Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison for Multi-State Shooting Spree Involving the Fathers of Her Children

Taylor Santiago, 31, of Aurora, Missouri, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in April to multiple charges, including first-degree murder, robbery, unlawful use of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.

The charges stem from a series of violent attacks that occurred on January 23 and were investigated by the Aurora-Marionville Police Department in Missouri and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas.

According to law enforcement, Santiago admitted to fatally shooting her estranged husband, Troy Huffman, in her Aurora apartment, as well as traveling to Arkansas earlier that day to shoot the other biological father of her children and his girlfriend. The girlfriend was killed, while the man survived but was critically injured.

Authorities reported that at approximately 1:45 a.m. on January 24, Santiago arrived at the Aurora Police and Fire Facility and called from the parking lot, stating that she had killed Huffman. Officers took her into custody and discovered Huffman’s body at the scene she described.

During police interviews, Santiago said she had invited Huffman to her home to see their son. She told the child to cover their ears because she was going to “take care of the bad guys,” then concealed a .38-caliber revolver behind her back before entering the room and fatally shooting Huffman, according to the Lawrence County Record.

She further confessed to earlier traveling to Arkansas, where she shot the other man and a woman who was in a relationship with him. Her daughter was present during that incident, which formed the basis for the endangerment charge. The child was unharmed.

Aurora Police Chief Wes Coatney said that custody disputes appear to have motivated the attacks. “I don’t know why she chose to return and turn herself in,” he said. “I’m glad she did. I wish she had come to us before any of this happened so we could have helped her.”

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Neighbors described Santiago as initially friendly, though one neighbor, Karla Rodgers, reported that her daughter heard disturbing noises during the fatal shooting. Rodgers also claimed Santiago had threatened her in the past and speculated that substance abuse may have contributed to her behavior.

Santiago will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.