Teen gets 11 years in fatal stabbing of friend at Kenosha high school

KENOSHA, Wis. - A defendant who was 15 when he fatally stabbed a friend in a Kenosha high school classroom has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

According to court documents, Timothy Carson had a falling out with Des'Jon Taylor before stabbing him in the chest at Bradford High School in April 2017. Taylor collapsed in a hallway and died two days later at the hospital.

Carson, now 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide and will get credit for the nearly four years that he has spent in jail.

Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Mary Wagner sentenced Carson Thursday to 10 years for reckless homicide and a year for getting into a fight while in jail. Wagner told Carson he not only robbed Taylor of his life, but also damaged the lives of Bradford students and families by destroying their trust in safe schools, the Kenosha News reported.

Before Wagner handed down his sentence, Carson asked Taylor’s family for forgiveness.

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Taylor’s mother, Melodie Hopkins, and his sister, A’tara, had already offered it.

"I’m going to pray for you. I’m going to pray for myself like I always do. I’m going to pray that I can forgive you because I don’t want to be a hateful person," Taylor’s mother said.

Taylor’s sister asked Carson to work to be a better person while he was behind bars, to try to avoid fights, and to do so for both himself and for her brother.