Gloucester County couple charged in beating death of 9-year-old
PAULSBORO, N.J. - A Gloucester County mother and stepfather are facing murder charges after prosecutors say a 9-year-old girl was beaten to death.
What we know:
According to court documents, 27-year-old India Miller and 45-year-old Sean Scott called police at around 1 a.m. on October 13 to report a 9-year-old girl was not breathing. Scott told police the 9-year-old was walking the dog when she was possibly hit by a car.
Miller, prosecutors say, told investigators she heard a loud sound similar to tires screeching. Scott claims to have gone outside and found the child by their shed, according to court documents filed in the case.
India Miller and Sean Scott are facing first-degree murder charges in the beating death of a 9-year-old girl.
The child was taken to a local hospital where doctors found facial trauma, bruising throughout her body, and injuries not consistent with a vehicle crash. The child was pronounced dead just before 7 p.m., according to prosecutors.
Dig deeper:
During an interview with police, the victim's 4-year-old sibling told investigators that their dad hit the girl in the eyes and face.
Police also found suspected blood-soaked clothes in a bathtub, as well as blood on the tile surrounding a tub and on cleaning supplies. Investigators also reviewed surveillance video from nearby properties and found no vehicle traffic in the area during the alleged crash.
An autopsy found numerous injuries, some in different stages of healing, which suggested prolonged abuse. The cause of death was determined to be from multiple blunt force injuries, and the death was ruled a homicide.
What's next:
Miller and Scott were both charged with first-degree murder, first-degree accomplice to a murder, two counts each of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and more. They are both being held at Salem County Jail where they face a possible life sentence.
The Source: Information provided by the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.