Superintendent Robert L. Taylor
Illinois Department of Corrections
Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, September 3, 1987

Biographical Info
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: Thursday, September 3, 1987
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Shank
Suspect Info: Death sentence commuted

Superintendent Robert Taylor was assaulted, stabbed and beaten to death by four inmates in the South Cell House of the Pontiac Correctional Center.

Superintendent Taylor was stabbed with a 10-inch shank two times in the chest and four times in the back and suffered several blows to the head with a pipe.

Two inmates were sentenced to death and the other two inmates received life sentences. On January 11, 2003, the outgoing governor granted clemency to all 167 Illinois death row inmates as one of his last acts in office. Both inmates' sentences were commuted to life without parole.

Superintendent Taylor was survived by his wife, son, three daughters, mother, stepfather, four brothers and three sisters.