MOREHEAD (04/28/26) — A former Breckinridge County resident charged with killing a Morehead mother and her 13-year-old daughter last year will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Joshua Cottrell appeared in a Rowan County courtroom on Tuesday for a change of plea hearing and sentencing. He admitted to stabbing and killing Kayla Blake and her daughter, Kenndedi McWhorter, inside their home last September.
Cottrell was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to two counts of murder. He also pled guilty to evidence tampering and received a 5-year prison sentence.
Cottrell was arrested in 2003 for the death of Richie Phillips, whose body was found in Rough River Lake after being stuffed in a suitcase. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
