Dateline NBC: Why did Dante Taylor kill Sarah Goode? Motives explored

Sarah Goode was all of 21 when she was violently r*ped and murdered in 2014. The Medford native was a single mother to a girl who worked as a medical technician. She reportedly went missing after attending a party on June 7, 2014.

Disclaimer: This article has mentions of s*xual violence and crime.

After several thorough searches organized by her family and local cops, Goode’s body was found near Camden Court, Medford, after five days. The autopsy report revealed that Sarah Goode was r*ped brutally and stabbed over 40 times.

The victim and perpetrator reportedly met each other at a party, and Taylor made advances, which she refused. Spurned, Taylor carried out the gory crime, reported Abc7ny.com. The Dateline episode on Sarah Goode will reveal all the details.

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How did Sarah Goode know Dante Taylor?

As per Heavy.com, investigators stated that Sarah Goode left Jocelyn, her 4-year-old daughter, with her brother-in-law Nick Giannetto on June 6, 2014. She then went to a party in New York’s Medford.

The family reported her missing on June 8, 2014. A couple of days later, her abandoned vehicle was found where investigators spotted bloodstains and bloody handprints in the car, the portal added.

Her body was located not even a mile away on June 12, 2014. Post-mortem revealed the brutality of the crime. As per Truecasefiles.com, Dante Taylor (then 19) was arrested a month later, and his cell phone records show that they had been interacting via texts and calls earlier on June 6.

It seems Taylor sent her suggestive messages but she refused to do the same. Cops said, the former Marines became angry and dragged Sarah Goode out to the woods, r*ped her, thrashed her so hard that a metal piece got lodged in her skull, and killed her by stabbing her 40 times, added the portal.

After his arrest in 2014, Taylor was given life without parole on June 16, 2016. The State Supreme Court Judge John Collins, while announcing his verdict, said:

“You may make marks on the cell block on your walls in the cage in which you will live and they will have no significance… You may circle dates on the calendar but they will mean nothing because there is no date for you to get out. There shall be no hope for you.”

In October 2017, he was found dead in his cell. The New York State Department of Corrections said that he passed away at Alden-based Wende Correctional Facility. Taylor reportedly killed himself, but his family didn’t believe it and filed a lawsuit, as per the Dateline episode titled 'Finding Sarah Goode.'

NewsDay reported in 2014 that one Giselle Ruano, who was a neighbor to Goode and Taylor, said that his military background was a common ground for them.

She said:

“Sarah knew Dante from the neighborhood…They had stuff in common… Sarah comes from a big military family and knew a lot about the Marines. Dante had just got back from the Marines. He was angry he had to leave.”

Newsday added that Taylor was in active Marine service from September 23, 2014, before quitting seven months later. The reason for the sudden annulment was not disclosed.

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How is Nick Giannetto related to Sarah Goode?

As mentioned earlier, Nick Giannetto is the brother-in-law of Sarah Goode. When Taylor was sentenced, Giannetto became infamous for spouting expletives at him. He had also actively participated in the searches to find Goode.

Being quite active on Instagram, he frequently posts commemoration updates for Goode. Employed in the home improvement and renovation sector, his last memory of the young girl was how he painted her nails “better than the nail salon.” His most recent post on Goode was on June 13, remembering the sleepless and starving days and nights they had looking for her.

“When you love something that much it finds its way back to you!!!!” is how he concluded the Instagram post. After her death, he has been fathering Goode’s daughter.

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Watch the Dateline episode 'Finding Sarah Goode' on NBC.