Although Cierre Wood's NFL career may have been brief, no one expected his fall from grace to be such a crash landing. In the early 2000s, Wood dominated the field, impressing scouts with his promise in the big leagues. Recruits were tracking his progress, and he had the choice to attend schools known for their successful football programs—USC, UCLA, UC Berkley, and Notre Dame. He decided on the latter but ran into some trouble for violating team rules. Then, Wood jumped into the 2013 NFL Draft, looking for a spot on a coveted team. He went undrafted, but the Houston Texans picked him up as a free agent.
Ten months later, Wood faced disappointment when the Texans released him due to, once again, a violation of team rules. Wood would drift through several teams over the next year and a half, including the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle, and Buffalo Bills. Wood faded from football's main stage after taking a chance with two Canadian teams and hasn't been active since then. Yet, no one expected that in 2019, he and his girlfriend, Amy Taylor, would be arrested for the murder of Taylor's five-year-old daughter, La'Rayah Davis.
This case stunned the sports community, and once it began to circulate, the details turned stomachs. This month, the world learned Wood's fate for his participation in La'Rayah's brutal death: life in prison. Wood reportedly gave an Alford plea and will be eligible for parole after ten years. This case of child abuse has some calling for stricter punishments for both Taylor and Wood, particularly considering the state of little La'Rayah's remains.
What Happened?
On April 9, 2019, La'Rayah Davis underwent an experience that no child should ever encounter. That day, La'Rayah was subjected to several workout drills, many of which mirrored those that Wood faced during his college and professional football days. Reports state that when Wood was arrested the following day, he detailed what occurred. According to the former football player, La'Rayah was an overweight five-year-old; specifically, he was “trying to get her on the right path due to her being chunky.” He also made her do wall squats and sit-ups until she became fatigued. Through this, Wood told police that this was "learning through fun," per Newsweek.
Sadly, La'Rayah couldn't sustain the punishment, and after completing the second set of sit-ups, the little girl fell backward. She then hit her head, stood up, and collapsed. La'Rayah Davis was dead, and authorities scrambled to piece together what had been going on in Wood and Taylor's home. In court, prior texts between Taylor and Wood showed the couple discussing how they didn't want La'Rayah to go to school covered in bruises. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported there were more than 100 bruises on La'Rayah Davis' body.
The Autopsy Detailed A Tragedy
The injuries La'Rayah sustained spelled more than just a workout gone wrong. Her cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and an autopsy revealed much more than a child that hit their head or was over-exerted. Reports state the Las Vegas coroner found that La'Rayah had several contusions on her skull along with 20 fractures to her rib. She also had bruises on her heart and diaphragm. However, it was the "liver laceration" that "was the probable cause" of her death.
Days before she was subjected to her workout punishment, La'Rayah was said to have complained of pains in her chest. Her mother, Amy Taylor, admitted to police that it was most likely caused by Taylor sitting on La'Rayah's stomach and chest as a form of punishment. She also revealed that the day La'Rayah died, Taylor hit her for misbehaving.
La'Rayah Was At The Center Of A Custody Battle
While specifics regarding the relationship between Amy Taylor and La'Rayah's father, Daunan Davis, are scarce, it was shared that the two were engaged in a custody battle. Davis was reportedly seeking full custody of his daughter but instead received a call that no parent ever wants to accept. Us Weekly stated that at the time of La'Rayah's death, Taylor and Davis shared custody, with Davis living in California. “She had so many people that she touched, and she’s only five,” Davis told NBC back in 2019. “Her not to be alive and how much life she had, that’s the tragic thing about it.”
The grieving father also described La'Rayah as a "very smart" kid. He revealed he spoke with her just two days before her death, sharing that his daughter told him she feared Wood would beat her if she said anything wrong. Davis said he felt "robbed" and struggled with blaming himself. “I hate myself for it, but it’s not even my fault," he expressed.
Taylor & Wood's Sentencing
As previously stated, Wood was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after ten years. He pleaded guilty to felony child abuse and second-degree murder. The Guardian also shared that Wood "must also serve between 28 months and six years for the child abuse charge." Meanwhile, Taylor also pleaded guilty to the same charges Wood faced. For the child abuse charge, she received eight to 20 years. However, she also was tacked with life in prison for La'Rayah's murder.
Wood attempted to defend himself during the trial. His lawyer argued that Wood wasn't home when Taylor abused La'Rayah, singling out his girlfriend as the only one who physically harmed the little girl. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Wood told police he was at work when his girlfriend abused her daughter. He also said he provided a better life for Taylor but "kind of did nothing" to protect the girl.
The Judge Doesn't Hold Back
Meanwhile, District Judge Jacqueline Bluth didn't take that as an answer and brought up the text messages between Taylor and Wood. “It’s very hard for me to believe that you just passively stood there while this child was basically being beaten to death,” she said. “You are both guilty, and you better thank Mr. Ericsson for every single second that you got off because if a jury heard these text messages and saw the pictures of that child that I had to see, you would be doing life without the possibility of parole.”
“Your heart absolutely breaks and you think, ‘How can somebody be so cruel?,’” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti.
