Texas Man Executed for Exorcism-Killing of Girlfriend's 13-Month-Old Daughter

A Texas man was executed by lethal injection Thursday night in Huntsville for the torture and killing of his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter in a lengthy period described in court records as an exorcism. Blaine Milam, 35, died at about 6:40 p.m. local time, the fifth execution this year in the state, which carries out more capital sentences than any other in the United States. Milam was on death row for the December 2008 death of Amora Rose, who investigators say was abused in a trailer in East Texas.

Prosecutors said Milam savagely beat Amora, biting, choking and mutilating her while his girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, helped and later claimed the child was possessed by a demon. Over roughly 30 hours, authorities say the girl endured a brutal sequence of abuse that included blunt-force injuries, and a pipe wrench was among the evidence recovered at the scene. A forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy found multiple skull fractures along with broken arms, legs, ribs and numerous bite marks, and testified that the exact cause of death could not be determined given the extent of injuries. Milam’s final moments included a brief statement from the death chamber in which he thanked supporters and urged others to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. "If any of you would like to see me again, I implore all of you no matter who you are to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and we will meet again," he said. "I love you all. Bring me home, Jesus." The lethal dose of pentobarbital began flowing into his body at about 6:19 p.m., and he grimaced and snorted once before slipping into unconsciousness.

Milam faced ongoing legal challenges challenging the death penalty on the grounds that he might have an intellectual disability, arguing that executing intellectually disabled inmates would be unconstitutional. He received stays on his execution dates in 2019 and again in 2021 to allow his appeals to move forward, but he ultimately exhausted all legal avenues. A Texas court ruled him mentally fit for execution, and on Tuesday the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously declined to grant clemency.

Carson, who was 18 at the time of the killings, was tried separately and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of capital murder for helping Milam. Prosecutors described the death as a brutal campaign of abuse that touched every part of Amora’s body and life, with the pathologist saying the injuries were extensive but that pinpointing a single cause of death was not possible given the extent of trauma.

The prosecutor who tried the case, Rusk County District Attorney Micheal Jimerson, spoke to reporters after the execution, reflecting on the case and the broader pursuit of justice. Jimerson said authorities initially treated Milam and Carson as grieving parents, but that interpretation was superseded by the overwhelming evidence of the child’s injuries. He added in remarks after the proceedings that the exorcism claim may have served as a cover for the crime. "We will never know what Amora would have contributed to our world," Jimerson said, in a sentiment echoed by others who attended the execution. "Answering the call for justice for the most helpless is a measure of a civilized people." Among those present was Amora’s grandfather, Richard Mutina, who declined to speak to reporters.

Milam’s execution underscores Texas’s status as the nation’s busiest state for capital punishment. It was the fifth Texan execution this year. By contrast, Florida has led all states with 12 executions so far in 2025, with two more scheduled by mid-October. Across the United States, the two executions carried out Thursday—Milam in Texas and Geoffrey West in Alabama by nitrogen hypoxia for a 1997 robbery—lifted the year’s total to 33 executions nationwide.