Ex-NFL star Cierre Wood sentenced to LIFE in prison over murder of girlfriend's five-year-old daughter

Former NFL player Cierre Wood has been sentenced to life in prison over the murder of his girlfriend's five-year-old daughter back in 2019.

Wood, a former running back who spent time with the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills, reached a deal with prosecutors.

Earlier this year, the 33-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony child abuse over the death at his Las Vegas apartment back in April 2019.

Wood, who also played in the Canadian Football league, was given a life term with the possibility of parole after 10 years for the murder charge. 

The coroner's office in Las Vegas said the child, La'Rayah Davis, died on April 9, 2019, of blunt force injuries.

Court records show that the child's mother, Amy Taylor, 31, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and felony child abuse as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Clark County District Court Judge Jacqueline Bluth also ordered him to serve between 28 months and six years for the child abuse charge. He must serve the sentences consecutively.

According to a copy of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the remaining felony counts of child abuse that they initially had filed against Wood. 

He entered what is known as an Alford plea, a formal admission of guilt in criminal court that allows a defendant to still claim innocence.

Wood played for the University of Notre Dame before brief NFL stints with three teams and the Montreal Alouettes in Canada.