of what he did to Sarah, this coward chose to take his own life in prison on Oct. 7, 2017."

In January 2018, the conviction was "erased" as if it never happened; "as if Sarah's life never mattered," she said.

"Sarah's Law" will end the legal doctrine of "abatement ab initio," meaning erased from the beginning in Latin, which allows convictions to be erased without appellate review, even after a jury has delivered a guilty verdict.

Legislation sponsor Sen. Dean Murray said the legislation includes language that will allow District Attorney Ray Tierney's office "to apply, in retrospect, for Sarah, to reinstate [Taylor's] conviction."

"Sarah’s Law," which was introduced last week in Albany, says its passage will ensure lawful convictions remain in effect if a defendant dies before an appeal is resolved, "preserving justice for victims, honoring jury verdicts, and strengthening public confidence in the legal system," according to lawmakers.

The law, which dates back to the early 1900s, was meant to release the family of a person convicted of a tax crime from their debt upon their death, "to make it fair," but it was later applied to other crimes.

The legislation is now working its way through the codes committee, and Murray hopes it will get to the floor for a vote and get to the governor's desk before the end of the legislative session in June.

"We're going to make it so this does not apply in New York," Murray said. "So rather than the conviction being erased, the appeal will be erased. Once they die, the appeal dies, and the ruling stays in place, the judgment, whatever it may be, the guilty verdict, remains in place."

Assemb. Joseph DeStefano, who is sponsoring the bill in the assembly, said the legislation "goes to the heart of justice and accountability."

"When a jury has weighed the evidence and delivered a guilty verdict, that decision should matter," he said. "Allowing that verdict to simply disappear undermines confidence in our judicial system and sends a devastating message to victims and their families."

"The bill is not about punishment," he said. "It's not about relitigating cases and cutting corners. It's about standing with victims and making sure the system works for them, not against them."

"'Sarah's Law' is named in memory of Sarah Goode, and in her name, it affirms a simple principle: when a jury reaches a verdict after a full and fair trial, that truth shall remain on the record," he said. "Justice should not disappear quietly."

The legislation was lauded by Long Island's county executives.

County Executive Ed Romaine said the law is about justice.

"Someone was responsible for murdering Sarah, and that person should be known, and that conviction should stand, so this is very simple," he said.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running for governor, called Goode's murder "one of the most heinous" in the history of Long Island.

"What people don't realize is this beautiful family had to sit through a trial, had to endure all the publicity while they were grieving, go through that process make sure that justice was done, only to have it stolen away by one of our ridiculous laws that protect criminals rather than victims," he said. "We have too many laws like that in the state of New York, so this law will right that injustice."

Murray, who learned of the loophole at a crime victims conference, said not enough is done for crime victims and their surviving families.

"This man was convicted, not just charged," he said. "He went through the whole process, was convicted by a jury of his peers, and found guilty. But it didn't start there. I want everyone to think about the family, because it didn't start at the conviction."

"It started when he decided to take Sarah's life," he said, adding, "That's when the pain started, and it hasn't stopped since.

Goode's sister, Tabitha Miller, pleaded with lawmakers to follow the route of Massachusetts, which faced a similar situation in the death of Aaron Hernandez, who also committed suicide before his appeal. The former Patriot's football player was convicted of murder in 2015, and then it was vacated in 2017 after his death, then reinstated two years later in 2019, CNN reported.

"Massachusetts had a brain — they overturned the abatement and reinstated his convictions," she said. "This is the only logical thing to do in these situations. Think of the victims for once. Think of all the future victims that, unfortunately, will likely come about."

Goode's older sister, Elizabeth Demuria, said that allowing the law to continue as written re-victimizes families who lost loved ones.

"Sarah's voice will be heard even though she's been gone," she said. "This is her legacy. She's going to continue to help people even after she's gone."

She pleaded with lawmakers to pass the bill.

"Do the right thing in Sarah's name," she said. "We've been fighting since June, June 7, 2014, and we will not stop until we get justice."

To see video of the event, click here.