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Woman sentenced to 35 years behind bars for beating her 9-year-old stepson to death

Woman sentenced to 35 years behind bars for beating her 9-year-old stepson to death

An Indiana woman who admitted guilt to three felony charges in her 9-year-old stepson’s beating death was given a 35-year prison term.

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Alesha Lynn Miller, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana,  entered a guilty plea to two counts of neglecting a dependent as well as aggravated battery in October. Under the terms of her plea deal, a third count of neglecting a dependent was dismissed.

According to The Journal Gazette, an Allen County judge accepted Miller’s plea agreement on Tuesday and gave her the 35-year jail term that was stipulated in it.

Elijah Thomas Ross was rushed to a Fort Wayne hospital by Miller and her wife, Jenna Miller, 37, early on December 18, 2021, but despite efforts to save his life, he was pronounced dead an hour later.

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The coroner for Allen County ruled Elijah’s death a homicide and found the boy suffered multiple blunt-force injuries, including a traumatic brain injury brought on by a blood clot, before passing away.

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In their initial police interviews, Alesha and Jenna Miller claimed that they were at a company Christmas party when they got a call about a fight between Elijah and his older brother.

However, Jenna Miller later admitted to authorities that her wife [Alesha] had restrained Elijah with her legs while beating him with a wooden paddle.


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On Monday, Jenna Miller entered a guilty plea to three counts of neglecting her dependent son. A 20-year prison sentence is stipulated in her plea agreement. The date of her sentencing is January 6.

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