Authorities charged two men with murder on Monday in the fatal shooting of a pastor’s pregnant wife during a home invasion of the couple’s Indianapolis home.
Amanda Blackburn, 28, was found partially nude and with her shirt pulled up, lying in a pool of blood on her living room floor. She died a day after the Nov. 10 attack. Her husband, Pastor Davey Blackburn, said he had left the home unlocked earlier that morning to go to the gym and work out and returned about 7:30 a.m. to find his wounded wife. The couple’s 15-month-old son, Weston, was at home upstairs in a crib but was not harmed in the attack.
Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry identified the two men charged with murder as Larry Jo Taylor Jr., 18, and Jalen E. Watson, 21, both of Indianapolis, face murder, burglary, theft and several other charges. A probable cause affidavit says that Taylor shot Blackburn three times, including once in the back of the head.
In this photo provided by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is Larry Jo Taylor Jr. 18, of Indianapolis. (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department via AP)
In this photo provided by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is Jalen E. Watson, 21, of Indianapolis. (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department via AP)
It was not clear whether Blackburn, who was 13 weeks pregnant, had been sexually assaulted, the affidavit says.
“The investigation will continue, including any further forensic analysis that’s appropriate or ongoing,” Curry said.
The affidavit says that the two men entered the house that morning after they had robbed two other homes, including one in the same neighborhood. A third man remained outside in a Chrysler Sebring stolen from the first home burglarized that day. That man has not yet been charged in the crimes, but Curry said he is being held on a parole violation in an unrelated case.
“He’s not going anywhere. We will make that decision probably this week,” Curry said.
After the pair entered the Blackburn home, Watson left Taylor behind and drove away to ATMs in a stolen Sebring to try to use Blackburn’s debit card to withdraw money.
Curry said the first significant break in the case came when DNA on a pink sweater stolen from a home near the Blackburn residence was found to match Watson’s DNA profile on file. That sweater was found in the Sebring, which authorities said was used to move items taken during the burglaries.
The prosecutor said that his office would review whether it might seek the death penalty against Taylor and would meet with Blackburn’s relatives before making a decision in about a month.
“We meet internally in our office to determine strengths and weaknesses of the case. We meet with the family and we then ultimately make that decision — rather than making that decision based on a snap judgment,” he said.
Davey Blackburn released a statement Monday saying: “Though it does not undo the pain we are feeling, I was extremely relieved to get the news of the arrest made last night of Amanda’s killer.”
Davey Blackburn said investigators have told him they have a “solidly-built case.” Blackburn said he hopes the “court system would have wisdom on how to prosecute this man so that no one else endures the pain Amanda and our family have had to endure because of his actions.”
Curry said there was no reason to believe that the Blackburns knew the two men charged with murder.The Blackburns moved to Indianapolis from South Carolina to found the independent Resonate Church in 2012.
Taylor also faces misdemeanor public nudity and public indecency charges stemming from an unrelated June incident where he allegedly exposed himself to a woman in a parking lot, court records show.
Investigators believe the suspect, whom neighbors also reported seeing walking in the area, may have seen Davey Blackburn leave that morning shortly after the suspect allegedly burglarized a nearby house.
Watson and Taylor were both being held at the Marion County Jail. It wasn’t immediately clear whether either man had an attorney to speak on their behalf.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
21 is not a teenager It is only important when we start putting up numbers about teens dying from ……. They are not teens They are adults by law even if they 18 or more
Now is a good time to use the death penalty!
I agree 100%!
Kill these subspecies and drop their remains in shark infested waters!
Those guys that robed and killed that pregnant women, wanted fun, not just to rob them. And think about the women with her clothes off, it wasn’t enough to kill her but I would say they tried to rape her or did. All I know is she had her pants down! I would hope they decide on the death penalty. Let them out, and it might happen again to our familes. Its a known fact, its like a marry go round, kill do 8 years, and out for good behavour. What good behavour, there locked up they cant shoot anyone, or rape a women. It must stop, please call your congressmen, so maybe it will wake them up, and get the death penalty back in all states. Unless you want those monsters in your back yard. You think they look in poor neighborhoods for breakens, no its where the hard working people live, and there after your family, don’t wait till its on your door step !! F. L.
Why does it seem like it is more often than not……………. never mind! Give them the needle!!!!
These pieces of garbage have no place in human society../.They deserve NOTHING. Also,I might add that they BLACK..I suppose all you Back peaple think these pieces of garbage are HERO`s for THE CAUSE. Wake up see what so many of your kind are dong. have MANY black FRIENDS AND I CARE AS MUCH FOR THEM AS MUCH AS I DO MY WHITE ETC. FRIENDS. I do not believe in the death penalty, but these things should get what they did to this woman. SHOW THEMTH0E SAME COMPASSION THEY SHOWED.
If it was a black woman and three whites killed her there would be mass protests and looting. Wake up America stop putting thugs and murders in prison, clean out our prison. We need someone to take charge and clean up america.
Very well said Emmet!
Disgrace to humanity. Even calling them as animals is unfair to animals. Punishment should not be less then death sentence and that should be swift (with in few years, not 15-20 years later)
Prison is too good for them. I say Castrate them, let the suffer for a few hours as they did to their victim, then shoot them in the Head to put them out of their misery, that would be the humane thing to do.
Stand all three of them on blocks of ice with their hands tied behind their backs, and a rope around their necks attached to a rafter. They can stand there and slowly watch the ice melt and cry out for their Mommas as they strangle to death!
They deserve it!
I will gladly furnish the ice and the ropes! My black friends agree with me!
Why the colorblack got to keep coming up? I get the feeling that the only reason law enforcement so harmoniously went to such aggresive lengths to solve so this bruital murder so soon was because she was a white ministers wife. Furthermore it appears to me that all this hate and very sadistic calls for brutal revenge is primarly because the suspects had black skin. I guesss you think that your particular black friends verbal allegiance with your disgusting riderick somehow justify your feelings. It amazes me how quick many blacks will jump in the high tech lyching of black suspects. Did you all ever stop to think that maybe that kind of mentality ahd a part in how she was treated by those black young men? Have you ever heard of these sayings…. “Don’t start none and there want be none”……..or……. There is 2 sides (at least) to everything. It aint just that young black men are natural born criminals. They are breeded by the larger society as a whole. Go ahead…….think on that if you don’t mind. I’m just saying…???
Brreeded? I didn’t know such a word existed… Lol
That’s the best idea ever , hehe … : ) Hopefully the ice melts really slowwww
Now Roy……..Rev. Blackburn is the one who is truly hurting from this tragic evil. Yet, he understands the importance of compassion for the lost,forgiveness and love in this bloodthirsty society. You appear just as ignorant as the alleged burglars/killers in that regard.
Why did the Pastor leave the door unlocked?? What an idiot! What world was he living in. I hope this weighs heavy on this mind for the rest of his life. But of course, it won’t he will go on with his life and be remarried in a few years.
Black Lives Matters!! What about White lives??? Did Amanda Blackburn and her unborn child deserve this? Especially in her own home!
They will get a few years then released, no different then the rest of the murders, rapist and child killers. Our justice system really sucks!
These are home grown terrorist, too lazy to work a job, with ZERO respect for others; who will kill you for the little you have or any reason they want. These home grown terrorist ARE WORSE THAN ISIS terrorist, because they do have options, opportunities and help available here in America (ask any immigrant) BUT THEY CHOOSE THE QUICK EASY BUCK AND LOW LIFE EXCITEMENT at the cost of others. Every day they ask themselves “WHERE, WHO SHALL WE STEAL FROM, RAPE AND MURDER TODAY”? Consequences are based on choices made: put these terrorist away for life in a work camp preferably on the moon or Mars.
i’m trying to understand WHY? we have to believe that good and evil dose exist. I believe that when you are born, GOD give you a choice to be good or evil. these men chose evil and they will suffer. if we intend to survive in this world today, we must protect ourselves from people like this. being a pastor’s wife, she didn’t think that these animals would hurt, especially carrying a baby. please GOD, give her family the love and understanding they need to get through this. I know that YOU love them and YOU will heal their hearts.
Now where are those crying Black Lives Matter. How about women’s lives mater, or unborn fetus’s lives matter. Well that does not count because the USA kills their own unborn children by the dozens everyday. Don’t know what this woman was, white or black, or green or grey; but I can bet before she died there was a great fear and emotion that went through her mind and it did not seem to effect these two young black men.
We as Americans better stop crying hatred among ourselves and realize there are people out there that want to kill us because we do not bow to their Satanistic god. This is the 21st century, we better learn to live better among us all before we find these other people will have our children and grandchildren with their heads on the ends of sticks in front of someone’s house as a trophy.