Tyler McMillan spent the last 18 hours of life tied to a tree, his arms and legs bound with plastic wrap. It's unclear whether it was the record-high heat, injuries inflicted by his parents or simply the over-exertion of a young man struggling to break free that caused his heart to give out last Thursday.
He was 13.
His father and stepmother, Brice and Sandra McMillan, now face murder charges for the desperate and abusive measures they used to "discipline" Tyler. They are being held in the Edgecombe County jail.
The untimely deaths of children at the hands of their parents or caregivers has been a hot topic in local news lately. Viewers relived the horror of Lynn Paddock's "ritualistic torture" that led to the death by suffocation of her adopted 4-year-old son, Sean.
The five other children adopted by Lynn and Johnny Paddock bravely faced her in court, recounting details of the abuse they suffered -- abuse disguised as discipline.
Paddock was sentenced to life in prison last week.
But child abuse in the home often goes unnoticed or unreported. Most abused children don't die. They grow up never knowing what their childhood would have been like without abuse. Many become abusers themselves.
That's why NC WANTED is dedicated to capturing violent criminals who victimize children.
Last year, NC WANTED profiled the disturbing crimes of a Target Twenty fugitive, who routinely tortured an infant using boiling water, burning cigarettes and a hot iron. As a result of your tips, Shaun Marquis Tapp was brought to justice.
We need your help again.
These Target Twenty fugitives are wanted for crimes against children:
Roger Dale Benton
Robert Trent Burkey
James Marvin Johnson
Celestino Guitierrez Molina
You can read more by browsing the links in the gray sidebar at right.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Benton, Burkey, Johnson or Molina, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.
