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Three arrested in slaying of Taylor
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MIAMI - Three suspects charged in the shooting death of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor appeared in court by videoconference Saturday, with authorities and two of their lawyers saying that at least some of them have confessed.

Charles Wardlow, Eric Rivera and Venjah Hunte were denied bond in Fort Myers. All are charged with unpremeditated murder in Taylor's death, a killing police said was unplanned and arose out of a burglary at the player's home. A fourth suspect, Jason Mitchell, was arrested but had not yet been charged with any crime and did not appear in court.

Miami-Dade County police Director Robert Parker said the suspects didn't expect Taylor to be home when they broke in early Monday, but the Redskins safety was recuperating from a knee injury and had returned from Washington. When Taylor surprised them, he was shot.

Authorities said they had more than one confession, but Parker would not elaborate.

The four were arrested Friday in southwest Florida, about 100 miles from Miami.

Wilbur Smith, the attorney representing Rivera, said Saturday he expected a speedy resolution.

Smith said while some media reports have pegged his client as the one who pulled the trigger, he had not yet spoken extensively with the suspect to determine if that's true. He said his client was remorseful.

John Evans, the attorney representing Wardlow, said all four suspects most likely will be transported to Miami today.

"My client has not, I don't think, come to terms with what is being alleged," Evans told the AP on Saturday. "He's in a position, dressed in the orange jumpsuit over there in the county jail, thinking about his life and thinking about his future. You can only imagine the things going through his mind now."

The four suspects all have prior arrests, according to Lee County Sheriff's Office records.

Wardlow, 18, was arrested twice for selling marijuana and once for grand theft of a vehicle. Rivera, 17, has been arrested in October for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, and he previously was behind bars for altering the identification number on a firearm.

Hunte, 20, was arrested previously this year on drug and trespassing charges. And Mitchell, 19, has been arrested twice, most recently in October on charges of driving with a suspended license and violation of probation.

Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney, said he had not spoken with the victim's family regarding Friday's arrests, but said he doubted they provided any comfort.

The 24-year-old Pro Bowl player died Tuesday, one day after being shot at his home in an affluent Miami suburb during what officials said appeared to be an attempted burglary.

Police have been investigating a possible link to a Nov. 17 break-in at Taylor's home, during which they said someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.

The Miami Herald reported that Mitchell and Wardlow had connections to Taylor. Mitchell cut Taylor's lawn and did other chores at the house, Mitchell's twin brother, Scottie, told the paper. Taylor's sister, Sasha Johnson, dates Wardlow's older cousin Christopher, and Scottie Mitchell told the paper the couple invited Jason Mitchell to Johnson's birthday party within the past two months.

A public viewing for Taylor is scheduled Sunday in Miami, and the entire Redskins organization plans to fly to Florida to attend Monday's funeral at Pharmed Arena at Florida International University.