The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the conviction of a man found guilty in the 2008 beating death of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter, Amora Bain Carson.
The child was beaten with a hammer, sexually assaulted, and bitten more than 20 times.
A Rusk County jury found Jesseca Carson guilty of capital murder in the December 2008 death of her 13-month-old daughter, Amora.
Carson’s boyfriend, Blaine Milam, is on death row after his conviction for capital murder in the death, which Carson believed was an exorcism.
Labeled by prosecutors as a “monster” who deserves “the ultimate penalty,” convicted murderer Blaine Keith Milam was sentenced late Thursday night to die by lethal injection for his role in the beating death of his girlfriend’s daughter.
Milam, 20, was convicted of capital murder May 17 for killing 13-month-old Amora Carson, the daughter of his girlfriend, Jessica Carson.
Chronic use of methamphetamine by Blaine Keith Milam may have played a factor in his actions leading to the death of 13-month-old Amora Bain Carson, a psychology professor testified Monday.
During the sentencing phase of Milam’s capital murder trial, Paula Lundberg-Love, an expert in psychopharmacology and professor at the University of Texas at Tyler, explained the effects drug use has on the brain and behavior, including “believing there were demons and that demons were changing the facial structure of the child,” she said.
During Friday’s proceedings, the defense had Dr. Patricia Rosen, a toxicology expert, testify about the effects methamphetamines have on a person and to describe the levels found in Milam after he was taken into custody in 2008.
Dr. Rosen said a user of methamphetamine at the levels Milam had in his systems could experience hallucinations and other delusions.
After eight hours of deliberating, a six-man, six-woman jury returned a guilty verdict in the capital murder case against Blaine Milam Monday night.
Milam and his girlfriend Jesseca Carson are accused of killing her 13-month-old daughter Amora on Dec. 2, 2008 in their Rusk County home.
Postpartum psychosis with delusions, including demonic possession with the ability to talk to the dead, is how a psychiatrist described the mental health of Jesseca Carson when her 13-month-old daughter Amora was brutally beaten and strangled to death in December 2008.
The psychiatrist testified in Blaine Milam’s capital murder trial Wednesday in a Montgomery County courtroom as Milam’s defense team attempted to shift the blame of the death from their client to Ms. Carson.
Blaine Milam, 20, is facing the death penalty for the December 2008 beating death of 13-month-old Amora Bain Carson.
Milam and his fiancee, Jessica Carson, are charged with beating the toddler 20 times with a hammer while allegedly attempting to perform an exorcism on the little girl.
Jurors heard compelling evidence Monday from a bite expert who testified Blaine Milam could not be ruled out as the contributor of the majority of bite marks on 13-month-old Amora Carson.
Forensic odontologist Robert Williams testified his area of expertise has been used to identify serial killers, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11 and Branch Davidian victims when other methods failed.
Blaine Milam and Jesseca Carson stand accused of murdering her 13-month-old daughter, AmoÂra, on Dec. 2, 2008, by beating the child to death while performing what they claim was an exorcism to drive out demons from the toddler.
If convicted, both parties face the death penalty.