Rowan County community mourns mother and daughter killed in Morehead

ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Rowan County community is mourning the deaths of 13-year-old Kennedi McWhorter and her mother, 37-year-old Kayla Blake, who were found murdered inside their Morehead home last Friday.

Police were called to the South Spring Street residence after one of Blake’s co-workers went to check on her when she didn’t show up for work.

A neighbor, who declined to appear on camera, described Kayla as a “great mom” and said Kennedi was very friendly. She added she often saw Kayla spending time outside with her young son and was shocked to learn what happened.

The Rowan County School District invited students and staff to wear purple Monday in honor of Kennedi, an eighth grader at Rowan County Middle School. A memorial has also been set up at the middle school softball fields, where she played for the Parks and Recreation Department.

Kentucky State Police say 44-year-old Joshua Cottrell was arrested Friday afternoon at a hospital in Paducah after receiving treatment. He is being held at the McCracken County Jail on a $1 million cash bond.

Court records show Cottrell has a violent past. In 2003, he was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Guinn Richard Phillips and sentenced to 20 years in prison. At the time, he confessed to killing Phillips, stuffing his body in a suitcase, and throwing it into a river, though he claimed it was self-defense.

KSP has not released how Cottrell may have been connected to Blake or McWhorter. He is due in court Wednesday on murder charges.