Man Who Tortured, Killed 3-Year-Old Chester County Boy Is Sentenced

WEST CHESTER, PA — The man who tortured and killed a three-year-old in Chester County in the fall of 2014 pleaded guilty to first degree murder on Friday and was sentenced to life in prison, the Chester County District Attorney's Office announced. There is no possibility of parole.

Prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty for Jillian Tate, 33, the mother of victim Scotty McMillan, and Tate's boyfriend, Gary Lee Fellenbaum, 25.

Nearly three years have passed since three-year-old Scotty McMillan was tortured and murdered by the pair in a West Caln Township mobile home in early November of 2014.

Tate pleaded guilty to third-degree murder back in April, which authorities said at the time removed execution from the table for her.

The DA's Office is holding a press conference at 1 p.m. on Friday to further discuss Fellenbaum's sentencing.

From Nov. 2 to Nov. 4 of 2014, the pair tortured Scotty for days, performing a range of unthinkable acts on the child, including beating him with a metal rod, aluminum siding, a frying pan, a homemade whip, and fists, authorities said. Throughout the torture he was routinely hung from the ceiling by his feet and taped to a chair, according to the DA.

Tait and Fellenbaum went car shopping and took a nap as the child lay dying, officials said.

The incident occurred in the West Caln Township mobile home where Tate and Fellenbaum lived as a couple, authorities said. Fellenbaum’s estranged wife, Amber Fellenbaum, also lived there; she has since pleaded guilty to endangering a child.

Scott’s brother Ryan, aged 6 at the time, was also tortured but survived and was hospitalized. An 11-month-old infant also living in the West Caln Township mobile was unharmed.

The horrific incident sparked outrage in the community and inspired numerous fundraisers to fight child abuse. The Crime Victims Center of Chester County established a Trust Fund for Ryan.

"“The news of Scotty’s death rocked our community to the core," said CVC board member Laura Sweeney Derrico in 2014. "It is heartbreaking to know that Ryan will have to grow up without his brother by his side. It is our hope that through the creation of this trust, Scotty’s memory will live on and help Ryan on his journey to healing. Through this trust, Ryan will know he is not alone; he has a community surrounding him."

To learn more about the trust and to donate, see here.
Image via Chester County District Attorney's Office