Man from Whitley Co. convicted of toddler murder

WHITLEY COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) – The man at the center of the brutal murder of a toddler received his sentence Tuesday morning.

A Whitley County judge has sentenced 24-year-old Jordan Taylor to life in prison without parole for the murder of 3-year-old Amoura Smallwood.

In February 2023, police arrested Taylor in connection with Smallwood’s death.

At the time, authorities said Taylor was looking at Amoura when she was “severely injured.” The toddler later died in hospital.

A grand jury indicted Taylor, charging him with murder, first-degree sodomy and strangulation.

Last month, Taylor entered a guilty plea to these charges.

In addition to Taylor, the toddler’s mother, Alexandra Ward, is also charged with accessory to murder and accessory to strangulation.

She is scheduled for a jury trial in March 2025.

As for Taylor, he was also charged in another case in July. He is charged with murder and accused of suffocating a 6-month-old child in Clay County in 2020.