Jillian Ludwig’s parents react to decision to move forward in daughter’s murder trial

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - On Tuesday afternoon, a judge decided that the man accused of killing 18-year-old Belmont student Jillian Ludwig is fit to stand trial.

This is the outcome that her parents say they have been hoping and praying for.

“I was just an outpouring of emotion, like the weight of the world is lifted,” Jillian’s mom, Jessica Ludwig, said.

For one month since the competency hearing ended, Jillian Ludwig’s parents have been anxiously waiting.

“It’s just been brutal just waiting and waiting, every day waiting and praying and hoping,” Jessica Ludwig said.

What they’ve been waiting for is a decision on whether or not their daughter’s alleged killer, Shaquille Taylor, was mentally fit to stand trial for her murder.

“It’s been particularly hard because it was so clear to us what the outcome should be,” Jillian’s dad, Matt Ludwig, said.

To understand the gravity of this decision, we have to look back.

Months before Ludwig was killed, Taylor was accused of other violent crimes. At that time, three psychologists found him incompetent, and through a loophole in the law, he was released.

Since then, ‘Jillian’s Law’ was passed and took effect on July 1, 2024. This closed the gap for situations like Taylor’s, so in the future, people cannot be ruled incompetent to stand trial, but not incompetent enough to be involuntarily committed.

But in 2023, Taylor was out of jail. Police say in November, while 18-year-old Ludwig was on a run in an Edgehill park, Taylor shot at a car, and one of his stray bullets hit her in the head.

Ludwig wasn’t found until an hour after the original shots fired call came in. She was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead not long after.

Now Taylor is facing charges that include first-degree murder. In a competency hearing last month, the defense argued that Taylor was still incompetent. An argument Jessica Ludwig disagrees with.

“They have a bias because they were the ones who let him off the hook the last time,” Jessica Ludwig said.

The prosecution and the family were pushing for Taylor to be found competent.

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“They sat with him and really showed his understanding of the crime and the legal process and evidence and all the things that he needed to understand, and it showed that he did understand,” Jessica Ludwig said.

And the judge agreed - he found Taylor competent and ordered the trial to move forward. It’s the answer the Ludwigs have wanted all along.

“We’re thankful to the prosecutors who helped to prove that and to the judge who understood it and saw exactly what we saw, a competent man who should be held accountable,” Jessica Ludwig said.

Although the fight is far from over, today they say they are one step closer to justice for their daughter.

“Nothing’s going to bring her back, but in a way, this ruling might help set a precedent for other rulings to help make changes to a broken system,” Jessica Ludwig said.