- Home
- >>Crime
- >>Courts
Courts
Ex-NFL player sentenced for death of girlfriend's daughter, 5
Former NFL player Cierre Wood, who along with his girlfriend, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter, La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis, is escorted out of the courtroom after his sentencing at the Regional Justice Center, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Former NFL player Cierre Wood, who along with his girlfriend, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter, La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis, leaves the courtroom after his sentencing at the Regional Justice Center, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Former NFL player Cierre Wood, who along with his girlfriend, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter, La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis, leaves the courtroom after his sentencing, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Danaun Davis shows a picture of his daughter La'Rayah, 5, at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on April 11, 2019. The mother of Davis' daughter, Amy Taylor, and her boyfriend, ex-NFL player Cierre Wood, were jailed on murder and child abuse charges in the death of La'Rayah. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco
An undated photo of La-Rayah Davis, 5, and her father, Danaun Davis. La-Rayah died after she was taken to a Las Vegas hospital in cardiac arrest on April 9, 2019. (GoFundMe)
Danaun Davis, the father of La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis, weeps as he delivers his victim impact statement during the sentencing of former NFL player Cierre Wood, second right, at the Regional Justice Center, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. Wood, who along with his girlfriend, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
Former NFL player Cierre Wood, who along with his girlfriend, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter, La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis, addresses the court during his sentencing at the Regional Justice Center, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye
More Stories
ByNoble Brigham/Las Vegas Review-Journal
August 13, 2024 - 1:35 pm
Updated August 13, 2024 - 5:49 pm
A former NFL player was sentenced Tuesday to between 10 years and life in prison for the death of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter.
Cierre Wood, 33, made a plea deal in April that specified he would plead guilty to a charge of second-degree murder and a charge of child abuse, neglect or endangerment. He entered what is known as an Alford plea, meaning he only admitted that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.
La’Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis died in April 2019. She had at least 100 bruises on her body, 20 broken ribs, a lacerated liver and contusions on other vital organs, authorities said.
“Your heart absolutely breaks and you think, ‘how can somebody be so cruel?,’” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti at the sentencing hearing.
District Judge Jacqueline Bluth sentenced Wood to life with the possibility of parole after 10 years with a consecutive sentence of 28 to 72 months for the child abuse or neglect charge. She also ordered him to pay for funeral expenses.
That was the prison sentence Rinetti had requested.
Thomas Ericsson, Wood’s lawyer, argued that his client did not inflict the injuries that led to La’Rayah’s death but should have protected the child more. He blamed Amy Taylor, La’Rayah’s mother, for sitting on the girl’s chest and holding her down. Wood was at work at the time and didn’t know she had done that, he said.
Wood tried to provide La’Rayah and her mother with stability and has no prior criminal record, Ericsson said.
Wood was previously a running back for Notre Dame and a practice squad player on several NFL teams. His teams included the Houston Texas, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills.
Taylor also entered a guilty plea in April, admitting to charges of second-degree murder and child abuse, neglect or endangerment resulting in substantial bodily harm. On July 30, Bluth sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years for the murder charge and eight to 20 years on the abuse charge.
Bluth said Taylor blamed Wood for everything and claimed he was abusive towards her and her daughter. Then Wood claimed Taylor abused La’Rayah and he “kind of did nothing.” She said it was hard to grasp that he did nothing when his family stressed his strong personality and willingness to fight for what he stands for in letters.
“It’s very hard for me to believe that you just passively stood there while this child was basically being beaten to death,” she said. The judge read from texts between Taylor and Wood referring to La’Rayah with profanity and talking about not wanting her to go to school with bruises.
In his statement to the court, Wood said he takes responsibility. He said his language in text messages was unacceptable, but that he didn’t mean what he said literally.
“You are both guilty,” Bluth said. “And you better thank Mr. Ericsson for every single second that you got off because if a jury heard these text messages and saw the pictures of that child that I had to see, you would be doing life without the possibility of parole.”
Danaun Davis, La’Rayah’s father, gave a tearful victim impact statement.
“She was just a kid,” he said, and was very smart. The last time they spoke, she said Wood told her he’d beat her if she said anything. Two days later, he got a call that she was gone. It was a loss that he said left him feeling “robbed.”
“I hate myself for it, but it’s not even my fault,” he said.
Bluth addressed his feelings of guilt. “You have to find it in you to let it go,” she said, adding, “You know your daughter would not want that.”
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.
MOST READ
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'READ MORE'; html += 'LIVE WELL'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'STORIES LIKE THIS'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('livewell').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-sponsored-full').length>0) { return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-telles-murder-trial')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Robert Telles On Trial: Full Coverage'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('telles_murder').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-jeff-german-murder') || $('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-remembering-jeff-german')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('jeff_german').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-what-are-they-hiding')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?'; html += 'Exposing officials and agencies keeping public records from the public.'; html += 'CLICK HERE TO READ MORE'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('2023-year-in-review').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-2023-year-in-review')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '2023 YEAR IN REVIEW'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('2023-year-in-review').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-msg-sphere')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('tag-msg-sphere').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-911-anniversary')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'REMEMBERING 9/11: 20 YEARS LATER'; html += 'Looking back at the 2001 terror attacks and how they affected Las Vegas and the world.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('anniversary-911').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-class-of-2021')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'MEET THE UNFORGETTABLE CLASS'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '2021'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('class-2021').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-2022-election')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'ELECTION 2022'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'ELECTION RESULTS'; html += 'Click here'; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('election-2022').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-harry-reid-1939-2021')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Harry Reid(1939-2021)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Senate leader and Nevada political titan'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('harry-reid').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-henry-ruggs')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'HENRY RUGGSDEADLY CRASH'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'CLICK FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('henry-ruggs').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('category-homicides')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'HOMICIDE'; html += 'A STORY BEHIND EVERY NAME'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'TRACKER'; html += 'CLICK HERE FOR MORE'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('homicides').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-sheldon-adelson')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Sheldon Adelson(1933-2021)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Las Vegas visionary and Philanthropist.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('sheldon-adelson').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-tony-hsieh')) { html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += ''; html += 'Tony Hsieh(1973-2020)'; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += ''; html += 'Ex-Zappos and Downtown Project CEO left a lasting impression on Las Vegas.'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('tony-hsieh').html(html); return; } if ($('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-vegas-weekend')) { //vegas-reawakening html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'VEGAS REAWAKENING'; html += 'A year after the pandemic began, the first weekend of spring showed a perfect storm of promise for Las Vegas’ recovery and brought optimism that visitors would indeed return to the city'; html += 'Read more'; html += ''; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').addClass('vegas-reawakening').html(html); return; } //add newsletters embed var default_category_to_show = ['News', 'Local', 'Life', 'Crime']; var newsletter_1st_lv = []; newsletter_1st_lv['default'] = {'id':'starting_point,pm_update', 'track_name':'StartingPoint', 'title':'LOCAL NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free daily Morning and Afternoon Update newsletters.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Sports'] = {'id':'sports', 'track_name':'Sports', 'title':'SPORTS NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free daily Sports Update newsletter.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Business'] = {'id':'business', 'track_name':'Business', 'title':'BUSINESS NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free Business Update newsletter.'}; newsletter_1st_lv['Entertainment'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'entertainment', 'track_name':'Entertainment', 'title':'WANT THE LATEST ON LAS VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for free entertainment email alerts'}; //newsletter_1st_lv['Nevada Preps'] = {'id':'nevada_preps', 'title':'HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Stay up to date with our free Nevada Preps newsletter.'}; //newsletter_1st_lv['Investigations'] = {'id':'rj_investigates', 'title':'INVESTIGATIVE NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free RJ Investigates newsletter.'}; var cat_has_subcat = ['News','Business','Entertainment','Sports', 'Opinion']; var newsletter_2nd_lv = []; newsletter_2nd_lv['Politics and Government'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'political', 'track_name':'Political', 'title':'LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL POLITICS COVERAGE', 'subtitle':'
Sign up for our free RJ politics email alerts.
'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['Politics and Government'] = {'id':'political', 'title':'ELECTION 2020: BE INFORMED', 'subtitle':'
FULL COVERAGE | ELECTION RESULTS
Sign up for our free RJ Politics newsletter.
'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['Debra J. Saunders'] = {'id':'44', 'title':'YOUR WEEKLY POLITICAL FIX', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free DC-LV newsletter with political stories from the swamp to the Strip.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['CES 2021'] = {'id':'ces', 'title':'CES 2021: STAY IN THE KNOW', 'subtitle':'
The Review-Journal is a media partner with the CTA. Click here for full coverage and live video from CES 2021
Sign up for our free newsletter below.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['TV'] = {'id':'tv_briefing', 'title':'GET YOUR TV LISTINGS', 'subtitle':'Your Weekly TV Briefing.'}; //newsletter_2nd_lv['UNLV'] = {'id':'unlv_rebel_news', 'title':'UNLV SPORTS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Stay up to date on the Rebels with our free newsletter.'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Rodeo'] = {'id':'rodeo_nfr', 'track_name':'RodeoNFR', 'title':'RODEO NEWS YOUR WAY', 'subtitle':'Don\'t miss any of the action! Click here for full NFR coverage or Sign up for our free newsletter below'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Raiders News'] = {'id':'vegasnation', 'track_name':'VegasNation', 'title':'WANT EVEN MORE RAIDERS NEWS?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for our free Vegas Nation newsletter.'}; newsletter_2nd_lv['Golden Knights'] = {'id':'','alert_id':'golden_knights', 'track_name':'GoldenKnights', 'title':'WANT MORE KNIGHTS IN YOUR DAY?', 'subtitle':'Sign up for free Golden Knights email alerts for all the latest updates'}; var main_cat = ''; var m_hierarchy = []; var m_cat = []; var m_hl_cat = ''; if (window.dataLayer[0].metrics) { main_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.section; //National Finals Rodeo m_hierarchy = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.hierarchy.split(' | '); //"Sports | Rodeo | National Finals Rodeo" m_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.categories; //["National Finals Rodeo","Rodeo","Sports"] m_hl_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics['hl-category']; //Sports } var i, k, found, newsletter; newsletter = false; found = false; if (default_category_to_show.includes(m_hl_cat)) { newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv['default']; } if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hl_cat)) { newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hl_cat]; } // check main category if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(main_cat)) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[main_cat]; } if (!found) { // check in hierarchy (main category hierarchy) i = m_hierarchy.length; while (!found && i >= 0) { i--; if (i > 0) { if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_hierarchy[i]]; } } else { // i=0, check first level if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hierarchy[i]]; } } } } if (!found) { // check in category i = m_cat.length; while (!found && i > 0 && cat_has_subcat.includes(m_hl_cat)) { i--; if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_cat[i])) { found = true; newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_cat[i]]; } } } if (newsletter !== false && !$('.rj-story-full').hasClass('tag-hide-newsletter') && !$('.rj-story-full').hasClass(' rj-story-sponsored-full')) { var alert_id = ''; if (newsletter.alert_id) { alert_id = newsletter.alert_id; } html = ''; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'+newsletter.title+'
'; html += '
'+newsletter.subtitle+'
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'By signing up you agree to our Privacy Policy and '; html += 'Terms of Service. Unsubscribe at any time.'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += 'This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.'; html += '
'; html += '
'; html += '
'; $('.nlsm-small').html(html); } //});})(jQuery);
