Texas man faces execution for killing 13-month-old girl during 'exorcism'
A Texas man is scheduled for execution Thursday for the 2008 killing of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter during what the couple described as an “exorcism” intended to remove a demon from the child.
Blaine Milam, 35, was convicted of capital murder in Rusk County after prosecutors said he beat the girl with a hammer, strangled and bit her, and inflicted multiple injuries over a 30-hour period. The child suffered skull fractures, broken limbs and ribs, and numerous bite marks. The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy said the girl had so many potentially fatal injuries that a single cause of death could not be determined.
Milam maintains his innocence, claiming that his then-girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, was responsible for the child’s death. Carson, who was tried separately, was sentenced to life without parole. Milam’s attorneys have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution, arguing that his conviction relied partly on unreliable bite mark and DNA evidence, and claiming he is intellectually disabled, which would make him ineligible for the death penalty.
State and federal courts have rejected Milam’s appeals, and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied his request to commute the sentence. Authorities assert that even excluding bite mark and DNA evidence, other factors—including a confession to a nurse and attempts to conceal evidence—link Milam to the crime.
Milam’s attorneys have argued that Carson experienced religious delusions and a neurological disorder that led her to perceive malevolent distortions in her daughter’s face, prompting the attack. Prosecutors have rejected this claim, saying the exorcism story was likely a cover for the murder.
If carried out, Milam’s execution would be the fifth in Texas this year and part of a total of 33 executions nationwide in 2025. Florida has led the nation with 12 executions so far, with two more scheduled by mid-October.
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