Aurora woman pleads guilty to first of three shootings
MOUNT VERNON, M0. – In a surprising move today, the Aurora woman accused of gunning down her estranged husband, the father of her child and that man's girlfriend pleaded guilty to the first of those alleged offenses.
Taylor Paige Santiago is to be sentenced June 10, 2025, for the first-degree murder of her husband Troy Huffman.
She pleaded guilty in Lawrence County Circuit Court on April 3 to murder, robbery, unlawful use of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.
Aurora police investigating homicides in Missouri and Arkansas after woman turns herself in
She had earlier waived her right to counsel and her Miranda rights to remain silent.
The range of punishments to which she could be sentenced include life in prison for first-degree murder and one to seven years for each of the other counts.
According to court documents, Santiago arrived at the Aurora Police and Fire facility on Jan. 23 to tell officers she had killed Huffman. When they arrived at the apartment, they found Huffman dead.
Aurora Marionville Police Department Chief Wes Coatney says that Santiago shot Huffman several times with a .38 caliber revolver and that a child was inside the home at the time of the shooting.
Court documents go on to say Santiago also disclosed to police that she had driven to Arkansas earlier and shot two additional people, including the biological father of one of her children, who was also home at the time of the shooting.
Police have also seized the gun they believe Santiago used in the incidents, according to AMPD and there is no ongoing threat to the Aurora or Marionville community.
In Arkansas, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office said deputies located a male and a female victim at a residence. The male was transported to the hospital in serious condition. The female was pronounced dead.
During the post-Miranda interview, Santiago told police she invited Huffman to her residence for the sole reason of killing him and then stealing his car. She admitted to police she drove Huffman's car to Carroll County to kill Huffman's estranged lover and her current lover.
Santiago is not yet charged with the Arkansas shootings. The man who was shot but survived there is identified in court papers as NG. Family members of the woman killed said her name was Sophia Williams.
Ozarks First will report on sentencing in June and will continue to pursue details on the Arkansas shooting when charges are filed in that state.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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