The captain of the Bloomfield High School football team is due in court today after being charged with the murder of a 27-year-old man with whom he had allegedly been having a sexual relationship.
Tarence Mitchell, 18, of Bloomfield, has been charged in a killing that took place in the front yard of his home at 24 Hill Farm Road the night of Thursday, Nov. 21.
When he appeared in court last Friday, his lawyer said he is extremely confused and upset.
Police responded to Mitchell's house at 9:13 p.m. on the Thursday night after receiving reports of two men fighting and found two people suffering from stab wounds.
An ambulance transported Ronald Taylor Jr., 27, of Bloomfield, to Saint Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Mitchell first lied to police about the stabbing, claiming two men attacked he and Taylor.
But, then he changed his story during an interview with police and admitted to stabbing Taylor five times, according to court documents.
Mitchell told officers that he and Taylor had had a sexual relationship but that he had tried to distance himself from the man.
Then, three weeks ago, Taylor posted a photo of Mitchell on Facebook, calling him "Bloomfield gay football player," according to court records.
Mitchell told police that Taylor took it down but threatened to post the photo again if Mitchell tried to distance himself again, court documents showed.
Mitchell went on to tell officers that Taylor had threatened him with a sword in the past and would get jealous when he texted girls, according to court documents.
Taylor texted Mitchell on Nov. 21 that he was coming over and that it "wasn't going to end well," Mitchell told investigators.
Mitchell armed himself with a knife and stabbed Taylor after Taylor punched him in the face, he said, according to the court documents.
According to police, Taylor tried to run away, but Mitchell chased him and stabbed him again, including once in the back.
Police set bond initially at $500,000 and Mitchell is being held in police custody.
Mitchell has no arrest history, and his lawyer asked for a lower amount, but the judge set bond at $1 million. Mitchell posted bond Dec. 10.
