Judge declares mistrial in case of pastor's wife's slaying

Associated Press
Updated ·2 min read

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A judge declared a mistrial in the case of a man charged in the fatal 2015 shooting of an Indianapolis pastor’s wife after learning some jurors knew she had been pregnant — a fact defense attorneys had successfully moved to keep from the jury.

Marion County Judge Grant Hawkins declared the mistrial Monday on the first day of Larry Jo Taylor Jr.'s murder trial in Amanda Blackburn's killing.

Hawkins told The Indianapolis Star more than one juror had learned “Ms. Blackburn was pregnant at the time of her death” even though jurors were not supposed to know about her pregnancy.

The court will seat a new jury for a subsequent trial.

Blackburn, 28, was fatally shot in November 2015 in her Indianapolis home during a home invasion. She was 12 weeks pregnant with her second child.

Taylor, 24, is one of three men who was charged in connection with her killing. He faces four counts of murder, three counts of burglary, three counts of theft and a count of robbery. Taylor also is charged with criminal confinement, auto theft and carrying a handgun without a license.

His two co-defendants accepted plea deals on the condition they would cooperate in Taylor’s prosecution.

Investigators have said the suspects saw Davey Blackburn, the woman’s husband, leave their home and then began a burglary.

Co-defendant Jalen E. Watson pleaded guilty in 2017 to one count of robbery and two counts of burglary. He was sentenced in March to 29 years for the robbery charge and 20 combined years for the burglary charges, and ordered to serve the sentences concurrently.

The other co-defendant, Diano Cortez Gordon, pleaded guilty in 2018 to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of burglary. His case is ongoing.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • The stock market can rise another 13% this year even with a dwindling rate-cut outlook, Fundstrat's Tom Lee says

    The S&P 500 could end the year at 5,700 even if the outlook for Fed rate cuts doesn't brighten, Fundstrat's Tom Lee says.

  • Des Moines police identify woman allegedly killed by domestic partner

    Des Moines police identify woman allegedly killed by domestic partner

  • British actress Sophie Rundle expecting ‘baby number two’

    Rundle said she had forgotten who she had and had not told about the pregnancy.

  • Concerns about day care loom large in wake of YMCA closure announcement

    When YMCA officials announced on Tuesday that local operations will cease as of May 15, they made sure to mention that day care is one of the services they are hoping to keep alive. The Sault Ste. Marie YMCA offers 541 licensed day care spots across the city, with 140 of those spots being situated at the organization's recreation centre on 235 McNabb St. But now that this building is up for sale, Danica Boissoneau doesn't know what that means for her 18-month-old daughter, who just got enrolled

  • Lightning celebrate neurodiversity with new sensory room

    Lightning head coach Jon Cooper summed up why he loves it when the playoffs come around. "The emotional investment you get from the players, especially in that first round. What I consider the most exciting round in playoffs in any sport is that first round. It’s emotional chaos," he said after the regular season finale against Toronto. Sometimes that chaos can be a little overwhelming for fans who are sensitive to too much light and booming noise, which are common at every Lightning home game.

  • British BMX Olympians training in US for Paris Games

    Elite athletes from Great Britain's Olympic BMX team are in the U.S. for training ahead of the 2024 Paris Games. Jamie Bestwick's passion for BMX started when he was just 10 years old. Initially, it was a means of getting around his neighborhood, but he quickly realized the sport's potential. Now, decades later, with more than a dozen X-Tams gold medals to his name, he is coaching the British Olympic team. He brought his team to an action sports camp in Woodward, Pennsylvania, near State College.

  • St. Pete leaders launch new program to include residents in decision-making

    The City of St. Petersburg is trying to get residents more involved in decision-making. City leaders have one million dollars available for an Innovative Equity Project. The options to invest in for the Innovative Equity Project Initiative include: roof replacement, youth crime prevention, swim safety, volunteerism, and utility assistance.

  • Jasper and the rest of Canada had warmest winter on record

    If you thought that we just had a pretty mild winter, then you were right. This past winter was the warmest in Canada since record keeping began, said Alysa Pederson, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “We talk about climate change a lot, but a big part of this year and this winter, was [that] we were also in a very strong El Niño,” Pederson said. “That's what we would expect of El Niño. And then, of course, this year was a relatively strong one. We expected it to be warme

  • Jodie Foster was 'always interested' in life away from Hollywood stardom

    Jodie Foster admits she was "always interested" in having a normal life after finding fame as a child and going on to an Oscar-winning career as an adult.

  • Paris Hilton: 'Motherhood means more to me than fame and fortune ever could!'

    Paris Hilton had always dreamed of having a little girl called London as she admits that motherhood means more to her than fame and fortune ever could.

  • Strange celestial phenomenon: Atmosphere turns half white

    Residents of the Philippine island of Mindanao filmed a strange sight at the end of March. One half of the sky appeared white, the other blue. There was an optical phenomenon behind the two-tone appearance.

  • Michael Douglas reveals what he and Catherine Zeta-Jones do on Fridays: 'She makes me look good!'

    Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones spend their Friday nights dancing together although he finds it a bit "intimidating" because she is such an accomplished mover.

  • Louis Gossett Jr.'s cause of death revealed

    Louis Gossett Jr.'s official cause of death has been revealed just days after it had been announced that he had passed away at the age of 87.

  • Olympic torch makes Acropolis overnight stop a week before handover to Paris organizers

    ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The flame that will burn at the Olympics is spending the night at the ancient Acropolis in Athens, a week before its handover to Paris 2024 organizers. During a lull in heavy rain late Friday, a torchbearer lit a cauldron in front of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, on the citadel that dominates the Athens skyline and is Greece’s top tourist draw. The flame will stay there until Saturday morning, when the champagne-colored torch travels to Delphi, an important ancient G

  • Volunteer Fair to be held in Gananoque

    As a way to help connect a variety of community groups in the area, as well as to put the word out for the need for volunteerism, Gananoque Deputy Mayor Vicki Leakey has helped create another volunteer fair. This year’s Volunteer Fair will be held April 23 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gananoque Curling Club. “Many retirees as well as newcomers to our community have asked me about what groups are active in town,” said Leakey. “In my mind, it appears volunteering is mostly about socialization, par

  • Massachusetts transportation officials float idea of tolls at border

    The secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said a task force working to find more funding options is in its early stages, but it's looking into the idea of putting in tolls at the border.

  • Winning culture, new arena keys to player retention in Calgary, say Flames

    CALGARY — Winning more games and the construction of a new arena will convince more NHL players that Calgary is a desirable place to play, some Flames said as they headed for the exits Friday. Calgary finished 17 points out of the playoffs with a 38-39-5 record, and missed the post-season a second straight year. The Flames have won two playoff series in the last 20 years. A 2-6-1 start to 2023-24 combined with trades of big-name pending free agents unwilling to sign contract extensions impeded t

  • Jeremy Hunt weighing stamp duty cut before election – reports

    The Government is thought to be planning one more ‘fiscal event’ before the election.

  • Scottish Greens to hold vote on future of powersharing agreement at Holyrood

    The party will hold an extraordinary general meeting, after the Scottish Government ditched a climate change target.

  • UPDATE 1-Tenet Healthcare, union coalition reach tentative deal

    A union coalition for Tenet Healthcare's workers reached a tentative labor deal with the hospital system that included across-the-board raises of 14% over three years for full and part-time workers, the union said on Friday. Labor unions across the United States have grown bolder in their demands in the last two years, pressing for higher wages and better benefits to combat a loss of spending power caused by inflation and the healthcare sector has emerged at the forefront of that trend. This is the second major agreement in the healthcare sector after Kaiser Permanente's healthcare workers in November voted to ratify a new contract with the hospital chain.