Mom and boyfriend indicted in February death of three year old

WARD

TAYLOR

A Corbin man accused of beating a three-year-old child to death while babysitting her in February and the child’s mother were both indicted Monday morning by a Whitley County grand jury.

Jordan Blake Taylor, 22, and Alexandra Ward, 20, were named in separate indictments in connection to Amoura Smallwood’s death. Taylor was indicted on charges of murder, first-degree sodomy and first-degree strangulation. Ward, who is Smallwood’s mother, was indicted on charges of complicity to commit murder and complicity to commit first-degree strangulation. 

According to their indictments, on or about Feb. 17, Taylor strangled Smallwood by “blocking her nose and mouth,” which impeded her normal breathing and Ward allegedly failed to prevent Taylor from doing so. The indictments also allege that on Feb. 19, Taylor engaged Smallwood in “deviate sexual intercourse” before “beating and assaulting” her, causing her death. Ward is accused of failing to make a proper effort in preventing Smallwood’s death.

Ward was arrested in the courtroom Monday morning following the reading of her indictment and taken to the Whitley County Detention Center.

Taylor was not present during the reading of the indictments by Judge Paul Winchester, as he has been in custody at the Whitley County Detention Center since his arrest in February. However, Ward, along with several members of her family, were present for the reading. Ward was immediately taken into custody by deputies with the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department and removed from the courtroom.  

Following the proceedings, Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Bowling said that he decided to seek charges against Ward following an examination of the contents of her phone, which he said provided “ample evidence” of her complicity. 

While Kimber’s Law—a bill Bowling helped champion during the recent legislative session that allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of a child—doesn’t go into effect until July, Bowling said that he would soon be filing an intent to seek the death penalty against Taylor.

Bowling added that his basis for seeking the death penalty is murder with the commission of sodomy.

“This is probably the worst crime I’ve ever seen, and we will not rest until we get the justice this case deserves,” said Bowling.

In Kentucky, complicity to commit murder carries the same penalty as murder, which is 20 years to life in prison.

An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury; it is not a conviction or an admission of guilt.

Both Taylor and Ward remain jailed in the Whitley County Detention Center under separate $1 million cash bonds.

Case History

On Feb. 19, Taylor, who was in a relationship with Ward at the time, had allegedly been the only person in the care of Smallwood since approximately 8:30 a.m. until the child was transported to Baptist Health Corbin around 3 p.m. that afternoon by Whitley County EMS. When she arrived at the hospital, she was unresponsive and had multiple injuries. Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley pronounced Smallwood dead just a couple of hours later.

During Taylor’s preliminary hearing in Whitley District Court on Feb. 27, Kentucky State Police Detective Logan Gay testified that he was dispatched to Baptist Health Corbin on the above date after Smallwood was pronounced dead. Gay stated that Smallwood’s injuries were determined to be non-accidental and that Taylor’s statements regarding what happened were not consistent with the child’s injuries. 

A CT scan performed on Smallwood showed multiple brain bleeds, according to Gay. 

“She was bruised from head to toe. Multiple injuries,” said Gay. “Her lips were swelled, there were pump knots on the side of her head and back of her head, there was a large bruise on her forehead.”

Gay testified that the doctor who examined Smallwood told police that the child’s injuries had been sustained “recently,” likely “within 24 hours” prior to her arrival at the hospital.

Smallwood’s body was taken to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office the following day, where an autopsy was performed. While the official results will likely still take some time, Gay stated that the preliminary report showed that Smallwood died from blunt force trauma to both the head and body.