Man Accused of Killing a Mother and Her 13-Year-Old Daughter in Apparent Double Murder Inside Their Home

A Kentucky man has been charged with two counts of execution aft he allegedly killed a mother and girl wrong their home.

According to WKYT and nan Lexington Herald-Leader, constabulary successful Morehead — located astir 60 miles extracurricular of Lexington — were called to nan location of 37-year-old Kayla Blake and her daughter, 13-year-old Kennedi McWhorter, connected Friday, Sept. 19, aft personification called 911 requesting a use cheque for Kayla, arsenic she did not show up for work.

Investigators, who arrived astatine nan segment astir 10:15 a.m. section time, recovered nan bodies of some Kayla and Kennedi wrong nan home.

Kentucky State Police (KSP) said soon aft they discovered nan bodies, they identified Joshua W. Cottrell, 44, arsenic nan suspect. The section outlets reported that constabulary located Cottrell astatine a adjacent infirmary astatine astir 2 p.m. and arrested him aft he was treated.

A criminal title obtained by WKYT alleges that Cottrell stabbed nan mother and girl and moved their bodies, arsenic he was recovered pinch humor connected his clothing.

Investigators did not stock what led to nan murder, but friends of Kayla told KSP that she and Cottrell were successful a relationship. Per WKYT, Kayla told her friends that "things were good, and they were happy."

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The criminal title besides states that Cottrell has a criminal history and was convicted of second-degree manslaughter for sidesplitting 36-year-old Richie Phillips erstwhile he was 21. In that case, LEX 18 reported that Cottrell was primitively charged pinch murder, but nan charges against him were lessened erstwhile he claimed nan unfortunate made unwanted intersexual advances toward him.

Cottrell was besides charged pinch theft by unlawful taking, tampering pinch beingness grounds and different charges astatine nan time, nan outlet reported.

Following Kayla and Kennedi's deaths, friends and family members person remembered nan mother and girl arsenic a tightly knit family who cared profoundly for each different and their neighbors.

According to Kayla's colleagues astatine nan Addiction Recovery Institute of America (ARIA), wherever she worked arsenic a caregiver caring for patients receiving curen for addiction, she was "a awesome person."

"She had a existent passion for helping others. She loved her job," Jami Coots, nan women's installation head astatine ARIA, told LEX 18.

"For her, it wasn't really a job. She wanted to thief people," Coots said. "She went supra and beyond to do immoderate she could successful her disconnected time. Even whenever she wasn't connected nan clock, for illustration if we needed thief pinch something, you knew you could telephone Kayla for help."

Hannah Scott, different colleague, besides remembered Kayla arsenic a devoted mother to her 2 kids, Kennedi and boy Oliver.

"She loved Kennedi," Scott told LEX 18. "She loved some her kids very, very much. She ever went supra and beyond to thief them. It was for illustration I ever wanted to beryllium a mom for illustration she was."

"She was her biggest fan, her biggest supporter," Coots added of Kayla's narration pinch Kennedi. "She loved some of her kids unconditionally. To cognize Kayla was to cognize that she loved and cared astir you, too."

Kennedi, meanwhile, was remembered successful her obituary arsenic a passionate jock and softball player, a student who excelled academically and a dedicated personnel of her section church.

"Her emotion for softball shone done successful her performances connected some her schoolhouse and recreation teams, wherever she thrived connected nan title and cherished nan friendships she built pinch her teammates," nan obituary states.

"A devoted personnel of Better Life Church successful Morehead, Kennedi was actively progressive successful nan religion younker group, wherever her vibrant tone and kindness touched nan hearts of many," nan teen's obituary continues. "She had a singular expertise to uplift those astir her, and her religion was a guiding unit successful her life."

Rowan County Schools said successful a Facebook post that it had schoolhouse unit and counselors disposable to immoderate students successful need, and later held a time of remembrance for Kennedi connected Sept. 22.

"Kennedi touched nan lives of many, and this is simply a measurement for america to travel together arsenic a schoolhouse organization to observe her representation and show support for her family, friends, and everyone who loved her," nan schoolhouse wrote.

Cottrell is facing 1 count of execution and 1 count of tampering pinch beingness evidence. He is presently being held astatine nan McCracken County Jail connected a $1 cardinal bond, and is adjacent owed successful tribunal connected Monday, Sept. 29.

If you are experiencing home violence, telephone nan National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 1-800-799-7233, aliases spell to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is disposable 24/7 successful much than 170 languages.