Woman sentenced for allowing child abuse

Bill Gang

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 10:44 a.m.

Twenty-year-old Carol Amber Miller, who has admitted she overlooked the repeated abuse that eventually led to the death of her 3-year-old daughter, has been sent to prison for three to 12 years.

The girl, who had suffered multiple injuries including a broken leg during months of abuse, died in June of head and internal injuries. Miller pleaded guilty to a felony child abuse and neglect charge for her failure to protect her daughter.

Her live-in boyfriend, Jacquin Keyshawn Webb, 29, is scheduled to stand trial May 15 on murder charges alleging he caused the fatal injuries to Michelle Miller.

When she pleaded guilty, Miller sobbed to District Judge Jeff Sobel that she hadn't protected her daughter because her relationship with Webb was "abusive -- I had fear of him."

At her sentencing this week, Miller asked for probation claiming she wasn't aware of the extent of the abuse and never saw the girl being mistreated.

But family members have given statements that the evidence of abuse was obvious, prosecutors said.

Deputy District Attorney Vickie Monroe said the girl not only had suffered a broken leg in the months before her death, but also had suffered other head and internal injuries.

Michelle Miller died June 24, a day after she was taken to University Medical Center from her home in the 5800 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard.

While the child abuse and neglect charge carries a maximum penalty of 12 to 20 years, Carol Miller's plea bargain had limited her maximum sentence to four to 12 years.