INDIANAPOLIS — The third suspect charged in the 2015 death of Amanda Blackburn reached a plea deal on Monday.
Diano Gordon pled guilty by agreement to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and was ordered to serve a 30-year sentence for his role in the fatal robbery of Amanda Blackburn.
He'll serve 25 years in prison with five years of his sentence suspended, according to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.
According to online court records, two murder counts, a burglary count, a theft count and a habitual offender county were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Earlier this month, Larry Jo Taylor was found guilty of two counts of murder but not guilty of a third in Blackburn's death after a bench trial.
Blackburn was 28-years-old and pregnant when she was killed in the Nov. 10, 2015, shooting.
Gordon, Taylor, and a third suspect, Jalen Watson, were accused of entering Blackburn's house on Sunnyfield Court sometime between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 10, 2015. According to police, the men assaulted her and then shot her in the head.
Watson pleaded guilty to robbery and two counts of burglary in 2017. On March 12, 2021, Marion Superior Court Judge Grant Hawkins sentenced Watson to 29 years in prison. Hawkins noted in the order that he will consider reducing the sentence after Watson cooperates with prosecutors and if he stays on good behavior in prison.
Under terms of the plea agreement, records show prosecutors dismissed murder, burglary, theft and auto theft charges against Watson.
-
90-year-old Indy outdoorsman featured in new documentary
The Fish Thief will have a special screening at the Madam Walker Legacy Center on September 16, 2025, at 7 p.m.Speeding concerns on Meridian Street reach new high following deadly crash
Residents in one north side neighborhood are raising new concerns over speeding issues on North Meridian Street following a deadly crash over the weekend.University of Indianapolis helps research ways to improve literacy rates
The Department of Education's latest IREAD assessment shows third-grade reading scores made their biggest single-year jump since testing started in 2013.Police investigating dozens of car break-ins across neighborhoods in Fishers
Fishers police are investigating a rash of vehicle break-ins over the weekend that left dozens of residents with shattered windows and costly repairs.