NEED TO KNOW
- A Kentucky man is accused of killing a mother and her daughter inside their home
- Joshua W. Cottrell, 44, has been charged with murder and evidence tampering after allegedly stabbing 37-year-old Kayla Blake and 13-year-old Kennedi McWhorter
- Friends and family members have remembered the mother and daughter as a tightly knit family who cared deeply for each other and their neighbors
A Kentucky man has been charged with two counts of murder after he allegedly killed a mother and daughter inside their home.
According to WKYT and the Lexington Herald-Leader, police in Morehead — located about 60 miles outside of Lexington — were called to the home of 37-year-old Kayla Blake and her daughter, 13-year-old Kennedi McWhorter, on Friday, Sept. 19, after someone called 911 requesting a welfare check for Kayla, as she did not show up for work.
Investigators, who arrived at the scene around 10:15 a.m. local time, found the bodies of both Kayla and Kennedi inside the home.
Kentucky State Police (KSP) said soon after they discovered the bodies, they identified Joshua W. Cottrell, 44, as the suspect. The local outlets reported that police located Cottrell at a nearby hospital at around 2 p.m. and arrested him after he was treated.
A criminal complaint obtained by WKYT alleges that Cottrell stabbed the mother and daughter and moved their bodies, as he was found with blood on his clothing.
Investigators did not share what led to the murder, but friends of Kayla told KSP that she and Cottrell were in a relationship. Per WKYT, Kayla told her friends that “things were good, and they were happy.”
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The criminal complaint also states that Cottrell has a criminal history and was convicted of second-degree manslaughter for killing 36-year-old Richie Phillips when he was 21. In that case, LEX 18 reported that Cottrell was originally charged with murder, but the charges against him were lessened when he claimed the victim made unwanted sexual advances toward him.
Cottrell was also charged with theft by unlawful taking, tampering with physical evidence and other charges at the time, the outlet reported.
Following Kayla and Kennedi’s deaths, friends and family members have remembered the mother and daughter as a tightly knit family who cared deeply for each other and their neighbors.
According to Kayla’s colleagues at the Addiction Recovery Institute of America (ARIA), where she worked as a nurse caring for patients receiving treatment for addiction, she was “a wonderful person.”
“She had a real passion for helping others. She loved her job,” Jami Coots, the women’s facility director at ARIA, told LEX 18.
“For her, it wasn’t really a job. She wanted to help people,” Coots said. “She went above and beyond to do whatever she could in her off time. Even whenever she wasn’t on the clock, like if we needed help with something, you knew you could call Kayla for help.”
Hannah Scott, another colleague, also remembered Kayla as a devoted mother to her two kids, Kennedi and son Oliver.
“She loved Kennedi,” Scott told LEX 18. “She loved both her kids very, very much. She always went above and beyond to help them. It was like I always wanted to be a mom like she was.”
“She was her biggest fan, her biggest supporter,” Coots added of Kayla’s relationship with Kennedi. “She loved both of her kids unconditionally. To know Kayla was to know that she loved and cared about you, too.”
Kennedi, meanwhile, was remembered in her obituary as a passionate athlete and softball player, a student who excelled academically and a dedicated member of her local church.
“Her love for softball shone through in her performances on both her school and travel teams, where she thrived on the competition and cherished the friendships she built with her teammates,” the obituary states.
“A devoted member of Better Life Church in Morehead, Kennedi was actively involved in the church youth group, where her vibrant spirit and kindness touched the hearts of many,” the teen’s obituary continues. “She had a remarkable ability to uplift those around her, and her faith was a guiding force in her life.”
Rowan County Schools said in a Facebook post that it had school staff and counselors available to any students in need, and later held a day of remembrance for Kennedi on Sept. 22.
“Kennedi touched the lives of many, and this is a way for us to come together as a school community to celebrate her memory and show support for her family, friends, and everyone who loved her,” the school wrote.
Cottrell is facing one count of murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence. He is currently being held at the McCracken County Jail on a $1 million bond, and is next due in court on Monday, Sept. 29.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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