Former NFL and Canadian Football League running back, Cierre Wood, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years for his role in the tragic death of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter, La’Rayah Davis. The sentencing on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, marks the end of a harrowing case that began with the young girl’s death in April 2019 at Wood’s Las Vegas apartment.
Cierre Wood, once a promising athlete who played for the University of Notre Dame and briefly with multiple NFL teams, including the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to second-degree murder and felony child abuse. As part of his plea deal, Wood entered an Alford plea, which allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while acknowledging that the prosecution has sufficient evidence to convict them.
The horrifying details of La’Rayah Davis’s death emerged during the investigation. Just weeks after she and her mother, Amy Taylor, moved in with Wood, La’Rayah was found lifeless on April 9, 2019. An autopsy revealed that the little girl had endured unimaginable abuse, including 20 newly broken ribs, internal bleeding, a lacerated liver, and bruises to her heart, diaphragm, and connective tissues.
Wood admitted to punishing La’Rayah through intense physical workouts, which he claimed were intended to “get her on the right path due to her being chunky.” On the day of her death, Wood forced La’Rayah to do sit-ups after she struggled to learn her letters and numbers. According to Wood’s account, the child fell backward during the exercise, hitting her head on the floor. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found La’Rayah’s body cold and stiff.
Amy Taylor, La’Rayah’s mother, also faced severe charges. Taylor, 31, pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and felony child abuse as part of her own plea deal. She admitted to police that she had previously sat on her daughter’s chest and stomach as a form of punishment, causing the child to complain of chest pains days before her death. Taylor received a life sentence with the possibility of parole, along with an additional eight to 20 years for the child abuse charges.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to the sheer brutality involved and the tragic loss of a young life. La’Rayah’s father, Danaun Davis, who lived in California, expressed his grief, noting how much joy and life his daughter brought to those around her. “She had so many people that she touched, and she’s only five. Her not to be alive and how much life she had, that’s the tragic thing about it,” he said in an interview shortly after her death.
Wood’s sentence includes life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 10 years for the murder charge. Additionally, he must serve between 28 months and six years consecutively for the felony child abuse charge. This tragic case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of domestic abuse and the devastating consequences it can have on innocent lives.
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