In the early morning hours of November 10, 2015, Amanda Blackburn, a 28-year-old pregnant woman, was fatally shot during a home invasion in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her husband, Pastor Davey Blackburn, had left their home for the gym, leaving the door unlocked. While he was away, three men, later identified as Larry Taylor, Jalen Watson, and Diano Gordon, entered the residence as part of a string of burglaries in the area.
Inside the home, the men encountered Amanda and her 15-month-old
son, who was in his crib. While Watson and Gordon left to use Amanda's ATM card, Taylor remained in the house. During this time, he shot Amanda three times, including once in the back of the head. According to court documents, Taylor later told an associate he shot her because she charged at him and he didn't want to be scratched. After shooting her, he reportedly stood over her body and watched her bleed. When her husband returned home, he found his wife unconscious and bleeding on the floor. Amanda Blackburn was taken to the hospital and died the following day, along with her unborn child.
The investigation led police to 18-year-old Larry Taylor, 21-year-old Jalen Watson, and 24-year-old Diano Gordon. All three were arrested and charged in connection with the crime. Jalen Watson and Diano Gordon eventually accepted plea deals for their roles in the burglary and robbery, agreeing to testify against Taylor. In 2017, Watson pleaded guilty and was later sentenced to 29 years in prison, a sentence that was subsequently modified. In 2018, Gordon also pleaded guilty and ultimately received a 30-year sentence, with 25 years to be served in prison.
Larry Taylor, identified as the shooter, faced a more complex legal journey that included two mistrials. The first mistrial was declared after some jurors discovered that Amanda had been pregnant at the time of her death, information the defense had successfully moved to exclude. The second occurred after a juror was found to have lied about prior knowledge of the case. In September 2022, following a bench trial, Taylor was found guilty on multiple counts, including murder. He was subsequently sentenced to 86 years in prison for his crimes. An appeal by Taylor, arguing a violation of his Miranda rights, was later defeated.
