Name: Erica Parsons.
Died: Died December 19, 2011; reported missing July 30, 2013; body found September 27, 2016.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Disability: Learning disability, deaf from birth.
Details:
Erica was physically and emotionally abused by her adoptive parents. They locked her in a closet, hit her, and deliberately broke her fingers.
Sometime in 2011, she disappeared. Witnesses said she was “having trouble breathing” shortly beforehand. She was not reported missing for two years.
Until Erica’s body was found, her parents could only be convicted for fraud, since they had cashed Erica’s disability checks in the years between her disappearance and its reporting.
Five years after her likely death, Erica’s adoptive father led police to her body. Her bones revealed that she had been malnourished, and had suffered many fractures from abuse. Authorities could not find an exact cause of death, but determined she had died from “homicidal violence”, probably from being strangled or from injury from beatings.
Case status:
Sandy Parsons (Adoptive father), convicted of fraud, murder, obstruction of justice, and concealment of death, sentenced to 33 years to life.
Casey Parsons (Adoptive mother), convicted of fraud, murder, obstruction of justice, and concealment of death, sentenced to life without parole.
Source:
Erica Parsons’ adoptive dad to serve minimum of 33 years for murder, abuse, obstruction
Judge rips Parsonses for Erica’s life, death
Sheriff: Erica Parsons likely dead before reported missing
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Chesterfield ‘adoptive father tortured disabled daughter before discarding her body’
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Autopsy reveals girl died brutal death, had many broken bones
Erica Parsons was 12 or 13 when her parents killed her and cut up the body, cops say
Erica Parsons’ adoptive parents charged in girl’s death, dismemberment
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Erica Parsons’ Parents To Face Death Penalty In Murder Trial