RIPLEY, W.Va. — The high-profile Jackson County trial of Benjamin Taylor is scheduled to get underway Tuesday.
Taylor, 33, is accused of striking and raping 10-month old Emmaleigh Barringer on the morning of Oct. 3, 2016, in the basement of a Fairplan apartment. Barringer died two days later of injuries, as the Cottageville native is charged with first-degree murder, death of a child by child abuse and first-degree sexual assault.
Jury selection is scheduled to get underway at Jackson County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. and may take all of Tuesday. Opening statements in the trial could start as early as Wednesday.
The incident occurred in the apartment that Taylor and the girl’s mother, Amanda Adkins lived together in.
In Apr. 2017, Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill into law, “Emmaleigh’s Law,” which doubles the penalties for parents, guardians or custodians convicted in the death of a child from 10-40 years to 20-80 years.