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 “exorcism” to rid the child of a demon.
Blaine Milam, aged 35, was declared dead at 6:40 pm local time following 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 death, Milam expressed gratitude to his supporters and the prison chaplaincy for providing faith-based programs to death row inmates.
As the sedative pentobarbital began to flow into his body, Milam made a brief sound before falling silent. Minutes later, he was pronounced dead. Another execution took place the same evening in Alabama, where Geoffrey West was executed with nitrogen gas for fatally shooting a gas station employee during a robbery in 1997.
Milam had accused his then-girlfriend Jesseca Carson of the murder, claiming she believed the child was possessed by a demon. Carson was separately tried and sentenced to life in prison without parole for aiding Milam. Both were 18 years old at the time.
Prosecutors detailed the brutal nature of the crime, stating that Milam had inflicted severe injuries on the child over a prolonged period. The use of a pipe wrench was among the evidence linking Milam to the murder.
A forensic pathologist reported that the child had suffered multiple fractures and injuries, making it difficult to determine a specific cause of death due to the extent of her injuries.
District Attorney Micheal Jimerson, who witnessed the execution, emphasized the importance of seeking justice for the vulnerable, while the child’s grandfather, Richard Mutina, chose not to speak to reporters following the execution.
Milam’s execution marked the fifth in Texas this year, a state known for its high number of capital punishment cases. The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Milam’s final appeals.
