Alabama Mother, Cecily Burton, And Acquaintance Charged After 9-Year-Old Boy ‘Tortured’

Thirty-one-year-old Alabama mother Cecily Burton and her acquaintance, 40-year-old Marzel Mills, are behind bars this weekend, having been charged in connection with the torture and attempted murder of her 9-year-old son. Authorities say that they were alerted about the horrific abuse by an unidentified relative of the boy, who was reportedly concerned after noticing that “something was wrong” with the 9-year-old.

As Fox News reports, both Burton and Mills have been charged with attempted murder and child abuse due to the nature of the child’s injuries. The pair were arrested by police in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, earlier this week, while the 9-year-old boy in question is recovering at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. Doctors believe that he will survive the extensive abuse he allegedly endured at the hand of his mother and her acquaintance.

According to Alabama authorities, the 9-year-old victim was found to have numerous injuries indicative of long-term torture and abuse. He had suffered from over 100 bruises on his back, broken bones, “homemade stitches” on his ear, and fluid behind one of his eyes. Alabama law enforcement spoke out regarding the extreme nature of the child’s injuries, injuries allegedly inflicted by Cecily Burton and her acquaintance. According to Sergeant Mike Chaisson, the abuse marks “the most horrific child abuse case” in his 20-year career as a police officer.

As AL.com reports, Alabama mother Cecily Burton and her alleged acquaintance and cohort, Marzel Mills, were initially described as being a couple. Later news accounts of the child abuse, torture, and attempted murder of her 9-year-old have called Mills an acquaintance.

Alabama authorities were reportedly notified of the alleged abuse on Wednesday. At that time Tuscaloosa police met with the Department of Human Resources Tuscaloosa and Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. Police Lt. Teena Richardson referred to the case at the time as a “severe case of child abuse.”

However, after the 9-year-old victim was thoroughly examined by doctors, they determined that he had not just been abused but “severely tortured.” Medical professionals believe that his injuries were sustained “over a period of time.”

The nature of the 9-year-old boy’s injuries were so severe that Alabama authorities were able to obtain warrants for both aggravated child abuse and attempted murder against the victim’s mother and her acquaintance. Both Burton and Marzel were arrested and transported to Tuscaloosa County Jail in connection.

The Alabama mother and her acquaintance are each currently being held on $200,000 bond, as they await trial for the alleged torture and attempted murder of her 9-year-old son.

[Featured Image by Tuscaloosa County Jail]