INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced Friday that Larry Jo Taylor Jr. has been sentenced to 86 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for the 2015 murder of Amanda Blackburn.
On November 10, 2015, IMPD was dispatched to the city’s north side on reports of break-ins in the area. Taylor and two others, Jalen Watson and Diano Gordon, were involved in the burglaries.
Taylor shot and killed Blackburn while he was robbing her home.
In 2017, Watson pled guilty to Burglary and Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and was sentenced to 29 years in prison. In 2018, Gordon pled guilty to Burglary and Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and received a 30-year sentence with 25 years in prison.
“Nearly seven years after this tragic and senseless murder, justice has been secured for Amanda,” Prosecutor Mears said. “I commend the Blackburn family and the community for the tremendous amount of patience and grace they have shown throughout this process. We hope that today’s resolution provides finality to a very difficult chapter.”
In September 2022, Taylor was convicted of the following:
- Murder
- Burglary (Level 1 Felony)
- 2 counts of Theft (Level 6 Felony and Misdemeanor)
- Criminal Confinement (Level 3 Felony)
- 2 counts of Burglary (Level 4 Felonies)
- Auto Theft (Level 6 Felony)
- Carry a Handgun Without a License (A Misdemeanor)
