Indianapolis man receives 106-year prison term for 2015 crime spree cases litigated years later

Sentence totals 106 years across two separate Marion County cases tied to an eight-day 2015 spree

An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to an aggregate 106 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for crimes stemming from an eight-day crime spree that began with a sexual assault and culminated in the 2015 killing of Amanda Blackburn, a 28-year-old who was 12 weeks pregnant.

The 106-year total reflects two separate sentences imposed in different cases: an 86-year sentence for Blackburn’s murder and related offenses, followed by a 20-year sentence for a separate sexual assault case ordered to be served consecutively. Together, the consecutive terms mean the defendant is set to remain imprisoned for more than a century under the current judgments.

Case 1: 86 years for the Blackburn homicide and related offenses

The defendant, Larry Jo Taylor Jr., was convicted in September 2022 after a bench trial for murder and multiple additional charges tied to the break-in that led to Blackburn’s death and other criminal conduct. Court records and reporting on the proceedings show he was found guilty of murder, burglary, theft counts, criminal confinement, auto theft, and carrying a handgun without a license, among other charges associated with the events of November 2015.

The 86-year sentence was imposed in October 2022. The case drew extended legal scrutiny: it followed two earlier trials that ended in mistrials before the bench trial produced a conviction and final sentence.

Case 2: 20 additional years for a separate sexual assault

In a separate case, Taylor later received an additional 20-year prison sentence for a sexual assault committed about one week before Blackburn’s killing. The offense occurred at the Westlake Apartments on Indianapolis’ west side. The sentencing order required the 20-year term to be served consecutively to the 86-year sentence, producing the combined 106-year total.

What the record shows about the spree and co-defendants

The Blackburn homicide was linked to a wider series of north-side home invasions and armed robberies committed in November 2015. Authorities alleged Taylor participated with two co-defendants, Diano Cortez Gordon and Jalen E. Watson. Both co-defendants reached plea agreements in earlier years that included cooperation in Taylor’s prosecution.

• Watson pleaded guilty to robbery and burglary counts and was sentenced in 2021 to terms that were ordered to run concurrently.
• Gordon pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and burglary; his sentence included a partially suspended term.

For Indianapolis prosecutors, the combined 106-year outcome closed two major cases tied to the same 2015 sequence of crimes, spanning years of litigation and multiple trials before final sentencing.