Chester, SC parents charged; twin babies had cracked skulls, cigarette burns, bites
Parents of twin babies in Chester County were charged with felony child abuse after the infants were found with broken skulls and other bones, cigarette burns and human bite marks, officials said.
Both 3-month-old twins remain at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, where one of the children is in critical condition, said Max Dorsey, Chester County Sheriff.
The twins are a boy and a girl, according to a police incident report obtained by the Herald.
On Wednesday, deputies and agents with the State Law Enforcement Division arrested Kentovian Markell White, 31, and Jessica Megan Mills, 23, according to jail and police documents. Both White and Mills are charged with two counts of felony child abuse inflicting great bodily injury, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the sheriff’s Office.
White and Mills are the parents of the twin children, Suskin said.
The children had skull fractures and bones broken in other parts of their bodies, Suskin said. Officials also found burns believed to be from cigarettes on the children, and human bite marks on the twins believed to have come from an adult, Suskin said.
Chester County is between Rock Hill and Columbia. The S.C. Department of Social Services has custody of the children, Suskin said.
Both White and Mills face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of both counts of child abuse, South Carolina law shows. Under state law, child abuse with great bodily injury is defined as “injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious or permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.”
In addition, White faces charges of possession of methamphetamine after the illegal drug was seized from White during the investigation, Suskin said.
An outstanding arrest warrant against White for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon also was served on White, jail and police records show.
Mills and White were denied bond after an initial court appearance and remain in the Chester County Jail.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 1:11 PM.
