Former NFL RB Cierre Wood Sentenced to Life for 5-Year-Old’s Death

Cierre Wood, a former professional football player, was sentenced to prison on Tuesday, August 13 2024 for the April 2019 death of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter at his Las Vegas apartment.

Wood, 33, reached a plea deal with prosecutors in April, admitting guilt to second-degree murder and felony child abuse.

Clark County District Court Judge Jacqueline Bluth sentenced Wood to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years for the murder charge.

Additionally, Wood received a sentence of 28 months to six years for the child abuse charge, with both sentences to be served consecutively.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped other felony child abuse charges against Wood. He entered an Alford plea, acknowledging the evidence against him while still maintaining his innocence.

Wood, who played college football at the University of Notre Dame, had brief NFL stints with three teams and later played with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.

Court records reveal that Amy Taylor, the child’s mother, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and felony child abuse as part of a plea deal.

The coroner’s office in Las Vegas reported that La’Rayah Davis, the child, died on April 9, 2019, from blunt force injuries.