His Robbery Spree Concluded Inside A Pastor's Home. When A Pregnant Woman Charged At Him, She Was Shot Dead.
Sep. 29 2022, Published 8:52 a.m. ET
A trio’s robbery spree ended with the murder of a pastor’s pregnant wife. Now, one of the killers faces decades behind bars.
Last month, a judge in Indiana found Larry Jo Taylor Jr. guilty of a dozen counts related to the killing of Amanda Blackburn in 2015. He faces decades in prison and is set to be sentenced at a later date.
Taylor was arrested along with Diano Gordon and Jalen Watson, according to WISH. They were linked to a series of robberies in November 2015. Taylor and Watson were also charged in a rape case and accused in the murder of Rolando Gonzalez-Hernandez, which happened about a week before Blackburn’s murder.
Gordon and Watson previously took plea deals in the case, according to WISH. The rape case is pending.
The 28-year-old Blackburn was pregnant when she was shot three times, according to the Indianapolis Star. Her cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
She was the wife of pastor Davey Blackburn, and the couple recently moved from South Carolina, where they founded Resonate Church. That church was shut down in 2019.
Several residents in the Indianapolis area reported burglaries on Nov. 10, 2015, according to the Star. One woman reported her computer, purse and other items were missing from her apartment. Another person said a host of electronics were missing from her home.
- A woman robbed, killed her husband and left him along the road. A bus load of children found the victim.
- Husband And Wife Offered A Man A Ride Home From The Mall. They Were Found Hours Later Dead, Robbed And Burned.
- She Told A Man To Meet Her To Sell Drugs And Have Sex. She Believed He Was Going To Be Robbed, Not Murdered.
Then, Davey Blackburn called 911 to say he found his wife unconscious after getting home from the gym, according to the Star.
Police tracked surveillance footage and a witness helped identify the suspects, according to the Star. The witness said he was Taylor after the robberies, and he confessed to killing Amanda Blackburn.
The witness said Taylor reported the pregnant woman charged at him and he shot her so he would not be scratched.
"Today I am deciding to love, not hate. Today I am deciding to extend forgiveness, not bitterness. Today I am deciding to hope, not despair. By Jesus' power at work within us, the best is still yet to come,” Davey Blackburn said in 2015 after the arrest, according to the Star.
Prosecutors said they were happy after they got the final conviction in the case, according to WISH.
“We are pleased with today’s verdict and that we are finally able to bring justice for Amanda and her family,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “It has taken a tremendous amount of patience and grace to get to this moment. This case would not have been possible without cooperation from the community and their continued support over the past several years.”
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