A trial for one of three killers in the Amanda Blackburn murder case has once again ended in a mistrial and has been rescheduled.
An Indianapolis judge has declared a second mistrial for a suspect charged with the murder of Amanda Blackburn, the 28-year-old pregnant wife of Pastor Davey Blackburn, who formerly led the now-defunct Resonate Church. The second mistrial was declared after jurors learned that learned details about the Blackburn murder case's long history.
According to ABC 57, a second mistrial was declared by Marion Superior Judge Grant Hawkins after one juror told the rest of the jurors about details of the case, including the fact that there had been a first mistrial declared in December. The jurors were supposed to hear evidence on the Blackburn murder case on Monday, with 25-year-old Larry Jo Taylor Jr. as the man accused of the crime.
Second Mistrial Resulted in a Rescheduled Trial for the Accused
The first mistrial was declared in December 2021 when jurors found out that Blackburn was pregnant with her unborn daughter Everette "Evie" Grace Blackburn, at the time of her death, Fox 59 reported. It was a Blackburn murder case that the defense ahd successfully moved to prevent jurors from knowing. The judge at the time declared a mistrial over concerns it could affect the jury's feelings.
The Blackburn murder case is one of the most infamous cases in Indianapolis in the mis-2010's. On the morning of November 10, 2015, while Davey was at the gym, Blackburn was shot three times, including at the back of the head as part of a string of home invasions in Indianapolis' northside, Yahoo! reported. Taylor and his accomplice Jalen Watson were charged with murder and other crimes. Another man by the name of Diano Gordon was also arrested.
Watson was sentenced to 29 years in prison in 2021 for robbery leading to bodily injury and 10 years each for two counts of burglary. However, the charges against Watson were dismissed in a plea deal in October 2017, which would involve him and Gordon testifying against Taylor.
Also Read: Amanda Blackburn Murder: Judge Declares Mistrial In Case Of Man Charged With Killing Pastor's Wife
Pastor Finds Forgiveness Following Wife's Murder
Pastor Davey and his wife moved to Indiana from South Carolina in 2012 to start Resonate Church. But following the Blackburn murder, Pastor Davey had since found forgiveness after going through a dark period in time. He is now remarried and leads Nothing is Wasted Ministries, the Christian Post reported.
The pastor admitted in a Facebook Live broadcast in 2020 that when he saw the faces of his wife's murderers, he had been dealing with "a lot of sadness" and "intense, deep grief." Upon seeing Taylor, however, he experienced a "deep, dark, scary, frightening rage" that made him want to "respond in vengeance." But he shared that "Jesus subtly reminded" him that He died for his sins and that Jesus also "chose to forgive" him.
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