Former NFL Player Cierre Wood Gets Life Sentence For Forcing 5-Year-Old Girl To Exercise To Death

Wood described La'Rayah Davis as "chunky" and put her through a workout that caused her death

Former NFL running back Cierre Wood, who pleaded guilty to killing a 5-year-old girl, was sentenced to life in prison August 13.

According to The Associated Press, Wood was given prison time for the April 2019 death of his girlfriend’s daughter. Along with the life sentence, Clark County District Court Judge Jacqueline Bluth said Wood, 33, has to serve between 28 months and six years for a charge of child abuse.

The sentences must be served consecutively. Wood is eligible for parole in 10 years.

He pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and felony child abuse, according to court records. The plea agreement he made with prosecutors stipulated that the remaining felony counts of child abuse initially filed were dismissed. He took an Alford plea, which means it’s a formal admission of guilt in criminal court that allows a defendant to still claim innocence.

La’Rayah Davis died on April 9, 2019. The Las Vegas Coroner’s Office said it was due to blunt force injuries.

Newsweek reported that Wood, who described Davis as “chunky,” put her through a workout that caused her death. After he was arrested on April 10, 2019, he reportedly told police officers that he punished her by making her run sprints in the apartment. He also made her do sit-ups and wall squats, allegedly describing the punishment as “learning through fun.”

Davis reportedly could not finish the sit-ups and fell back, hitting her head on the floor. In addition, days before she died, Davis complained of chest pains after Taylor allegedly sat on her chest and stomach as punishment.

Davis’ mother, Amy Taylor, 31, admitted to police that she “popped” her daughter the day she died for bad behavior. She pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and felony child abuse as part of a deal with prosecutors.