A man from Texas was executed on Thursday for the murder of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter, which the couple claimed was part of an attempt to perform an “exorcism” and rid the child of a demon.
Blaine Milam, aged 35, was declared dead at 6:40 pm local time after receiving a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He had been on death row for the killing of toddler Amora Rose in his trailer in East Texas in December 2008.
In his final statement moments before his execution, Milam expressed gratitude to his supporters and acknowledged the prison chaplaincy for providing faith-based programs to death row inmates.
As the sedative pentobarbital began to be administered at 6:19 pm CDT, Milam made a noise and then fell silent, eventually passing away. This execution was one of two conducted that evening in the United States. Geoffrey West was executed in Alabama using nitrogen gas for fatally shooting a gas station employee during a robbery in 1997. These executions brought the total number of death sentences carried out this year to 33 nationwide.
Milam had accused his then-girlfriend Jesseca Carson of the murder, claiming she was the one who believed the child was possessed by a demon. Carson was separately tried and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for her involvement in the crime. Both individuals were 18 years old at the time.
Prosecutors detailed how Milam viciously attacked the child, inflicting numerous injuries over a 30-hour period. Evidence, including a pipe wrench, linked Milam to the murder. An autopsy conducted by a forensic pathologist revealed that the child had multiple skull fractures, broken limbs, ribs, and numerous bite marks, making it impossible to determine a specific cause of death due to the severity of injuries.
Rusk County District Attorney Micheal Jimerson, who witnessed the execution, emphasized the importance of seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. The child’s grandfather, Richard Mutina, was also present but chose not to speak with reporters afterward.
Milam became the fifth person to be executed in Texas this year, a state known for its significant use of capital punishment. The execution took place after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Milam’s final appeals.