Freedom sweet, lost time bitter for Taylor

PHOENIX — Louis Taylor cried Wednesday as he described his first hours of freedom after more than 40 years in prison for a hotel fire that killed 29 people.

He went for a long walk in the desert. He went to In-N-Out Burger and got some food and a T-shirt. He cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast.

He struggled to operate what he called an “Apple telephone” and said he was surprised noone listens to 8-tracks anymore.

Taylor was released Tuesday after doubts about his conviction surfaced and he agreed to a deal with prosecutors that set him free. He pleaded no contest to each of the nearly 30 counts of murder against him in an agreement that allowed the judge to sentence him to time served.

While he has consistently maintained his innocence, Taylor said he took the deal because he wanted out now instead of remaining in prison for years more to seek vindi- cation at a new trial.

“I had no choice,” he said at a news conference with his attorneys on Wednesday. “I wasn’t going to give them another minute, another hour, another decade.”

The 1970 blaze at the Pioneer Hotel was one of the deadliest fires in Arizona history as hundreds of people gathered at the exclusive spot in Tucson to celebrate Christmas. When the fire erupted, exits were blocked and fire truck ladders were too short to reach the upper floors. Many guests were trapped in their rooms. Some jumped to their deaths while others burned alive. One of the victims was waiting for his family to arrive for the Christmas holiday. The gifts burned in the room.

Taylor was 16 when he was arrested that night at the hotel, where he says he went to get free drinks and food from various parties.

The now-58-year-old, who is black, was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to life in prison.

At his news conference, Taylor addressed the questions of race that have long loomed over the case. The original fire investigator told The Associated Press this week that he profiled the suspect as “probably a negro,” but insisted his statements had nothing to do with Taylor’s arrest.

“They singled me out,” Taylor said.

“They targeted me. All they said was, ‘The little colored boy, the little negro boy.’”

He cried before continuing.

“I’m not saying it was a racial injustice but certainly it wasn’t fair what they did to me,” Taylor said.