India Miller, 27, and Sean D. Scott, 45, both of Paulsboro, were arrested after the death of Miller’s 9-year-old daughter on Tuesday, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Police say the couple first described the girl’s injuries as the result of a car crash, but investigators allege that surveillance footage, medical findings and evidence inside the home did not support that account.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Miller and Scott initially told police the girl had been struck by a car while the family was out walking their dog. Investigators pulled surveillance footage from nearby buildings to check the story, and according to the same report, the video found no vehicle traffic at all during the timeframe when the girl was supposedly hit.
Investigators also said the girl’s injuries were not consistent with a vehicle collision. NBC10 Philadelphia reported that she had facial trauma and bruising across her body, along with other wounds authorities said did not fit the couple’s account.
Evidence Found Inside the Home
Investigators also reported finding suspected blood in the home. According to NBC10 Philadelphia, officers found wet children’s clothing in an upstairs bathroom, with suspected blood on the clothing and on tile around the tub. They also found suspected blood on a Swiffer Wet Jet and other cleaning supplies.
The girl was pronounced dead, and an autopsy conducted afterward documented extensive trauma. Examiners found a ruptured colon, multiple broken ribs, and injuries in various stages of healing, along with blunt-force trauma to the eyes, as noted by NBC10 Philadelphia. The county medical examiner ruled the girl's death a homicide.
A Young Sibling's Account
Investigators said a 4-year-old sibling of the girl told them that Scott had struck the girl in the eyes and face on the night she died, NBC10 Philadelphia reported. That detail, drawn from the child's statement to officials, was cited as part of the evidence that led to the arrests.
Miller and Scott have been charged with murder, child endangerment, making a false report to police and related offenses, and both are currently being held at Salem County Jail, per a report from NBC10 Philadelphia. The case moves forward.
How child fatality data and reviews work
The Administration for Children and Families says its annual Child Maltreatment reports cover abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies. The state department also says New Jersey’s independent Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board examines child deaths and near-fatalities to identify causes, connections to government support systems and prevention methods.
