Boy Dies After Parents Tie Him to Tree

June 13, 2008 — -- A couple accused of tying their 13-year-old son to a tree for two nights to punish him for disobedience has been chargedwith murder in his death, authorities said Friday.

Brice Brian McMillan, 41, of Macclesfield,N.C., told a deputy that the childwas being disobedient and was forced to sleep outside Tuesday while tied to atree, the sheriff's office said. The teenager was released Wednesday morningbut again tied up that night for bad behavior, authorities said.

The boy was left tied to the tree until the following afternoon when hisstepmother found him unresponsive, Sheriff James Knight said in a statement.

Dwight Jefferson, an emergency responder with Pinetops Rescue Squad whowas first on the scene, said he did not know the cause of the child's death.

"What we found was a 13-year-old laying on the ground -- CPR being done byhis father," Jefferson said. "Then we took over."

Knight said the boy was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounceddead.

It was not immediately clear what the couple used to allegedly tie up theboy.

McMillan and Sandra Elizabeth McMillan, 36, also have been charged withfelony child abuse. Two other children at the home, ages 7 and 9, have beenplaced in the custody of the Department of Social Services, authorities said.

They are being held in the Edgecombe County Detention Center under nobond. The sheriff's office said they did not know if the couple had anattorney.

Macclesfield is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Rocky Mount.