Michael Shannon Taylor v. Grantt Culliver

Michael Shannon Taylor, an Alabama inmate sentenced to death for the 1991 murders of Ivan Moore and his wife Lucille Moore, appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254. We granted Mr. Taylor a certificate of appealability as to the following issues:(1) Whether trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance during the investigatory, guilt, and penalty phases of Mr. Taylor’s capital case.(2) Whether the state trial court denied Mr. Taylor due process when it refused to instruct the jury on the lesser-included offense of felony murder.(3)…