A former NFL running back has been sentenced to prison for the death of his girlfriend’s five-year-old daughter in April 2019 at his Las Vegas apartment. Cierre Wood, who also played in the Canadian Football League, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, admitting guilt to second-degree murder and felony child abuse.
The 33-year-old Wood received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after ten years for the murder charge. Judge Jacqueline Bluth also mandated a consecutive sentence of 28 months to six years for the child abuse charge.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped other felony child abuse charges against Wood. He entered an Alford plea, which acknowledges guilt while maintaining the right to assert innocence.
The child’s mother, 31-year-old Amy Taylor, also pleaded guilty to similar charges earlier this year as part of a deal with prosecutors. The coroner’s office reported that La’Rayah Davis died on April 9, 2019, from blunt force injuries, with an autopsy revealing extensive trauma including 20 broken ribs and internal bleeding.
Taylor claimed she disciplined her daughter by sitting on her, while Wood stated that La’Rayah fell while doing sit-ups as part of exercise discipline. He expressed intentions of helping her due to concerns about her weight.
La’Rayah split her time between living with her mother in Las Vegas and her father, Daunan Davis, in California, who expressed sorrow over her untimely death, remarking on the impact she had on those around her despite her young age.
Wood, who played for the University of Notre Dame and had brief NFL tenures with teams like the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills, also had a stint with the Montreal Alouettes in Canada.