In brief
Blaine Milam, 35, is set to be executed for the murder of 13-month-old Amora Carson in Texas. Prosecutors described the horrific nature of her death, alleging Milam inflicted severe injuries over a 30-hour period. Despite his claims of innocence and arguments of intellectual disability, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected his appeals. If carried out, Milam's execution would be the fifth in Texas this year, amidst a rising count of national executions.
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas man faces execution Thursday for killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter during a torturous ordeal the couple claimed was part of an 'exorcism' to expel a demon from the child’s body.
Blaine Milam, 35, was condemned for the December 2008 murder of Amora Carson at his trailer in Rusk County, East Texas.
Scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Milam's execution comes as Alabama also prepares to execute Geoffrey West for fatally shooting a gas station employee during a 1997 robbery.
Milam alleges he is innocent and blames his then-girlfriend Jesseca Carson for the killing, claiming she believed the girl was possessed. Carson was tried separately and sentenced to life without parole after being convicted of capital murder for aiding Milam.
Prosecutors detailed a horrific abuse case where Milam allegedly tortured the girl over 30 hours, using a hammer, and causing severe injuries. A forensic expert could not determine a specific cause of death due to multiple trauma injuries.
As execution time nears, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed Milam’s final appeals, including arguments regarding potentially unreliable evidence and claims of intellectual disability.
State and federal courts have repeatedly denied motions to halt his execution. Milam's attorneys maintain that there is significant evidence pointing to Carson’s culpability, undermining Milam's incrimination.
If executed, Milam would be the fifth person executed in Texas this year, amidst a national rise in capital punishment cases.
