A New Jersey mother and stepfather charged in the death of their 9-year-old daughter are also facing scrutiny over allegations that the child endured prolonged physical and sexual abuse. Investigators are examining claims that she was homeschooled to keep others from seeing her injuries.
India L. Miller, 27, and Sean D. Scott, 45, called 911 at about 1:10 a.m. and told dispatchers that Maya Thomas had apparently been struck by a vehicle while walking the family dog in Paulsboro, according to NJ.com, citing the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police arrived at the home and found Maya unconscious. A probable cause affidavit obtained by the outlet stated that she had suffered significant facial trauma and bruising across her body.
Miller reportedly told investigators that Maya had gone outside with the dog. She said she then heard a noise “similar to tires screeching,” found the girl near a shed and carried her back into the house, according to court records.
Investigators later concluded that Maya’s injuries did not match those typically caused by a vehicle collision. Authorities ultimately determined that she had not been hit by a car, the outlet reported.
Maya was taken to Cooper Hospital, where she died at approximately 6:45 p.m.
Medical staff also found injuries involving the child’s vaginal area, NJ.com reported.
An autopsy documented extensive trauma, including abrasions on the inner thigh, a ruptured colon, several broken ribs and swelling so severe that Maya’s eyes were shut.
Some wounds appeared to be healing, suggesting that the abuse may have occurred over a prolonged period, according to the publication.
Maya’s 4-year-old half-sibling told police that Scott had struck her in the face. The child also reportedly said Maya had been hit by a Paulsboro police vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Detectives found what appeared to be blood on the tile around the bathtub in an upstairs bathroom. Wet clothing belonging to children, also marked with blood, was discovered there, authorities said.
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Blood was additionally found on a Swiffer mop and other cleaning items, investigators reported.
Miller and Scott are each facing multiple charges, including murder, child endangerment and abuse or neglect, filing a false police report and hindering prosecution, according to online records from the Salem County jail.
A spokesperson for New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency confirmed that the agency is investigating allegations of both physical and sexual abuse.
The agency was notified Tuesday, after the county prosecutor’s office contacted the New Jersey Child Abuse Hotline.
Maya’s maternal grandmother, Lynn Miller, told NJ.com that the girl was homeschooled “because they didn’t want anybody to see the bruises.”
Lynn Miller said she cared for Maya in Las Vegas from the time the child was 18 months old until she turned 7. Maya then moved to New Jersey with her mother to live with Scott.
The grandmother said her daughter ended contact with her roughly two years ago, making it difficult for her to maintain a relationship with Maya.
“She was a happy, carefree girl,” Lynn Miller said.
Miller and Scott remain held at the Salem County jail. They are scheduled to appear before a state judge on Tuesday.
Thomas’ sibling, meanwhile, is in the care of child protection, the department spokesperson confirmed.
The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency did not respond to The Posts’s requests for more information.
