Sentenced: Missing 5YO Girl Found Safe, Dad Taken Into Custody For Her Mom's Murder

[Sugar Cookie]

A missing 5-year-old girl has been found safe and her father -- who was wanted for the murder of the little girl's mom -- is in custody, Kentucky authorities said Monday afternoon.

An Amber Alert was issued Monday morning for Lela Black, from Princeton, Kentucky, who was believed to be with her biological father, 42-year-old https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crim...into-custody-for-her-moms-murder/ar-BB1hrosTk, Kentucky State Police said.

An arrest warrant was issued for Byron Black for the murder of Lela's mom, police said.

On Sunday, authorities responded to Lela's home and found her mom, Kelly Black, shot in the back of the head, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said.

MSN

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Feb. 19, 2026

WPKY reported a Caldwell Circuit Court jury took four and a half hours to find Byron Black guilty or murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of his wife Kelly after her body was found following a welfare check on January 28, 2024.

Shortly after the discovery of Kelly Black's body, an Amber alert was issued by authorities when they could not find the couple's five year old daugther.

Byron Black was accused of killing his wife after shooting her in the back of the head sometime afterreturning from Nashville International Airport following her return from California.

On January 29, 2024, Princeton Police found Byron Black's truck at a Princeton hotel and took him into custody. The daughter was also found and was unharmed. Investigators also recovered a handgun from Black's truck at the hotel.

Black was sentenced to 24 years on murder charges and one year for abuse of a corpse with those sentences to run consecutively.

https://www.westkentuckystar.com/News/Local-Regional/Princeton-man-found-guilty-in-2024-death-of-his-wi