A Texas jury convicted Marianna Miles of injuring her stepdaughter by chaining her in a locked bedroom and denying her food. Miles, 46, was sentenced to up to 70 years in prison. The case came to light after school officials noticed signs of abuse in 2022.
Marianna Miles took custody of her stepdaughter and four stepsons after the girl's biological parents were imprisoned on unrelated charges. In 2022, Miles enrolled the middle-school-age girl in Connally Junior High School in Elm Mott, near Waco, Texas. During a meeting with school officials, Miles described the girl as having severe behavior problems and requiring constant supervision, including permission to eat.
School staff observed the girl as well-behaved and polite but noted her unkempt appearance, inadequate clothing, thin frame, and constant hunger. Prosecutors reported that the girl would rummage through garbage cans for food. In October 2022, a teacher spotted an injury on the girl's face. Initially hesitant, the girl identified Miles as the cause, stating her stepmother had beaten her with a belt buckle. This prompted alerts to Child Protective Services and the Lacy Lakeview Police Department.
Investigators found the girl confined to a sparse bedroom without a mattress, with an alarm on the door to prevent escape. The girl testified that Miles kept her in the room for up to 20 hours a day during the pandemic. Miles also forced the girl's brothers to beat her and bound her with duct tape and heavy chains, which were discovered in the home despite Miles's initial denials.
A child psychologist testified that the girl suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Miles claimed in her testimony that she restrained the girl due to runaway attempts, three suicide efforts, and risks to younger siblings.
Assistant district attorneys Tara Avants and Will Hix stated: "Our greatest privilege as prosecutors is to hold accountable those who perpetrate evil against those who are most vulnerable." The jury convicted Miles on Thursday of injury to a child causing serious mental injury, and she was sentenced the following Friday to up to 70 years, with parole eligibility after 15 years. Prosecutors intend to oppose parole. The girl, now 16, lives with her mother and siblings in Killeen.