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Texas Man Executed for 2008 Toddler Murder Described as “Exorcism”
Huntsville, TX – A Texas man was executed Thursday for the 2008 murder of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter, a crime prosecutors characterized as a brutal, 30-hour “exorcism.” Blaine Milam, 35, was pronounced dead by lethal injection at 6:40 p.m. at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
Milam was convicted of killing Amora Carson in December 2008 in his Rusk County trailer, located east of Dallas. Authorities stated he attempted to expel a demon from the child’s body, resulting in her death.
Prison officials noted Milam appeared anxious upon his arrival at the Huntsville Unit prison earlier Thursday afternoon, complaining of a headache before being placed in a holding cell near the death chamber.
When offered the opportunity for a final statement, Milam expressed gratitude to his supporters and the prison chaplaincy for their faith-based programs available to death row inmates. “If any of you would like to see me again, I implore all of you, no matter who you are, to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and we will meet again,” Milam stated from the gurney.
“I love you all. Bring me home, Jesus.”
The lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing into his veins at 6:19 p.m. Milam reportedly grunted and gasped once before snoring quietly. Within two minutes, all movement and sounds ceased, and he was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors detailed the horrific nature of the crime, asserting that Milam beat the toddler with a hammer, then strangled, bit, and mutilated her. Court filings from prosecutors highlighted that Amora “was subjected to unspeakable violence over the course of 30 hours,” enduring skull fractures, broken bones, and dozens of bite marks.
Throughout the years, Milam maintained his innocence, claiming his then-girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, insisted the child was possessed, and he merely followed her lead. Carson was later convicted of capital murder in the case and sentenced to life without parole.
Milam’s attorneys had sought to spare his life, raising concerns about unreliable bite-mark evidence and questions regarding his intellectual disability. His execution had been scheduled and subsequently delayed in both 2019 and 2021 as courts reviewed these claims. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ultimately ruled for the execution to proceed, and the Board of Pardons and Paroles denied his clemency request.
Due to intense publicity surrounding the case, Milam’s trial was moved more than 140 miles south to Montgomery County. Texas continues to lead the nation in capital punishment executions.