UPDATE 12/23/08 – Tyler McMillan’s autopsy report has finally been released, six months after his death. The 13-year-old died after a severe beating and hours tied to a tree as punishment. Tyler’s official cause of death is “dehydration and heat stroke”. His body temperature was 105.6, his wrists and ankles had restraint marks, and he was covered in bug bites. The boy also had chunks of flesh missing from his buttocks, and marks from being beaten with a rod-like object. His father and stepmother will be in court in January to face murder and child abuse charges.
Macclesfield, NC (June 13, 2008) – It can really suck to be thirteen years old. Especially if you have parents like the McMillans, whose idea of discipline is right up there with crucifixion for fun. Brice Brian McMillan, 41, and his wife Sandra Elizabeth McMillan, 36, got upset with Brice’s son Tyler McMillan for being “disobedient”. So on Tuesday night, they made him sleep outside, tied to a tree.
On Wednesday morning, the couple let Tyler out of his bonds for awhile. But by Wednesday evening, the kid was tied him to the tree again. Only this time, he was left there overnight and most of Thursday, until Sandra McMillan finally went to check on Tyler and found him unresponsive.
When first responders arrived on the scene, they found Tyler on the ground with Brice McMillan doing CPR in a vain effort to resuscitate his son. You know, it seems to me that if a guy knows enough to do CPR, he should also know that tying someone to a tree for a long period of time in June can kill ‘em.
I don’t actually know what position the boy was tied in, or even what he was tied with. But given that the kid died, it could be that he was tied standing up against the tree, probably with his arms outstretched. A position like that could cause death by slow asphyxiation within a day as the child fell asleep and sagged against his bonds.
Or, possibly, Tyler was tied another way and was strangled on the rope, or he could have died of heatstroke or dehydration. Frankly, there are just too many ways to kill someone by tying them to a tree in June. Especially a child. I mean, come ON, people, can’t you just ground the kid or take away his cell phone or something?
Two other children in the home, ages seven and nine, were taken into protective custody by the Department of Social Services.
Brice and Sandra McMillan were arrested and charged with murder and felony child abuse. They are being held in the Edgecombe County Detention Center without bond. Um, crucifixion looks pretty good as a sentencing alternative, don’t you think? Tie the McMillans to a tree for a couple days, see how they like it.
UPDATE 12/23/08 – Yesterday, Tyler McMillan’s autopsy report was finally released after six months of legal wrangling by WRAL News in Raleigh, NC, to challenge a judge’s order to seal the findings. Tyler’s death in June was horrible – but the condition of his body indicates severe abuse that began before the boy was tied to a tree.
Tyler’s official cause of death is “dehydration and heat stroke”. His body temperature was 105.6, his wrists and ankles had restraint marks, and he was covered in bug bites. The boy also had chunks of flesh missing from his buttocks, and marks from being beaten with a rod-like object. Brice and Sandra McMillan are due in court on January 13 to face murder and felony child abuse charges.
UPDATE: 6/16/2009
