Ex-NFL player Cierre Wood and girlfriend charged with murdering girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter

Cierre Wood, 28, a former NFL running back who has worked with the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and a few other teams for a blink of an eye was charged with the murder of his girlfriend’s five-year-old daughter.  Wood’s arrest went down on April 10 at the hospital in Las Vegas where the little girl was pronounced dead. 

Wood’s girlfriend, Amy Taylor, 25, was also arrested.  Both she and Wood were charged with first-degree child abuse and neglect – and first-degree murder.  The toddler, Taylor’s daughter, was identified as La-Rayah-Davis, according to My Fox 8.

Police in Las Vegas reported that the child was found unresponsive in her home on the evening of April 9. First responders say the little girl “had bruises on her legs, torso and abdomen when she was examined by doctors after being transported to the hospital,” according to a report from KSNV. On Thursday in court, prosecutors also reported the child as having suffered a large laceration to her liver.

The girl went into cardiac arrest at a Las Vegas apartment before she was pronounced dead at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, reports the Review-Journal. Police were called around 7:30pm Tuesday as personnel noticed signs of abuse. The Clark County coroner’s office hadn’t determined the cause and manner of death as of Thursday, though prosecutors stressed an autopsy showed a large liver laceration. ~ per Newser

The child’s father, Danuan Davis, traveled from his California home to Las Vegas for Wood’s and Taylor’s court hearing.  CBS Sports quoted the distraught dad as saying, “You purposely hurt my kid. I never thought I’d bury my child at five years old.”

“Every time I picked her up the last few months, she was afraid to go home. She kept telling me something was wrong,” he said. “I really wish I could just talk to her again. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen.”

Following his court appearance, Wood was ordered held without bail.  Taylor was issued a $5,000 bond, according to Fox News.

Wood’s football career includes three seasons with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, three games with the Houston Texans and two games with the Buffalo Bills, Fox News reports. While he dressed for two games with the New England patriots, he never actually played. He also had brief stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks, and later the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes. ~ per My Fox 8

For more on this tragic story, see the video below.

~ Written by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter