Erica Parsons’ Adoptive Mother Gets Life In Prison For Teen’s Murder

Guilty Plea:

Casey Parsons, the adoptive mother of murdered teen Erica Parsons, has pleaded guilty in court.  Parsons will spend the rest of her life in prison.  The plea was announced Friday at the Rowan County Superior Court.

Erica Parson was first reported missing on July 30, 2013 by her adoptive brother Jamie Parsons. He told investigators that he had not seen Erica since November 2011 when she was 13-years-old. Erica’s adoptive parents told investigators that she had gone to stay with relatives in Asheville and they had not seen her since. The case went national and Erica’s adoptive parents, Sandy and Casey Parsons, even went on the Dr. Phil Show.

Sandy eventually told authorities that Erica was physically abused and killed.  Sandy led police to the discovery of Erica’s body, which was found in a shallow grave in Pageland, South Carolina.

Sandy and Casey were both charged with murder after Erica’s body was found.

Sandy is currently in the Rowan County Detention Center facing first degree murder, child abuse, concealment of death and obstruction of justice charges.  He is facing the death penalty.

Autopsy:

The autopsy for Erica Parsons’ was released Tuesday and it gives gruesome details about injuries the child sustained throughout her life.

A medical examiner says:

The autopsy documented the skeletonized remains of an adolescent girl with fractures of the nasal bones, mandible, bilateral scapulae, 7 ribs (9 fractures total), right humerus, right proximal phalanx, and 4 vertebra all in various stages of healing. Additional evidence of injury included evidence of antemortem loss of the left maxillary central incisor. A bone density test revealed a bone mineral density that is low for chronologic age. Additionally, the lower limb long bone length showed a pronounced growth deficit.

Erica’s adoptive father, Sandy Parsons, admitted the child was beaten with a belt buckle, choked and had her fingers bent backwards.  Testimony from a court hearing also included that Erica was forced to eat dog food and was deprived of food.

SEE THE FULL AUTOPSY HERE
(Warning: Autopsy contains gruesome details that might not be suitable for everyone)

Both Sandy Parsons and his wife, Casey, were sentenced to prison on federal fraud charges.  Sandy is serving eight years and Casey is serving 10 years.

Search Warrant:

A search warrant from September of 2016 claims Erica Parsons was physically abused and killed before being buried in a shallow grave.

READ THE ENTIRE SEARCH WARRANT HERE

Erica’s adoptive father, Sandy Parsons, admitted to officials that the child was locked in a closet, beaten with a belt buckle, choked and had her fingers bent backwards, according to the search warrant.  A doctor from UNC characterized the treatment of Erica as child torture.

Parsons also told police Erica’s body was “discarded” on December 19, 2011 near his mother’s house in Pageland, South Carolina.

Erica wasn’t reported missing until July 30, 2013 by her adopted brother, Jamie Parsons.

Police and FBI agents eventually took Sandy Parsons to Pageland to locate Erica’s remains.

Parsons and his wife, Casey, are both in federal prison for receiving financial funds from the government while Erica was reportedly missing.