Macclesfield, NC: Tyler Gene McMillan was reportedly 13 years old when he died. On June 11, 2008, his father, Brice Brian McMillan, 41, tied Tyler to a tree, with his hands and feet restrained with zipties, because Tyler was "being disobedient". McMillan left him outside and restrained until the following morning, when Tyler was released. In the afternoon of June 12, Tyler was again restrained and tied to the tree, and left there for as long as 24 hours.
Edgecombe County Sheriff James L. Knight told the News Observer that although the teen was found tied with plastic ties that were similar to handcuffs, that "there were other things on the body that led us to believe" the parents had used other restraints as well.
(left--mugshots of Brice McMillan and Sandra Mcmillan)
Late in the aftenoon of June 13, his stepmother, Sandra Elizabeth McMillan, 36, found Tyler unconscious. According to the local paper, "Temperatures in the area rose to above 90 degrees on Thursday afternoon, with a low of 73." According to another local report, Tyler was tied up "while the area was blanketed in dense, acrid smoke from the Pocosin Lakes wildfire to the east. State officials had warned residents to stay indoors because of the smoke's health threat."
The crime took place in a relatively rural area, and Tyler reportedly was in the backyard, so it is perhaps not surprising that no passersby came to his aid.
Tyler's birth mother, Michelle "Mickey" Sasser McMillan, is reported to have died several years ago. In a news story at a local television station, WITN-TV, Mickey McMillan was remembered:
She once worked at WITN-TV and was a school teacher in Pitt County. Mickey is remembered as a delight to be around, always cheerful and a great mother. Those who knew Mickey well say she was loved and took great care of her family and co-workers.
Sandra Elizabeth McMillan was previously married to Dwayne "Scott" Wilburn of Rockledge, FL, who died in 2002 . There was a child from that marriage, Brynana Shay Wilburn.
Mr. and Mrs. McMillan have been charged with murder and felony child abuse. Two younger children in the house, ages 7 and 9, have been placed with child protective services. It is not clear from news reports if the two surviving children are Mickey McMillan's children or Sandra Elizabeth McMillan's.
Sources:
Wilson Times
WRAL
Gant Daily News
WITN-TV
GREENVILLE -- Tyler Gene McMillan, 13, passed away Thursday, June 12, 2008, at Heritage Hospital. The funeral service will be conducted Monday at 10:30 a.m. in Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church. Burial will be beside his mother in the family cemetery.
Tyler was born and raised in Pitt County. He began his schooling at Greenville Christian Academy and then attended Trinity Christian School. He grew up attending Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church. Tyler was active in many hobbies. He enjoyed reading, fishing, karate, being a Boy Scout and watching Professional Wrestling. He loved playing outdoors with his cousins.
He has gone to join his mother, Michelle (Mickie), who preceded him in death.
He is survived by his father, Brice B. McMillan and stepmother; brother, Ryan Wesley McMillan; stepsister, Bryanna; paternal grandparents, Sam and Vi McMillan; maternal grandparents, Carl and June Sasser and Dessa Forsythe; and a very large and loving extended family. The family will receive friends at Wilkerson Funeral Home Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations for an Educational Fund for his surviving brother in the name of Ryan Wesley McMillan may be sent to P. O. Box 2483, Winterville, NC 28590. Online condolences at StarNewsOnline.com
Stories like this are truly heartbreaking. Your story brought to mind this story: Turlock: Man Beats Toddler to Death
Heartbreaking for the child and absolutely sickening towards any adult who could do this to a child.
update: the man's name was Sergio Casian Aguiar; he was separated from his wife, Frances Liliana Casian.
Posted by: ms_teacher | Monday, June 16, 2008 at 09:45 AM
God. That's horrible. I don't even know what to say other than that I'm offended in the very deepest depths of my soul.
Posted by: Karoli | Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 12:04 AM
I am praying for the ones involved in this situation and I am heartbroken over this young boy's death. How could these parents be so cruel?
Posted by: Donna Fincher | Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 09:33 PM
Tell me how in this world did the neighbors
not hear something unless he,of course, was
already dead when he was tied to the tree,or he was gagged. He didn't necessarily
have to die at this tree. For the life of me, I just don't understand at all what would possess anyone to do such an evil thing.
Posted by: jw | Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 04:53 PM
My sister and I (twins - 19) both cried when we heard this story! We are members of the Salvation Army in Edinburgh, and we've got a Prayer Circle going for Tyler and his siblings. We've downloaded his picture from this website and put it on our mobiles and laptops so we can remember and pray for him when the fickle, scummy media have got bored with this story and forgotten he ever existed. Let's hope Justics is done and seen to be done!
Posted by: Sarah Dewar | Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 08:27 AM
My older cousin has just given birth to a healthy baby boy. She was very upset when she heard the story of Tyler, so her husband and her have agreed to name their new son Tyler Gene Wilson, as a mark of respect and rememberance to Tyler. Would anyone else who has had (or is having) a boy consider naming him Tyler Gene as well?
Posted by: Sarah Dewar | Friday, August 22, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Somebody MUST have heard that boy suffering and dying - the "neighbours" must accept some guilt in the boy's MURDER!
If Tyler hadn't gone to glory when he did, how much longer were the so-called parents going to TORTURE that poor kid?
Comming from a "nation" of primitive savages, what else can you expect - they're American!
Posted by: Katie Duff | Thursday, October 02, 2008 at 04:05 AM
I quite agree with Katie's remarks.
The so-called neighbours should be charged with being accomplices by their lack of care!
Posted by: Kathryn Thompson | Thursday, October 02, 2008 at 04:34 AM
Katie's question says it all!
How much longer were they going to torture him?
Typical American!
Posted by: Gemma Simpson | Friday, October 10, 2008 at 09:49 AM
What could Tyler possibly have done to deserve such a fate? The Japanese did that to the POWs in the Far East during the last war, and they were tried for Crimes Against Humanity.
Americans - that says it all!
Posted by: Donna Charlotte Jones | Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 02:23 PM
Americans have faults just like every other country around the world, but you can't judge the country based on it's worst citizens. And if you bothered to read the story, there weren't any "neighbors" as the house was rather "rural", meaning no neighbors!
The barbaric Americans will deal with their criminals in a fair manner in a court of law. America has been cleaning up after Europe's "hands off" policies for 200 years, I think we can deal with these two lowlifes.
Posted by: kenneth | Thursday, December 25, 2008 at 11:23 AM
The prisoners they will be mixing with now are the scum of the earth, but they do at least have one redeeming quality - they HATE child abusers and child killers! Let us hope and pray their fellow prisoners will save the taxpayers of North Carolina the cost of a trial!
What posses someone to be so cruel to another human being - especially a child?
According to Google, North Carolina is right in the middle of the Bible Belt - which doesn't surprise me! This is a clear warning for us to be on our guard against Christian Funadmentalism as much as Islamic Funadmentalism!
Posted by: Ruth Burns | Friday, January 09, 2009 at 05:53 AM
I have been following this story for a while now and I just need to clear something up for the people who have not done any research but are commenting about neighbors being guilty for not doing anything....
Tyler's family lived on 30 acres of wooded land. If you look at his home address (listed in many reports) you will see this. In fact the home is up for sale now and all photos and information about the property are shown on Realtor sites.
Tyler was placed in the back of the property on 30 acres of woods. There are nothing but trees. That boy could have screamed all night and there wouldn't have been anyone to hear or see him. If anyone did, they probably attributed it to 3 kids playing at the home. Tyler had 2 other siblings living there. I am sure however Tyler was very quiet out of fear of continued beatings. (the reason why he had flesh missing from his buttocks and legs).
There was never any reports of anything being heard by anyone. Again 30 acres of land and their neighbors as well lived on large lots of land too. No one was close to this house. Very convenient for the monsters who murdered him.
Hope that helps and please keep that sweet boy in your thoughts.
Posted by: Leigha | Friday, September 24, 2010 at 02:19 PM
Murdered in cold blood by his own family in the name of religon! That says it all!
Posted by: Richard Campbell | Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 09:14 AM
Would someone please tell me what Tyler did that was so bad his so-called father and stepmother tortured him to death in cold blood in such a cruel and horrific way?
R.I.P. Tyler!
Posted by: Anton Burrows | Tuesday, December 07, 2010 at 01:15 PM
no excuse for this poor boys death lets change the laws these people are either executed or a .life sentence
Posted by: deborah philp | Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 02:56 AM
It's now Tyler's 17th birthday - we'll never know what he will have grown into or achieved in his life.
Tortured and murdered in cold blood by his own family in the name of religon. That says it all!
Posted by: Richard Campbell | Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 01:44 PM