Texas Man Awaits Execution for Brutal Murder of 13-Month-Old in Alleged Exorcism Case

Blaine Milam, 35, is set to be executed Thursday for the brutal murder of 13-month-old Amora Carson in December 2008. The Texas man was convicted of killing his girlfriend's infant daughter during what the couple claimed was an "exorcism" to remove a demon from the child.

The horrific crime took place in Milam's trailer in Rusk County, East Texas. Authorities have scheduled his lethal injection at the Huntsville state penitentiary, coinciding with another planned execution in Alabama where Geoffrey West faces death for a 1997 gas station robbery murder.

Despite maintaining his innocence and attempting to shift blame to his former girlfriend Jesseca Carson, prosecutors presented evidence that Milam viciously attacked the child with a hammer over a 30-hour period. The infant also suffered bites, strangulation, and mutilation. Both Milam and Carson were 18 years old when the crime occurred.

Carson, who allegedly claimed her daughter was demon-possessed, received a separate trial and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for her role in the capital murder.

The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy testified that Amora had sustained multiple skull fractures, broken limbs, fractured ribs, and numerous bite marks. The injuries were so extensive and severe that no single cause of death could be determined.

Milam's legal team has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution, arguing that his conviction relied on "now-discredited" bite mark analysis and questionable DNA evidence. They also contend that Milam is intellectually disabled, which would legally exempt him from capital punishment.

His attorneys further claim that Carson suffered from religious delusions and a neurological disorder that distorted her perception of her daughter's face, triggering her attack on the child. "It was Carson who caused her daughter's death. There is no credible evidence that Milam played any role in it," his lawyers stated.

Previous attempts to stay Milam's execution have been rejected by state and federal appeals courts. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recently denied his request to commute his death sentence. Earlier execution dates in 2019 and 2021 were temporarily stayed.

The Texas Attorney General's Office has countered that courts have previously rejected Milam's intellectual disability claims, and recent reviews of DNA evidence continue to link him to the crime scene. Prosecutors also noted that even without the contested bite mark and DNA evidence, other factors implicated Milam, including his attempts to conceal evidence and a confession made to a nurse following his arrest.

Rusk County District Attorney Micheal Jimerson, who prosecuted the case, recalled that authorities initially treated the couple as grieving parents. Court records show Carson later told investigators that Milam claimed Amora was "possessed by a demon" because "God was tired of her lying to Milam."

The reliability of bite mark evidence has faced increasing scrutiny, with a 2016 report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology declaring it "clearly scientifically unreliable at present."

Jimerson expressed difficulty in understanding the motive behind such a heinous crime, suggesting the exorcism claim was merely a cover-up. "It's very hard to confront the idea that someone would derive their gratification from the torture of a baby. That is really something that diminishes all of us," he previously stated.

If carried out, Milam's execution would be the fifth in Texas this year, a state historically known for its high rate of capital punishment. The combined executions scheduled for Thursday would bring the national total to 33 for 2025. Florida currently leads with a record 12 executions this year and two more planned by mid-October.