Waco, TX – A McLennan County jury in the 19th District Court sentenced Marianna Miles to 70 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on February 27, 2026, for Injury to a Child Causing Serious Mental Injury. The same jury convicted Miles of the first-degree felony charge the previous day.
Miles, the stepmother to the victim and her four brothers, initially gained custody of the children after both the biological mother and father were incarcerated on unrelated charges.
The case originated in 2022 when Miles enrolled the victim in Connally Junior High School in Elm Mott. During a meeting with school administrators, Miles insisted the child had severe behavioral issues, required constant supervision, and could not eat anything without her explicit permission. Educators grew concerned when they observed the girl was polite and well-behaved but appeared unkempt, inadequately clothed, extremely thin, and frequently hungry—often rummaging through trash cans for food.
In October 2022, a teacher noticed an injury on the child’s face. After initial reluctance, the girl disclosed that Miles had struck her in the face with a belt buckle. The school immediately reported the matter to Child Protective Services (CPS) and the Lacy Lakeview Police Department, launching a joint investigation.
Investigators discovered Miles kept the child locked in a sparse bedroom—often without a bed or mattress—and installed an alarm on the door that would sound if the child attempted to leave. Miles physically abused the girl through beatings and forced the child’s brothers to participate in the assaults. The child was also bound with duct tape and, in later instances, heavy chains.
Miles initially denied chaining the child to investigators, but CPS photographed the chains used on the victim. At trial, Miles admitted to the chaining.
Prosecutors presented testimony from a child psychologist who diagnosed the victim with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from the prolonged abuse, qualifying as serious mental injury under Texas law.
The jury also convicted Miles of causing bodily injury by striking the child and unlawful restraint, imposing concurrent sentences of eight and two years, respectively. Those terms run concurrently with the 70-year sentence.
By Texas law, Miles becomes eligible for parole consideration after serving 15 years (with good-time credit). The McLennan County District Attorney’s Office stated it will vigorously contest any parole release due to the severity of the offenses.
The investigation was conducted by the Lacy Lakeview Police Department, Child Protective Services, and the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Tara Avants and Will Hix.
“Our greatest privilege as prosecutors is to hold accountable those who perpetrate evil against those who are most vulnerable,” Avants and Hix stated. “This case exemplifies that. If convicted criminals were treated in the manner that Marianna Miles treated this child, prison authorities would be subject to prosecution. We are forever grateful to the real-life superheroes at Connally Junior High School, CPS, and the Lacy Lakeview Police Department who made it possible to bring justice to an offender who earned every minute of her 70-year sentence.”
