A Hopkinsville man pleaded guilty to damaging a statue at a local Catholic church.
Marley R. Taylor, 27, admitted to destroying a marble statue of Mary holding baby Jesus at the Catholic church by using an axe to chop off both statues’ heads on January 28 and 29, 2025.
Taylor claimed he intentionally decapitated the statue because he believed people prayed to the statue as an act of worship, according to court documents.
The statue, which was hand-carved from marble and imported from Italy, was a place of reverence for the community.
Taylor pleaded guilty to damage to religious property in a one-count information and faces a penalty of not more than 3 years in prison and payment of not less than $35,935 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky condemned Taylor’s actions, saying, "The violent destruction of religious property due to hatred for another’s faith is both intolerable and un-American."
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division added, "The damage to the statue was a desecration of sacred religious symbols and an attack on the Christian faith."
Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office said, "Mr. Taylor’s actions were a violation of the freedom of all to express religious beliefs afforded under the U.S. Constitution."
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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