N.C. boy dies after being tied to tree; parents charged with murder

N.C. boy dies after being tied to tree; parents charged with murder

www.examiner.com

TARBORO, N.C. (Map, News) - A couple accused of killing their 13-year-old son by tying him to a tree for two nights have appeared in a North Carolina courtroom to face charges.

Attorneys appeared Monday with 41-year-old Brice Brian McMillan and his wife, 36-year-old Sandra Elizabeth McMillan.

Edgecombe County District Court Judge Joseph Harper told the two they are charged with murder and felony child abuse. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for July 2.

Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight said the McMillans are accused of tying the boy to a tree for two nights to punish him for disobedience. He was found unresponsive outside the house on Thursday.

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Some people believe parents should enforce this kind of discipline. I hope they get life.

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(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Sestias


This is the US's version of Honor Killings. This happens all the time.

Kid acts as a kid,

Parents think "I need to teach this boy!"

So they abuse him, allthe while feeling justified.

Then one of two things happen

1. Boy surivives and grows up thinking that's normal, and perpetuates it

2. Boy dies.



When will people realize how stupid they are? Oh yeah, I guess stupid people can't see stupid.

I cant see how the parents could possibly think that this kind of punishment could have a positive outcome.

Disturbed by the stupidity and negligence of the parents I would think anything less than life sentences would be inappropriate.

Rest in peace young soul.

Not trying to detract from the "wrongness" of doing something such as this, but I wonder how being tied to a tree overnight causes one to die. Maybe similar to crucifiction?

This makes me so angry. Decent, intelligent, loving people all over the world can't have children, but these two nut jobs with the IQ of salad can breed?

Simply outrageous! I cannot understand how parents in this day and age can justify child abuse. Even in the prison system there is a hierarchy amongst criminals, with those who perpetuate crimes against children at the very bottom rung.

That poor child. I hope these parents rot behind bars. Disgusting.

What the hell is wrong with people. Has this world gone completely MAD!!!

I have had enough of hearing about some poor child dying because they are beaten or tied up and left or some other horrific act by their PARENTS!..

Why? How... how do people do this to their children? I mean.. I have a 15 month old son who is my life, I would never ever dream of hitting him or hurting him in any way, shape or form. And believe me when I say that if anyone ever hurt him, there wouldn't be a big enough piece of them found for me to be prosecuted.. This is unbelievable. These people need to be taken into a small dark room and sterilized with a piece of chain and a blow torch.

I am saddened and sicked by this.. These people should get the chair... Not in 10 years.. tomorrow..

After thinking a little more on the subject my opinion has advanced to the fact that this is not just a case of murder or manslaughter, it is forced imprisonment and toture resulting in death, far worse in my personal opinion.

What on earth did these parents think they were doing?

Bring no defence, guilty as charged.

Unfortunately these people have been labeled "terrorists" or we'd be able to hold them without trial forever.
Also unfortunately they have the right to a fair trial by a jury of their "peers"

But I do agree with you. They should be just hung in the center of town, or tied to a tree and left to die.. with a picture of their little boy stapled to their face so he is the last thing they see before they die like he did.

reply to post by tjack


It seems, that he was untied the day after and he continued to misbehave, so he was tied up again.

When the boy continued to misbehave that night, he was again tied to the tree, where he remained until his stepmother found him Thursday late afternoon. The temperature was in the 90s.

Heat, minor starvation, and a lack of water probably killed him.

I feel sorry for this kids siblings, they will now get a one way ticket to a state kid motel, probably never have a chance at a real life...

There you have it.. He undoubtedly died from dehydration, which is an absolutely horrible way to die.
When does a parent fail as a parent enough to tie a child to a tree...
This is unbelievable, misbehaving isn't enough to torture a child.. There is NO EXCUSE for child abuse... NONE!.. EVER!!.. this is outrageous..
Where the hell were the neighbours? I mean if I see a kid tied to a tree I'm not going to stand by and watch.. What is with people not getting involved anymore? Asking questions? When the hell did this country turn the blind eye to everything? And WHY? To not become a victim? SO the neighbours don't think of you badly? Screw the neighbours.. I would rather save a life than be thought about badly.

what gets me is the intensity of the reactions to the thread about the puppy being thrown over the cliff, with some even calling for execution. not quite the same intensity when it is a child that is killed.

Hey, I said these people should fry... Literally.. tied them to the road in the Nevada desert and let the heat fry them on the blacktop..
These people are MONSTERS... There is nothing that any child can do that justifies them being tied to a tree for days...

Originally posted by justamomma
what gets me is the intensity of the reactions to the thread about the puppy being thrown over the cliff, with some even calling for execution. not quite the same intensity when it is a child that is killed.

I think the difference is that the Parents were not filmed laughing while their boy died. Obviously this result was *not* there intention.

Yes they are horrible people, and should be penalized accordingly.

However the Marine you mentioned who killed the puppy was laughing and flippant about the act, so much that he video taped it.

There is more than just a dead puppy and a dead child. As angry as we are at the parents of this boy, none of us think for a moment that they meant to kill him mercilessly.

Are they stupid? Yes. Should they be punished in a very meaningful way, I think the consensus on this thread is yes. Did they *intend* to kill him and were they Joyful about it, as the marine was? No.

reply to post by Ox


awww... i am not saying individually. i mean as a whole. just seems that some more of the ones that were in the puppy thread calling for the marine's execution would be over here ranting and raving since it was a child, not an animal involved. just my observation. no offense meant to any individual, especially the ones who are posting on this thread.

Sorry, see below

[edit on 16-6-2008 by Ox]

reply to post by justamomma


No offense was taken, but when is it going to stop? When are people going to realise that they have responsibilities, they have a life in their hands.. They need to know better when no one else does.. I'm so tired of hearing about kids dying because the parents hurt them.. Where is the love? Where is it lost? When is it lost? I have a 15 month old son who I love completely... and will always and there is NO WAY I would ever hurt him..Nor would I allow any one else to hurt him and if by chance someone ever did, the world is not big enough for them to run from me. No parent should ever treat their own or anyone elses children like this... There is ZERO excuse for child abuse

i definately am in agreement that they should be punished according to their crime and truly the great tragedy is that a child lost his life, and by the hands of his own parents to boot.

i am not one to go throwing out a lot of bible verses, but in cases like thesee where so many wonder "why", i can't help but to think of the verses in there that speak about the love of many shall wax cold when the end is near.

Originally posted by Ox
Where the hell were the neighbours? I mean if I see a kid tied to a tree I'm not going to stand by and watch.. What is with people not getting involved anymore? Asking questions?

I dont mean to pick on you, but if you read the article, you would have seen that they lived on a farm:

He was first tied to the tree Tuesday and spent the night outside the family's farm in Macclesfield, about an hour east of Raleigh, and was released Wednesday morning.

Chances are, there were no neighbors to come to the rescue of this kid.