Kinston man sentenced to up to 43 years for setting woman on fire in 2020

A Kinston man has been sentenced to 34 to 43 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a 2020 incident in which he set a woman on fire.

Venice Taylor pleaded guilty Monday, November 9, to attempted first-degree murder and burning personal property. As part of a plea agreement, several additional charges were dismissed, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

The charges stemmed from an incident on February 3, 2020, when Taylor approached 24-year-old Khloe McNeal at her vehicle on East Street in Kinston. Authorities said Taylor threw a flammable liquid on McNeal and set her on fire.

Investigators also reported that Taylor had attempted to set fire to his mother's home approximately one hour before the attack on McNeal.

Following the incident, McNeal was transported to the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill, where she underwent treatment and spent approximately 10 months recovering from her injuries.

Taylor's guilty plea and sentencing come nearly seven years after the attack.