Blaine Milam Wins Stay Ahead of January 21, 2021, Execution Date
Blaine Milam, Texas
January 21, 2021
Blaine Keith Milam was scheduled to be executed at 6 pm local time, on Thursday, January 21, 2021, at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. His execution has been stayed. Thirty-one-year-old Blaine is convicted of the murder of 13-month old Amora Carson in Rusk County, Texas, in December 2008. Blaine has been on death row in Texas for the past ten years.
Blaine did not have a prior prison record. He dropped out of school after the 4th grade. He was not working at the time of his arrest, although he had worked previously. According to Blaine’s mother, Blaine stopped maturing emotionally at the age of 12. He used methamphetamine off-and-on. Blaine tried to commit suicide twice after the death of his father. At the time of the murder, Blaine was on probation for solicitation of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14.
Blaine Milam and Jessica Carson met in January 2008, and became engaged on prom night. When they met, Jessica had recently had a child, Amora, with another man. Shortly after becoming engaged, Carson moved in with Milam.
At 10:37 am, on December 2, 2008, police received an emergency call from Milam. His first words were “My name is Blaine Milam, and my daughter, I just found her dead.” By the time police arrived 20 minutes later, two ambulances were already at the scene. Police found EMTs standing in the doorway of the master bedroom. Milam and Carson were kneeling over an infant on the floor.
The first responding police officer observed that the baby was bruised and not breathing or moving. Another police officer arrived and Milam and Carson were separated for questioning. Milam told the police that the couple had left the child sleeping in order to walk up the road to talk to a man about clearing some land for them. They returned approximately one-hour later, stating they “found the baby in that condition.” Milam was cooperative with the police, and gave consent for the search of his car and home.
A Texas Ranger then interviewed Milam. Milam claimed that he and Carson had found Amora in a hole in the bathroom floor, which was being remodeled. He also claimed Amora was still alive when he called the police. Milam later changed his story, saying that Carson called the police before they had found the baby. He also said when they found Amora, she was dead. Milam denied any involvement in the death of Amora. By the end of their conversation, the Texas Ranger considered Milam a suspect.
The Texas Ranger also interviewed Carson. At first Carson was “crying and acting very distraught.” She then drastically changing her demeanor. She started referring to Amora as “that baby,” and told the Ranger a story he described as “extremely bizarre.”
When police talked to the man Milam and Carson said they had met with that morning, he denied any meeting with them. A video surveillance showed that the couple had visited a pawn shop, and pawned two items. Milam’s sister received a phone call from around 9:30 am, in which Milam said he had “found Amora dead.”
A search of the trailer revealed extensive DNA evidence. It highly unlikely that Amora was killed anywhere else. Police also received a tip from Milam’s family, after his sister visited him in jail, that there was more evidence under the trailer. Police obtained a search warrant and discovered more evidence that matched previously discovered evidence.
The medical examiner in the case testified that the injuries to Amora were extensive, making it impossible to determine an exact cause of death. Many of the injuries would have been fatal on their own. Numerous bite marks were also discovered on Amora’s body. An expert was able to testify with “reasonable degree of dental certainty” that a number of the bite marks were from Milam. Carson was excluded from all but one of the bite marks. Milam’s brother was also tested. He did not match any of the bite marks.
During Milam’s trial, his attorneys focused on Carson as the murderer. Milam’s trial had to be moved from Rusk County, where the murder occurred, to Montgomery County, due to the notoriety of the case. In May 2010, Milam was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to death. One year later, Carson was also found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During Carson’s trial, she alleged that Milam was controlling and violent. Additionally, she alleged that at the time of Amora’s death, Milam was performing an exorcism on the girl.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stayed the execution of Blain Milam, over concerns regarding his mental competency.
Please pray for peace for the family of Amora. Please pray for strength for the family of Blaine Milam. Pray that if Blaine is innocent, lacks the mental competency, or should not be executed for any other reason that evidence will be presented prior to his execution. Please pray that Blaine may come to find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
For more information regarding how your financial support can help, please click here.
