FOOTBALL

Former Notre Dame RB Cierre Wood held for murder trial in child death

KEN RITTER

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — A 28-year-old former University of Notre Dame and pro football player is headed to trial in state court on murder and 19 felony child abuse and neglect charges in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter.

A judge told former NFL and Canadian Football League running back Cierre Wood that testimony from a detective, firefighter and medical examiner convinced her that Wood and the child's mother caused the "ultimate and untimely and horrific death" of La'Rayah Davis.

The girl's 25-year-old mother, Amy Taylor, faces a separate preliminary hearing Aug. 5.

The judge said the child must have suffered, citing numerous external bruises and autopsy findings of 20 broken ribs, internal bleeding and multiple liver, heart and diaphragm injuries.

Wood played at Notre Dame before stints with three NFL teams and the Montreal Alouettes in Canada.

Former NFL player Cierre Wood, left, who along with his girlfriend, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 5-year-old daughter, La'Rayah Patra Nicole Lamont Davis, appears in court with his attorney Thomas Ericsson at the Regional Justice Center on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)