Family and friends will gather this weekend to say goodbye to 10-year-old Michael Miranda — also known as Michael Webb — after his adoptive parents were arrested on capital murder charges following his death in late September. The Dallas funeral comes as the Northeast Side San Antonio community mourns the loss of a child remembered as bubbly and joyful — a brain tumor survivor who loved singing, bike rides and "Paw Patrol" — while demanding answers and accountability.
Funeral services are set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Laurel Land Funeral Home in Dallas, according to San Antonio Express-News. His grandmother, Sharon Webb, has raised more than $3,000 for funeral costs and described Michael as having a "radiant smile." Webb has also shared updates on a Facebook page called "Justice for Michael," the outlet reported.
What investigators allege
San Antonio police say officers responded around 9:20 p.m. on Sept. 24 to a home in the 5600 block of Cielo Ranch and found Michael unresponsive; he was pronounced dead at the scene, investigators told KSAT. An arrest affidavit alleges the child was confined to a laundry room and subjected to near-daily physical abuse for at least a year, and other children in the home corroborated those accounts. Police say they recovered video footage and found the laundry room arranged and used as a living space.
Medical examiner's findings
An initial review by the Bexar County medical examiner found severe malnutrition, multiple healing fractures, large open sores and a severe rectal prolapse, and the autopsy pointed to internal abdominal trauma, the examiner told San Antonio Express-News. Investigators say the examiner concluded a laceration in the lower intestine — “almost certainly caused by severe blunt force trauma” — was likely the fatal injury, though the official cause and manner of death remained pending. The arrest affidavit and a family attorney say the Mirandas adopted Michael about six years ago.
Defense and family reaction
The Mirandas’ attorney, Joseph Hoelscher, told KSAT, “Everyone who knows the Miranda family is shocked by the arrest,” and argued Michael had complex health and behavioral needs that predated their custody. Relatives — including Michael’s grandmother — have rejected that account while raising funds and awareness, sharing memories of his singing, bike rides and love of new shoes as glimpses of a bright personality.
Where the case goes from here
Jonathan and Christina Miranda were arrested in early October and charged with capital murder, local outlets reported; they remain in custody as investigators and child-welfare officials continue reviewing evidence. Under state law, capital murder is a capital felony punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole, as outlined in the Texas Statutes. Prosecutors and the medical examiner are finalizing their reviews, and no trial dates have been publicly announced.
