When The Justice System Fails
About this episode
The episode discusses the case of Joshua Cottrell, who committed a double murder after a prior encounter with the hosts.
In this episode we discuss our brief encounter with Joshua Cottrell. We had the opportunity to pray with Josh Cottrell just weeks before he committed a double murder of Kayla Blake, 37, and her 13-year-old daughter Kennedi McWhorter dead in their Morehead, Kentucky home Based on publicly reported court and news records, Joshua Cottrell is a Kentucky man whose criminal history includes two separate homicide cases spanning more than 20 years. 2003–2005 Homicide Case Cottrell was charged in the death of 36-year-old Richie Phillips in Hardin County, Kentucky. He admitted killing Phillips but claimed self-defense, alleging Phillips made unwanted sexual advances and a fight followed. A jury convicted him of second-degree manslaughter rather than murder. He was also convicted of theft and tampering with physical evidence. He received a 20-year prison sentence but was reportedly paroled after approximately 2½ years. 2025 Rowan County Double Murder Case In September 2025, authorities found Kayla Blake, 37, and her 13-year-old daughter Kennedi McWhorter dead in their Morehead, Kentucky home after a welfare check. Investigators alleged that Cottrell stabbed both victims and moved their…
More episodes of The Free at Last Podcast
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Free at Last Podcast podcast page.