TULSA, Okla. — Witness testimony began on Wednesday in the trial of a man accused of torturing, abusing, and killing his 11-year-old stepson.
John Miles III and his girlfriend, Camille Lewis, are charged with several crimes including the murder of Lewis’ son, Orlando Hugger Jr.
Orlando was last seen in 2021 and his body has never been found.
Multiple children testified about the alleged abuse and torture they had either witnessed or suffered for years.
Meanwhile, Miles said he’s innocent.
Miles was arrested more than a year ago on charges of abuse, neglect, and first-degree murder.
He pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial that began on Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, the state brought forward several witnesses to testify against Miles claiming he was guilty of the abuse and murder of Orlando even though his body was never found.
Three of those who testified on Wednesday were his biological kids, including one who is just 6 years old.
They all disclosed they had witnessed or experienced abuse from Miles dating back to 2019.
Another witness was Miles’ stepdaughter who’s Orlando’s sister.
She testified about the alleged torturous abuse she and Orlando experienced that led to her brother’s death.
The witnesses said Orlando and his sister would be locked and tied up in closets for months, denied food, denied access to the bathroom and beaten with cords almost daily.
Miles’ stepdaughter testified Orlando was having seizures from the abuse before he died.
One of those seizures allegedly happened in 2021. After that, she said she never saw Orlando again.
The defense argued because the kids were locked in their rooms or in closets for long periods of time, they could not confirm exactly who executed the abuse over the years.
Police believe Orlando’s body was burned with his ashes later dumped in the sewer.
Orlando’s sister testified that Miles told her they needed to tell people that Orlando just ran away.
Miles’ trial will continue on Thursday.
Lewis, the mother of all the children who testified on Wednesday, is facing similar charges.
She is expected to testify against Miles before her own trial begins next week.