CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nearly a decade has passed since Laura Day, then a new stepmother, was convicted in the 2012 drowning death of her 6-year-old stepson, Taylor Syring. As ABC’s “20/20” prepares to revisit this tragic case in a special encore presentation, questions continue to surround the circumstances that led to Taylor’s death and the subsequent trial and conviction of Day.
Laura Day, who has now served nearly 10 years of her life sentence, insists that the incident was nothing more than a tragic accident. According to Day, she and Taylor had made an impromptu decision to visit a Texas beach after school on October 5, 2012, a day that ended in heartbreak and controversy.
Their day at the beach began with laughter and play, with Day recounting how she initially had Taylor wear a lifejacket while he played in the water. However, she later removed it because it was causing him a rash. Day explained that she allowed Taylor to play in the shallow waters only after ensuring he felt safe without the flotation device.
The narrative took a dark turn when Day, after momentarily looking away, discovered Taylor was missing. Despite her frantic efforts to rescue him, which included attempts to resuscitate him, Taylor was later pronounced dead at a hospital 12 miles from the beach. Day’s decision not to call 911 immediately, opting instead to drive to the hospital, sparked suspicion among investigators.
Authorities were further puzzled by Day’s admission that she knew CPR yet chose not to perform it immediately. Their investigation revealed discrepancies in her account of that day’s events, including the distance to the nearest fire station, which was less than three miles away, compared to the hospital’s 12 miles.
The case against Day was complicated by her past, which included a murder conviction when she was 17. She had served time for the death of a former boyfriend, a crime she claimed was an act of self-defense during a relationship marked by abuse. This history, combined with her multiple marriages and various charges including theft and bigamy, painted a troubling portrait of Day’s character.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the beach outing was not Taylor’s suggestion and that Day had manipulated the day’s events. A witness claimed to have seen Day acting nonchalantly as she left the beach, an accusation that challenged her account of a desperate rush to save Taylor’s life.
After a six-day trial, Day was found guilty of first-degree capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. The conviction was based heavily on the sequence and timing of events as recounted by Day, which prosecutors successfully argued were implausible given the tidal conditions and other forensic evidence.
The case remains a focal point of legal and public scrutiny, with Day’s current attorneys seeking a new trial. They argue that the original trial was tainted by misconstrued evidence and a misunderstanding of the beach’s conditions on the day Taylor died.
David Syring, Taylor’s father, who had married Day shortly before the incident, has since divorced Day and expressed regret over his involvement. He described the period as a time of naivety and manipulation, sentiments echoed by Taylor’s biological mother, Kelly Syring, who has struggled with forgiveness and the painful memories of her son’s untimely death.
As the legal process continues, the re-airing of Taylor’s story on “20/20” not only reopens wounds for the involved families but also keeps alive the quest for truth and justice in a case shrouded in mystery and tragedy.