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NC couple has hearing in death of son tied to tree

Submitted by WWAY on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 11:20am.READ MORE:
TARBORO -- A couple charged with murder in the death of their 13-year-old son - who police say died after he was tied to a tree for two nights - have made a brief appearance in a North Carolina court. Attorneys appeared Monday with 41-year-old Brice Brian McMillan and his wife 36-year-old Sandra Elizabeth McMillan of Macclesfield. Edgecombe County District Court Judge Joseph Harper formally informed the couple of the charges against them. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for July 2. Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight said the McMillans are accused of tying the boy to a tree for two nights to punish him for disobedience. He was found unresponsive outside the house on Thursday. (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Unbeileivable

Submitted by Guest on Sun, 07/06/2008 - 4:20pm.
I can't imagine anyone tieing a child to a tree, especially parents. That is pure torchure. Just think about growing up and being friends with someone that is very nice and kind to everyone. The kind of person that would not hurt a fly. Then, something like this happens. It makes you wonder what was really going on? What happened to make that person allow this to happen? Why did this person do this? I don't understand. Noone will ever know everything.
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tying boy to tree

Submitted by patti (not verified) on Thu, 06/19/2008 - 2:19pm.
i think these parents shouldn't even be given a trial.what they did to that poor child is beyond words.put them in a small building with no air and let them feel what it's like to die.then throw their bodies in a swamp for the alligators to eat!
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crazy people

Submitted by Sue York (not verified) on Thu, 06/19/2008 - 9:31am.
What is wrong with people? How could anyone do this to a child or anyone for that matter. I agree with others tie the parents to a tree and let them suffer like thier son did. I couldnt treat a animal the way they did thier own child.
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Tied to a tree

Submitted by Bernadette (not verified) on Tue, 06/17/2008 - 1:50pm.
In today's day and age you need a license for everything it seems. Maybe some people need to apply for a license to be parents. Sad, so very sad.
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They should recieve

Submitted by GuestUSER (not verified) on Tue, 06/17/2008 - 11:15am.
They should recieve the same punishment that they gave him. Tie them to a tree in 100 degree weather with no water or shade let them die a slow death the way they did their son. I have 3 and would never do that. If they are outside playing they carry a bottle of water with them and come in occasionally to get out of the heat. This was sick.
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13 year old tied to tree

Submitted by Beth Tucker (not verified) on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 12:04pm.
I totally agree that the parents should be tied to a tree and left to die. I can not imagine what torture that kid went through those 2 days or much less how he even lived to be 13. You know this wasn't the first time the parents had gone overboard with their punishment. Unfortunately we will now be spending our money to house the parents in jail until they get to go to trial, which will probably be years and they will never get the justice they deserve.
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Totally agree

Submitted by Steve44 (not verified) on Thu, 06/19/2008 - 11:31pm.
Totally agree
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Ignorance

Submitted by GUEST123 (not verified) on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 11:21am.
This couple is guilty of being homeschooling, Christian fantatics, who became obsessed with control. No one has total control over their teenager's behavior. This couple is guilty of IGNORANCE -- what did they think was going to happen when they just left that boy out there all night, all morning, and ALL AFTERNOON?? No one checking on him. No one listening to him screaming or crying for help. No one thinking about the heat or the smoke from the wildfires nearby. They were just obsessed with CONTROL and POWER. I don't think they meant to kill him, but they were ignorant, and now a little boy is dead.
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Re;Ignorance

Submitted by what??? (not verified) on Thu, 06/19/2008 - 5:13pm.
I saw this person's comment and had to reply. You want to talk about ignorance? I am a homeschooling, Christian, mother of 3 wonderful children and would never think of doing anything to my children such as this.You sir/madam are the ignorant one if you think they did this because they were homeschooling Christians...they were CRAZY!! They meant to hurt that little boy. Those of us who are Christians and homeschool are automatically obsessed with CONTROL and POWER? Ok..if you say so. You evidently have it all figured out.
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What was the actual cause of

Submitted by Guest103 (not verified) on Tue, 06/17/2008 - 11:13am.
What was the actual cause of death?
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That's what I wonder about.

Submitted by Guest8642 (not verified) on Mon, 06/30/2008 - 2:04am.
That's what I wonder about. According to the arrest warrants for the parents, there was "bruising to the wrist, cuts to entire body, missing flesh from buttocks, results from being tied to a tree for approximately 18 hours resulting in death" It's an arbitrary sentence. I can't figure out if death was from bleed or (more likely) for exposure
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This is so sick! It breaks

Submitted by Guest226 (not verified) on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 12:02pm.
This is so sick! It breaks my heart to hear the things that people do in this world today!
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yes this is sick

Submitted by total shock (not verified) on Tue, 06/17/2008 - 11:52am.
I think the parents should be tied to a tree in the sweldering heat and left for two days without water or food. An eye for an eye. That is what is wrong with this world today. People don't have to face real consequences for their actions.
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