A man’s phone reveals videos of his crime, cops say. He’s now charged in 2021 Broward murder
.jpg "Two men have been arrested in the 2021 murder of Jonelle Coleman in Pompano Beach.")
It took several months and “a variety of investigative techniques,” but detectives say they have found the two men responsible for fatally shooting a woman in Pompano Beach in 2021.
A key element to helping solve their yearlong case: The Broward Sheriff’s Office says its Digital Forensic Unit recovered videos from one of the men’s cellphone that films the homicide.
Sean Samuels, 30, of Fort Lauderdale and Tavaris Taylor, 41, of Lauderhill are now facing a first degree murder charge. Both men were being held Monday night in Broward’s Main Jail with no bond. They were arrested Friday, records show.
On March 25, 2021, Jonelle Coleman, 39, was found dead on a sidewalk after being shot multiple times in the 700 block of Northwest Eighth Street in Pompano Beach.
It was not clear Monday night what exactly led authorities to Taylor and Samuels nor if they knew the victim.
Both men have a history of run-ins with the law. In 2013, Samuels was arrested on a burglary charge. He was later sentenced to two years in prison and was released in 2016, Florida Department of Corrections records show. Then in 2017, Samuels was arrested again, this time for charges including aggravated battery. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two years of community control and eight years of state probation.
Taylor was arrested in 2018 on charges including burglary and grand theft. He was sentenced to roughly two and a half years in prison. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, he was released in November 2020.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 7:30 AM.
