Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Rope_guy » Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:40 pm

This at the http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/06/nc-boy-dies-aft.html?csp=34 USA Today web site:

North Carolina parents have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of their 13-year-old son, whom they punished by tying him to a tree for two nights, the The (Raleigh) News & Observer reports.

Brice Brian McMillan, 41, and Sandra Elizabeth McMillan, 36, the boy's stepmother, were also charged with felony child abuse. They are being held without bail in the Edgecombe County Detention Center.

The sheriff's department has not identified the boy or released details of why he was punished.

The teen was bound with plastic ties and nylon rope. "An adult couldn't get out of those," said Sheriff James Knight.

He was first tied to the tree Tuesday and spent the night outside the family's farm in Macclesfield, about an hour east of Raleigh, and was released Wednesday morning. When the boy continued to misbehave that night, he was again tied to the tree, where he remained until his stepmother found him Thursday late afternoon. The temperature was in the 90s.

The boy was unconscious and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Two other children, ages 7 and 9, are in the custody of the county social services.

The McMillans will be in court Monday.

Postby BondageLA » Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:21 am

That is horrible and makes me really angry and sad. Just a horribly stupid, neglectful and selfish decision made by these idiot parents. It's going to cost them everything and cost their son his life...

However, I don't feel a murder charge is just. These people should receive a just punishment even on top of the fact that they know they killed their child. Murder is characterized by premeditation and implies the parents intended and planned to kill their child. Surely they didn't plan to kill him but no doubt the fact that he was bound elevates the charges from manslaughter.


For me this is a sobering reminder that stupid, unsafe and non-consensual tie ups can be dangerous, deadly and can bring about added legal consequences like the death penalty. A very real possibility for this couple in North Carolina...

Just stupidity!

Postby scotgoth » Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:39 am

This is the most horrific story I've ever heard. I'm not defending the parents, but its doubtful they actually had murder in their minds. However, they should spend the rest of their lives in prison reflecting on what they've done, and never be allowed anywhere near any other children again.

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Nuclearo » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:36 am

@scotboy:
Please don't post on discussions that ended over 2 months ago, especially when you have nothing to add but racist slander.
Join our irc channel!! http://chat.mibbit.com/#tugsnet It's fun!!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Fesselfan » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:47 am

A difficult topic, but I will say my opinion now, too.

No doubt, this is a great tragedy. And it shows that in reality a tied up person should *never* be left alone, no matter how good that may sound in the stories here.
I do not know what exactly caused his death, but what I do know, when tied up even minor problems can become major ones (that's just one reason why selfbondage is dangerous).

Is this murder? for me not. Murder (at least in the definition I know from my country) implies that
a) you wanted to kill the victim
b) and have done it with planning and/or for personal gain

I don't see it in this case.
IMHO, the parents need psychological help. After all, this doesn't sound like a spontaneous idea. And honestly...whoever thinks tying up their children is an ok educational method is nuts.

Base line is, we simply don't know. Were the parents simply helpless and did not know better?

And to my foreforeposter...judging a whole country based from the action of two individuals doens't exactly qualify you as above-stoneage, either.

Cheers

FF
There are 10 kind of people in the world.
Those who understand binary numeral system, and those who don't.

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Gemscot » Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:02 am

What a truly horrific story! My sister and I broke down a cried when we heard it. When our parents saw it they said (even though we live in Scotland) "if the so-called parents couldn't or wouldn't cope with Tyler, we would happily have opened our homes and hearts to him!" Not ever likely to happen I know, but that's our feelings.

Without wishing to offend anyone or causing any controversies, shouldn't our concerns be on the TORTURE Tyler suffered and respecting his memory, and also what is in the best interests of Ryan and his step-sister -sorry I forgot her name. NEVER mind the human rights of the so-called parents - they ceased to be human when they tied him up the first time!

Whether or not they INTENDED Tyler to do is neither here nor there! As parents they had a moral and legal duty to care for their children, and they let them ALL down by what they've done. They should spend the rest of their lives in a prison cell and NEVER be allowed near ANY children (especially Ryan and his step-sister) again!

Once again I will apologise if I've offended anyone!

:?

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Gemscot » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:24 am

My great grandfather was a POW in the Far East during the last war, and he wept when he heard this tory.

He said this is what the Japs did to POWs and many of them didn't survive. The Japs were tried with crimes against humanity and that's what the McMillans are guilty of!

Hopefully their fellow prisoners will "deal with them" in prison!

Whether or not Tyler had any health conditions is totally irrelevant - HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN TIED TO THE TREE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Misquamicut » Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:16 pm

How do we know that the parents really did not intend to kill him? That is the problem. Fact is, they tortured him over many hours and he is dead as a result. They had many hours to observe and act on his condition. They let him die.

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Gemscot » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:32 am

I couldn't agree more with Katescot!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby ruthtie » Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:37 am

Just one question - what did Tyler do that was bad enough to justify being tortured to death in such an inhuman and barbaric manner? IF he deserved discipline, couldn't they have just confiscated his mobile or his computer for a specified period of time? It really frieghtens me that there are people (using the term lossely) out there who are capable of such savage cruelty! :(

I do agree with the point made above that to tar all Americans with the same brush just because of the actions of two is way out of order - and racist slander as the poster called it. I have many American friends, and while most of them are "a bit odd", they would NEVER in their worst nightmares dream of such savagery. More importantly, making such a "catch all" phrase implies that Tyler and his survivingg siblings are primitive pre-neanderthals - an insult to his memory and his suffering?

I googled Bible Belt and guess what - North Carolina fits right in the heart of this region! Tyler's suffering and MURDER is a clear warning to all civilised peoples (regardless of their faith or not) in the world that Christian Funadmentalism is just as evil and just as dangerous as Islamic Fundamentalism!

I pray that Tyler is at peace with his one true parent in heaven, and that his so-called father and step-mother spend all eternity in hell suffering the wrost tortures imaginable!

R.I.P. Tyler Gene McMillan

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby ruthtie » Sat Feb 07, 2009 2:35 am

I learn from the blogs that the death penalty has been taken off the table! I have mixed feelings about that. They tortured that poor kid to death in the most cruel and inhuman way possible - shouldn't they pay for his life with theirs? However, life in prison is probably worse because we all know what prisoners do to child abusers and child killers.

Just one question - what Bible do they read? Nowhere in my Bible (Good News Version) does it advocate the torture and murder of children!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Fesselfan » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:05 am

This is of course a highly debatable opinion, but I think you read too much into the religious side of this.
The parents are one thing: mentally ill/disturbed. It does not matter if they are christians, hindus, attheist or whatever. As you pointed out, doing such things is not promoted by the bible (and I am pretty sure not by most other beliefs).

However, regardless of tylers case, I wholeheartedly agree with your sentences about fundamentalism.
Albeit today islamic fundamentalism may seem the most threatening, people seem to forget that in the past especially christianity had it's dark ages, too. Talk about things like crusades, missionaries in the new world, etc etc.

Cheers

FF
There are 10 kind of people in the world.
Those who understand binary numeral system, and those who don't.

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby ruthtie » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:49 pm

I'm sorry if I appear to obsessed with religon.

Partly as a church goer (Salvation Army) myself, I feel a sense of outrage that they dare to call themselves Christians after what they did to Tyler.

All the websites carrying Tyler's story refer to his parents being "christians", and as a Psychology student myself, I;m getting a picture of religous fundamentalism and mental illness/impairment coming together in the so-called parents. Knowing absolutely nothing about American geography and culture, a hunch lead me to Google "Bible Belt" and North Carolina is right in the middle of it!

Christian fundamentalism is just as alive and dangerous today as Islamic fundamentalism, as this case proves!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Gemscot » Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:36 am

Rest In Peace with your one and only true parent (your biological mother) and our LORD dear, sweet Tyler Gene!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Gemscot » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:06 am

I've since learnt from the website updates that Tyler's step-mother has posted bail and is living freely in a comfortable home with unrestricted access to her daughter!

Tyler lies dead in his grave and Ryan is now having to rebuild his life!

So much for the rule of law!

America is such aa great example to the rest of the world - NOT!

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Sophietie » Sun May 29, 2016 11:22 pm

How could any supposedly civilised, Christian people be so cruel to any human being, let alone their own child?

Re: Parents charged with murder after tying boy to tree

Postby Sophietie » Mon May 30, 2016 4:48 am

They're Americans in the Bible Belt - what more can be said?