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Teresa Gill, 43, served six years for aggravated assault. But in May 2018, she was charged with homicide after her son, Kurtis Reed-Miller, succumbed to his injuries from his mother's abuse, court documents say.
Gill plead no contest to the third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.
The judge in her sentencing, President Judge Edward E. Guido had presided over Reed-Miller’s adoption and followed his story.
One month after the boy was shaken he was adopted by a woman named Michelle Miller, who later became the only witness called in the case following his death.
“He became the center of our lives,” she said of her adopted son. “He was truly our hero.”
She truly believed this as she gave a similar statement to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome prior to her testimony.
"First and foremost, that kid had a smile that could light up a room. That’s what I miss the most,” said Miller. “He just captured our hearts. And we were determined just to love him. And he deserved that.”
Reed-Miller was an inspiration for Miller’s other children, her eldest son went into law enforcement and her oldest daughter to become a nurse, she told the court.
“I remember Kurtis well,” Guido said, “You gave him a voice and you gave him a life. He was one lucky fellow... was amazed at the abundance of love and sacrifice.”
Gill had turned herself into police even before charges were filed in the first case back in 1998, said Defense attorney Paul Orr.
While in state prison on the aggravated assault sentence, Gill wrote an account of what had happened and sent it to all 67 Children and Youth Services agencies in Pennsylvania, Orr said. It later became the basis for a video produced for National Shaken Baby Awareness Month, according to PennLive.
Reed-Miller's biological father is still serving his sentence of life in prison for the 2003 homicide of Gill’s best friend, Melissa Ann Conrad, according to court documents.
“This is a guilt that I will carry to my grave... I’m thankful for the family who gave their life to take care of him," said Gill.
Guido sentenced her to five to 10 years in prison but she had already served more than that time for the aggravated assault case so she was granted her freedom.
“‘Tragedy does not do this case justice,” said Guido, “The silver lining is the dedication to this child that was given by his new family.”
Gill's “sincere remorse," is the reason Guido did not send her back to prison.
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