article: A 24-year-old widow from Virginia has been charged with first-degree murder after police say she killed her former father-in-law because she blamed him for introducing her husband to drugs at a young age and driving him to suicide. Amanda Taylor, of Blacksburg, was apprehended in North Carolina last Sunday following a multi-state manhunt sparked by the murder of her former relative by marriage, 59-year-old Charles Taylor, who was discovered stabbed to death at his home near Ellet April 4. Taylor's suspected partner in crime, 32-year-old Sean Ball, was found wounded on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina after the 24-year-old woman allegedly tried to kill him. Widow's rampage: Amanda Taylor (left), 24, has been charged with murder after she allegedly stabbed her former father-in-law Charles Taylor (right), 59, in retaliation for last year's suicide of her husband, Rex (pictured right) 'Accomplice' turned victim: Sean Ball, 32, who is also facing charges in Charles Taylor's death, was seriously wounded when police say Amanda Taylor turned on him as the two were fleeing police . Confession: While out on a lam, Taylor took to Facebook apparently confessing to the deadly stabbing . The young widow, who had an apparent fascination with serial killers and violence, has made multiple confessions on social media before she was ultimately apprehended following a brief police pursuit. Initially, Taylor was charged with second-degree murder, but on Monday the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years to life, reported the local station WDBJ7. The mother of two, who is currently being held in Western Virginia Regional Jail, also faces federal attempted murder, assault and weapons charges in North Carolina for allegedly trying to kill Sean Ball as the two were fleeing police. The 32-year-old man, who remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Charles Taylor. According to friends and family, Amanda Taylor was devastated when her husband, Rex Taylor, hanged himself last August. The 24-year-old reportedly believed that her father-in-law was to blame for Rex's suicide because he was the one who had introduced the young man to drugs at age 15. Blame game: The 24-year-old mother of two reportedly blamed her father-in-law for introducing Rex to drugs at age 15 . Chilling post: The fugitive uploaded a photo of a silver revolved resting in her lap, accompanied by a message suggesting that Taylor was planning to take her own life . Left for dead: Sean Ball (left) was discovered unresponsive on the side of a North Carolina highway after police say Taylor (right) shot him . In her own defense: Sometime before her arrest, Amanda Taylor again took to Instagram to defend her violent actions . Rex Taylor's addiction presumably triggered his depression, which ultimately led to a suicide by hanging last summer. Seven months later, in late March, Amanda voluntarily checked into Saint Albans Hospital following an incident at her husband's gravesite, where her friends feared she was going to take her own life on the day of their shared birthday, reported Roanoke Times. Taylor was supposed to undergo a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation, but to the surprise of her mother and friends, she was unexpectedly released April 1. Three days later, on the night of April 4, investigators say Taylor and her acquaintance, Sean Ball, drove down to Charles Taylor's home in the Ellet area and allegedly stabbed the man to death as he rested on the coach in retaliation for his son's suicide. Dark obsession: According to friends, Rex and Amanda Taylor had a fascination with the macabre and were in correspondence with incarcerated serial killers . The next day, Ms Taylor took to social media while on the run from police confessing to the crime. On her Facebook page, the young widowed mother wrote in a status update Sunday morning: 'I proudly did this for Rex. I love my children but charles killed my husband.' Around the same time, the fugitive uploaded a photo of a silver revolver resting in her lap behind the wheel of her getaway car. The photo was accompanied by a message suggesting that Taylor was planning to take her own life. 'Alright..its about that time. Im going to go find my husband in Hell & finally be at peace,’ she wrote. ‘I love you mom & my beautiful crazies, i know youll give them the life i just couldnt after everything. Mariah ill always love you & those monsters. I cant apoligize cause im finally going to be free.' Amanda Taylor was apprehended by police later that day after a short chase near Asheville, North Carolina. A strip with spikes stretched across the road by officers helped stop her car. Her alleged accomplice, Sean Ball, was discovered at a nearby hospital, where he was taken after being left for dead on the side of the road. Sometime before her arrest, Amanda Taylor again took to Instagram. From her chilling post it becomes apparent that the 24-year-old was under the impression that she had killed Ball, but he survived the attack. 'Everything i did was for the right reasons,’ she stated. ‘I stabbed my father in law to death because he destroyed my husband with drugs ..depression. ‘i wasnt the perfect wife but this was one last good thing i could do for rex i dont care what anyone thinks i loved rex more than the world. This was for you <3 seans dead, but i finally have closure with rex after charlie. ‘If you keep looking for me more will die. Just let me get to the place rex & i always wanted & ill be free without having to kill more. Till we rot rex, till we f***ing rot<3’ Reckoning: Sean Ball faces second-degree murder charges, while Amanda Taylor has been charged with first-degree murder . The widowed mother of two is also facing federal charges in North Carolina in connection to Sean Ball's attempted murder . Taylor also allegedly came clean about the stabbing death to Charles Taylor's ex-wife Melissa in an emotional phone conversation. Mrs Taylor told WDBJ7 that her former daughter-in-law called her just after noon Sunday telling her she had to kill Charles for the things he had done to Rex. According to Melissa Taylor, Amanda discovered letters from her late husband that were meant for her. ‘She said in the note that it said that Charles had done really bad things to Rex,’ Melissa Taylor said. ‘She was crying. She said “Melissa, I had to do this for closure. For you, and me, and for Rex. She said Rex done it ’cause what Charlie put him through.”’ Mariah Roebuck, a close friend of the family, told The Roanoke Times that there have been warning signs that Taylor might turn to violence, but the woman refused offers of help. Ms Roebuck also said that the 24-year-old and her late husband had had an obsession with death and the macabre. The couple reportedly had become pen pals with  serial killer and rapist Paul Runge. Rex Taylor even changed his Facebook user name to ‘Rex Runge’ in honor of his jailed friend and expressed admiration for Dark Knight gunman James Holmes and Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik . Following Taylor's suicide, Runge sent his widow $1,000 from behind bars.
highlights: Amanda Taylor, 24, charged with first-degree murder in stabbing of her former father-in-law Charles Taylor .
  Taylor blamed 59-year-old victim for introducing her late husband, Rex Taylor, to drugs at age 15 .
  Rex Taylor committed suicide by hanging last August, leaving Amanda alone with two children .
  Ms Taylor allegedly committed stabbing with friend Sean Ball, but then turned on him as the two were fleeing police .
  She has confessed to the crimes on Facebook and Instagram .
  Friend Mariah Roebuck said Taylor had checked herself into  hospital in late March but was released three days before her father-in-law's killing .
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