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Skeleton found in ceiling
Parents charged with abuse of baby, who's in hospital, as death of another child is investigated
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
Deante Miller was barely a year old when he died nearly two years ago.
His parents were unable to afford a funeral, so his father tried to cremate him in a barbecue grill, his mother told police. When that didn't work, she said, her boyfriend hid Deante's remains in the ceiling of the home where his sister used to live on Detroit's east side.
On Sunday, police were investigating the case as a homicide.
Police said they made the gruesome discovery after Deante's mother, Nickella Reid, told a state child protective worker what happened to Deante while explaining how his 1-year-old brother suffered burns over 37 percent of his body on the day before Thanksgiving.
Reid, 24, and Joseph Miller, 27, were arraigned Saturday on first- and second-degree child abuse charges for injuries to the child, who is in fair condition at Children's Hospital of Michigan.
"The allegation is he was severely abused," said Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller, who is not related to Joseph Miller.
No charges have been filed against the couple in connection with the death of Deante, who died in March 2006.
Reid told police Miller killed their son, but Miller said he died of natural causes. Reid also told police Miller scalded their other son, a charge he denied.
Miller and Reid were arrested Friday after Reid took her son to the hospital with burns he suffered from what she said was scalding water.
Hospital officials alerted state child protective workers. Reid told the state investigator that Miller scalded their son in the kitchen.
During the interview, Reid broke down and said they also had another son, Deante, who died, Detroit police said. She then told interviewers about the cremation attempt and the remains in the ceiling.
Remains recovered
Police recovered Deante's skeletal remains in the ceiling of a home in the 2100 block of Dickerson, where Miller's sister no longer lives.
The remains were taken to the county morgue to determine the cause of death. Reid and Miller are being held in Wayne County Jail on $400,000 and $700,000 bonds, respectively.
A preliminary examination is set for Dec. 4.
Reid's four other children have been placed in the state foster care system.
Miller, who also uses the alias Anthony Taffies, is an absconder from probation since May 22, 2006, for a 2002 home invasion, records show.
He had been sentenced for five years in 2002.
He also has two previous drug convictions.
One of Reid's neighbors, Michelle McCoy, said she was shocked by the allegations.
"I thought she was always nice, and this is really surprising," McCoy said.
Reports encouraged
Jeanne Fowler, president of Big Family of Michigan, an advocacy organization for abused children, encouraged people to recognize child abuse and report it to authorities because Michigan residents can make anonymous reports of child abuse.
"If you do not report child abuse, a child dies," said Fowler. "That's a pretty high price. It's too high of a price."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb...071126/METRO/711260357
Parents charged with abuse of baby, who's in hospital, as death of another child is investigated
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
Deante Miller was barely a year old when he died nearly two years ago.
His parents were unable to afford a funeral, so his father tried to cremate him in a barbecue grill, his mother told police. When that didn't work, she said, her boyfriend hid Deante's remains in the ceiling of the home where his sister used to live on Detroit's east side.
On Sunday, police were investigating the case as a homicide.
Police said they made the gruesome discovery after Deante's mother, Nickella Reid, told a state child protective worker what happened to Deante while explaining how his 1-year-old brother suffered burns over 37 percent of his body on the day before Thanksgiving.
Reid, 24, and Joseph Miller, 27, were arraigned Saturday on first- and second-degree child abuse charges for injuries to the child, who is in fair condition at Children's Hospital of Michigan.
"The allegation is he was severely abused," said Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller, who is not related to Joseph Miller.
No charges have been filed against the couple in connection with the death of Deante, who died in March 2006.
Reid told police Miller killed their son, but Miller said he died of natural causes. Reid also told police Miller scalded their other son, a charge he denied.
Miller and Reid were arrested Friday after Reid took her son to the hospital with burns he suffered from what she said was scalding water.
Hospital officials alerted state child protective workers. Reid told the state investigator that Miller scalded their son in the kitchen.
During the interview, Reid broke down and said they also had another son, Deante, who died, Detroit police said. She then told interviewers about the cremation attempt and the remains in the ceiling.
Remains recovered
Police recovered Deante's skeletal remains in the ceiling of a home in the 2100 block of Dickerson, where Miller's sister no longer lives.
The remains were taken to the county morgue to determine the cause of death. Reid and Miller are being held in Wayne County Jail on $400,000 and $700,000 bonds, respectively.
A preliminary examination is set for Dec. 4.
Reid's four other children have been placed in the state foster care system.
Miller, who also uses the alias Anthony Taffies, is an absconder from probation since May 22, 2006, for a 2002 home invasion, records show.
He had been sentenced for five years in 2002.
He also has two previous drug convictions.
One of Reid's neighbors, Michelle McCoy, said she was shocked by the allegations.
"I thought she was always nice, and this is really surprising," McCoy said.
Reports encouraged
Jeanne Fowler, president of Big Family of Michigan, an advocacy organization for abused children, encouraged people to recognize child abuse and report it to authorities because Michigan residents can make anonymous reports of child abuse.
"If you do not report child abuse, a child dies," said Fowler. "That's a pretty high price. It's too high of a price."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb...071126/METRO/711260357
