A Texas man is awaiting his execution, scheduled for Thursday night, in the case of a 13-month-old who died during an alleged exorcism.
Thursday afternoon, the Supreme Court of the United States denied the convict’s appeal to stay the execution.
Blaine Milam execution appeal denied
The latest:
Death row inmate Blaine Milam, a Rusk County native, is set to be executed by the end of the day. His death will not be stopped by the nation’s highest court.
SCOTUS handed down their announcement Thursday, simply saying the application for a stay of execution and petition for a writ of habeus corpus have been denied.
The application claimed that “demonstrably unreliable and prejudicial forensic evidence” was used in Milam’s trial.
Texas baby exorcism death
The backstory:
Milam’s girlfriend’s 13-month-old infant died in December 2008. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Milam repeatedly struck the infant, causing its death.
Milam, 36, and his girlfriend, co-defendant Jessica Carson, claimed at different times that the baby had either been found injured, eaten insulation, or been exorcised, the Texas Tribune reports.
Milam was convicted in 2010 at the age of 18. He has gone through several rounds of execution appeals and stays, largely related to his intellectual abilities, reports say. The TDCJ says his highest education level is fourth grade.
Milam, much like fellow Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson, has also had his execution drawn out by “junk science”
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What’s next:
In Texas, executions are carried out at or after 6 p.m.
If Milam is put to death, it will be the fifth execution in Texas this year. Roberson’s is the only other execution set for 2025.