Washington County Court Trial Will Determine Whether Serial Killer Should Be Released

A Washington County judge will decide during a two-day trial next march whether a 70-year-old serial killer should be released from the Mendota Mental Health Institute.  Alvin Taylor killed four men in the mid-1980s in Wisconsin and Minnesota. One of the victims was from Washington County. Taylor was found not guilty of the crimes because of mental disease or defect and has been in Mendota for 29 years. Washington County Judge Andrew Gonring turned down Taylor’s request for conditional release in October of last year. If Gonring grants Taylor’s release judges in Dunn and Eau Claire County would have to concur.