Where is Taylor Syring’s Step-Mother ‘Laura Day’ Now? – Laura Day, who drowned her 6-year-old stepson in 2013, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in jail without the chance of parole. Despite accusations that the youngster drowned by accident on a Texas beach, he was sentenced to nearly ten years in prison.
Taylor Syring, Laura Day’s stepson, was already dead when she transported him to a local hospital. What appeared to be an unfortunate accident quickly morphed into something far more sinister. ‘20/20: Wave of Deceit,’ an ABC News special, examines the events surrounding the small boy’s death and how Laura was eventually found guilty. So, if you’re interested in learning more about what happened to Taylor Syring and where is Laura Day now, we’ve got you covered.
Recommended: Taylor Syring Murder: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
Who is Laura Day and What Crime Did She Commit?
Laura was 47 years old and married to David Syring at the time of the incident. They lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, and David and his ex-wife, Kelly Syring, split custody of their 6-year-old son, Taylor. Laura transported an unresponsive Taylor to the hospital on October 5, 2012, where he was pronounced dead.
Day believes that now is the best time to share her tale. “There was a sad accident. In her first interview with “20/20,” Day said, “I tried to save him.”
Day said she picked up her stepson, Taylor Syring, from school in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 5, 2012. It was a Friday, and she mentioned that Taylor had expressed an interest in going to the beach.
“He stated he wanted to have a beach picnic,” Day explained. “It was a spur-of-the-moment choice,” says the narrator.
Before driving to the beach, Day said the two went home to get swimming suits and beach towels.
Day also told detectives that the beach was crowded that day, so the two went to a more private spot to avoid the crowd. She explained that she had put a lifejacket on Taylor and watched him play in the water before removing it since it was causing him a rash.
Laura Day told @JohnQABC she “panicked” after pulling her stepson Taylor Syring out of the water and drove him “straight to the hospital.”
Read: https://t.co/k0ez4xC4k8.
Stream #ABC2020 episodes: https://t.co/drVXckJPsR. pic.twitter.com/ZaGe3j7ue0— 20/20 (@ABC2020) June 4, 2022
“Clearly, it was causing him to break out in a rash.” “If you can show me that you’re OK and that you feel safe enough to dive beneath the waves and that you’re comfortable, then I’ll let you swim and play in the shallow water without your lifejacket,” Day explained.
She claimed she turned around to return to the shore, but Taylor had already left by the time she turned around.
“At first, I was perplexed. I assumed he’d dove beneath the waves and was swimming, but when he didn’t emerge, I dashed into the water to find him, only to find him gone… “Then I saw him floating face down,” Day explained.
“I attempted to expel the water from his lungs. And I couldn’t seem to get it out. I had no idea why. I was in a panic. I was also confused. She said, “I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Day told police that she “panicked” and drove the comatose youngster to a hospital 12 miles away instead of calling 911. Taylor was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Investigators questioned the story of Laura Day. They were suspicious of her driving 12 miles to the hospital because she said the paramedics would take too long to arrive. Investigators eventually discovered that the beach where Laura Day had brought Taylor was only three miles away from a Corpus Christi fire station. She also revealed to authorities that, despite knowing CPR, she had failed to perform CPR on Taylor.
Three days after Taylor’s death, police arrested Laura Day on accusations of child endangerment charges.
Laura had been in a relationship with 21-year-old James Kendall while in California when she was about 17 years old in May 1982. Laura shot James after he told her he was ending their relationship. She then turned the gun on herself but managed to escape. Laura later claimed she had been abused, but there was no evidence to back up her statement. It was also said that she orchestrated the whole incident to ensure that they were buried together.
Laura was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 17 years in prison, but she only spent six of them. Laura relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, after her release in 1990, and was convicted of bigamy in 1993. Authorities suspected she was married to up to three guys simultaneously. Laura was also arrested for insurance fraud and burglary before settling in Texas in 1998.
Laura met David there and subsequently married him in 2012. Rene Ruiz, a beach witness, stated that on October 5, he saw Laura smiling and waving at him as she departed the beach. Laura’s story implies that she had Taylor in the car at that time. This development added to the suspicions of nefarious play. The prosecution quickly made their case, claiming that Laura was the one who recommended coming to the beach.
Laura, according to the state’s lawyers, wanted Taylor dead because he was a threat to her marriage to David. She wished to leave Texas, but she was concerned that David would refuse to leave without his son. David attempted and failed to obtain primary custody at the time. They cited her atypical police interview and her lack of sorrow following the death as evidence (according to witness statements). For the prosecution, an expert testified that someone Taylor’s age would sink rather than float. Furthermore, on that particular day, the tidal current readings indicated that the body was rising in the opposite direction as Laura had predicted.
What Happened to Laura Day and Where Is She Now?
Laura was also concerned about David’s return to Kelly, according to the prosecution. Laura told David in taped jail phone calls that she never went home after taking Taylor up, which provided more evidence. She was found guilty of capital murder, child harm, and child endangerment in June 2013. Laura was condemned to life in jail without the chance of parole as a result of her actions.
Although an expert later challenged the prosecution’s expert testimony regarding the drowning, Laura remains in prison for the time being. She claims her innocence while being held in the Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas. Laura and David have subsequently divorced, and she now has a pen buddy lover.
20/20 aired Friday, June 3 (9-11pm EDT), on ABC, and the next day on Hulu.
