Alesha Miller, Jenna Miller charged for brutally beating nine-year-old son to death
FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: Two women have been charged over the death of nine-year-old Elijah Thomas Ross in late December 2021 after the boy was brutally beaten to death. According to arrest documents by Fort Wayne Police, stepmom Alesha Lynn Miller is accused of beating Elijah to death, while the boy's mother Jenna Mae Miller, has been charged for failing to intervene. The case is now being probed by the police, as well as the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Miller's join a long list of parents who have been arrested this year, for harming and even killing their children. In March, 10-year-old Ayden Wolfe was killed by his stepdad due to repeated abuse. In September, Arizona mom Michele Cox shot her five-year-old, later deemed to be an accident. More recently in November, four-year-old Joy King-Castro was beaten to death by her foster mom in Florida, while filming the assault on camera.
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Known as filicide, the act of parents killing their own child is actually more common than you might think. While present data is unavailable, a study from Brown University in 2014 found that 500 kids are killed each year on average by their parents, with 72% of the victims being six or younger. It is truly one of the most shocking crimes, and in the case of Elijah, made worse by the fact that his step-mother beat him, his biological mother refused to intervene.
What happened to Elijah Ross?
On December 18, Fort Wayne police were sent to a home in the 800 block of Putnam Street after reports of juvenile neglect, WANE reported. The intervention came after Elijah was taken to the Lutheran Hospital, where he was admitted but unfortunately died despite attempts at life-saving measures. An autopsy by the coroner's office found the child had "multiple blunt force injuries" including bruising on his back, buttocks, arms, face, and shoulders, as well as a cut on his penis.
An investigation into the case led to the arrest of Alesha Miller on December 21, and Jenna a few days later as police discovered they were the ones responsible for Elijah's wounds. The investigation revealed that the couple was at a Christmas party when Elijah's brother began a fight with the nine-year-old. Elijah then pretended to vomit, which the boy texted the parents about. In response, Alesha told the boy to "beat him up" and make him sit in the corner till they arrived.
When they did return, Alesha reportedly beat Elijah with a wooden paddle, despite Elijah's pleas to stop. Eventually, the boy was knocked unconscious, leading the couple to put the boy in the shower, but to no avail. Jenna reportedly wanted to call the police but was discouraged by Alesha, who said they would both end up in jail. That led them to take the child to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Initially, the two lied about the incident telling the cops that the brother pushed Elijah into a bookcase, which led him to stop breathing. But after the brother told police what happened, the two conceded to being responsible. Alesha has been charged with aggravated battery resulting in death, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and two other counts of neglect of a dependent. Jenna has been charged with Neglect of a Dependent Causing Death, Neglect of a Dependent Failure to Render Medical Aid, and two other counts of Neglect of a Dependent.
Alesha was due in court on December 22, while Jenna was due to appear on December 23. it's unclear how the women pleaded, and what their current status is. According to some reports, Alesha is being held without bail. Elijah's aunt has now set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses for the child, as well as other costs for his brothers. At the time of reporting, the fundraiser has raised over $11,000 of its $20,000 goal.