Texas man executed for 'exorcism' death of toddler
Blaine Milam | Credit: Texas Department of Criminal Justice
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A Texas man was executed Thursday night for the murder of a 13-month-old who died during an alleged exorcism, the Associated Press has confirmed.
Thursday afternoon, the Supreme Court of the United States denied the convict's appeal to stay the execution.
Blaine Milam executed
The latest:
Milam was declared dead at 6:40 p.m. after his lethal injection, the AP said.
The reporting includes Milam's final words.
What they're saying:
"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," he said from the death chamber gurney. "I love you all. Bring me home, Jesus."
Blaine Milam execution appeal denied
Death row inmate Blaine Milam, a Rusk County native, was set to be executed by the end of the day. Despite a last-minute appeal, his death was not stopped by the nation's highest court.
SCOTUS handed down their announcement Thursday, simply saying the application for a stay of execution and petition for a writ of habeus corpus have been denied.
The application claimed that "demonstrably unreliable and prejudicial forensic evidence" was used in Milam's trial.
Texas baby exorcism death
The backstory:
Milam's girlfriend's 13-month-old infant died in December 2008. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Milam repeatedly struck the infant, causing its death.
Milam, 35, and his girlfriend, co-defendant Jessica Carson, claimed at different times that the baby had either been found injured, eaten insulation, or been exorcised, the Texas Tribune reports.
Milam was convicted in 2010 at the age of 18. He has gone through several rounds of execution appeals and stays, largely related to his intellectual abilities, reports say. The TDCJ says his highest education level is fourth grade.
Milam, much like fellow Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson, has also had his execution drawn out by "junk science"
Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson won't seek clemency before Oct. execution
Instead, Roberson's defense is asking for a new trial in the case, claiming that new evidence could lead to his exoneration after his conviction based, at least in part, on "junk science."
What's next:
In Texas, executions are carried out at or after 6 p.m.
If Milam is put to death, it will be the fifth execution in Texas this year. Roberson's is the only other execution set for 2025.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Associated Press and the Texas Tribune.