NJ Mom, Stepfather Beat Daughter To Death: Prosecutor

PAULSBORO, NJ — A Paulsboro couple face murder charges after beating their 9-year-old daughter to death, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said.

India Miller, 27, and Sean D. Scott, 45, the girl's mother and stepfather, called 911 at about 1 a.m. Oct. 13 reporting that a child wasn't breathing, Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns said.

Scott told 911 that the child was walking the dog and was possibly struck by a vehicle, while Miller said she had heard a loud sound like tires screeching before Scott went outside and found the girl by their shed, Johns said.

The child was hospitalized with facial trauma, bruising over her entire body and other injuries that were not consistent with a vehicle crash, Johns said. Additionally, surveillance footage from nearby public buildings found no vehicle traffic during the reported timeframe, Johns said.

In an interview, the child's 4-year-old sibling told police that Scott had hit the girl in the eyes and face, Johns said.

Wet children's clothing with suspected blood was found in the home's upstairs bathroom tub, with suspected blood also found on tile around the tub, on a Swiffer Wet Jet and other cleaning supplies, Johns said.

The child was pronounced dead at 6:42 p.m.

Numerous injuries were seen on the girl, including some in the healing phase, suggesting prolonged abuse, Johns said. Both eyes showed blunt force trauma, including the left eye being swollen shut, abrasions were seen on her inner thigh and genitalia, a ruptured colon indicative of blunt force trauma was also seen, and multiple ribs were broken, some of which were in various stages of healing, Johns said.

The cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death to be homicide, Johns said.

Both Miller and Scott are charged with first-degree murder, first-degree accomplice to a murder, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree making a fictitious report to police, and fourth-degree hindering prosecution. The couple is being held at Salem County Jail.