Erica Parsons was born on February 28, 1998, to Carolyn Parsons. She was just 4 pounds, 7 ounces—a small but tough little girl. Carolyn loved her baby but couldn’t afford to raise her. Just days after Erica’s birth, Carolyn decided on adoption, hoping it would give Erica Parsons a chance for a better life.
Carolyn’s brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Sandy and Casey Parsons, stepped in to adopt Erica Parsons. At only four weeks old, Erica joined their family. By 2000, the adoption was official, and Casey remembered those days fondly, saying, “We had her from four weeks old. She was calling us mama and daddy. We were the only parents she knew.”
The Parsons Family Drama
Sandy and Casey’s relationship wasn’t picture-perfect. They got married in the early 1990s and had three kids—Sandy Jr. (1992), James (1993), and Brooke (1995). But their marriage was full of problems, including reports of domestic violence. Sandy was even convicted of assaulting Casey in 1994 and 1997.
Despite their issues, the Parsons stuck together, and their family grew with Erica’s arrival. But things in their home weren’t as stable as they appeared.
In 2001, Casey tried surrogacy, advertising her services online. She connected with a woman named Amy Miller, who hired Casey to carry her baby. But this arrangement quickly fell apart. After six weeks, Casey claimed she had a miscarriage and cut off all contact.
It turned out Casey might have planned to keep the baby and had been asking for money from other people wanting to adopt. Eventually, the FBI got involved, forcing Casey to give up the baby after it was born. This raised serious concerns about her trustworthiness.
Signs of Trouble
By 2002, social services were investigating Erica’s safety. There were claims of abuse, including that Casey used a belt to discipline Erica Parsons, leaving bruises on her body. Casey denied it, saying Erica wasn’t afraid of her and that she used non-physical punishment instead.
At the time, Erica Parsons was very small for her age—only 41 pounds at four years old. Social services created a plan for the Parsons to follow, like using time-outs instead of physical punishment. But reports kept surfacing.
In 2003, Erica started attending Boston Elementary School. She was shy but sweet, with a big smile and a love for stickers. Teachers noticed she would brush her bangs away when she felt nervous but glowed when praised.
Around this time, Casey got pregnant again and was due in September 2004. But that same year, another complaint about Erica’s care was filed. It said Erica Parsons was frail, Casey didn’t want her anymore, and the family had tried to give her away.
When questioned, Erica Parsons described her discipline as time-outs or losing privileges. But social workers noticed she was still small for her age and not getting enough medical care. Neglect was confirmed, though the Parsons promised to do better.
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A Child Who Deserved More
Erica’s early years were full of red flags. From reports of neglect to constant investigations, her story shows how much she needed a stable, loving environment. Despite her struggles, Erica’s sweet personality and love of stickers left an impression on those who met her.
After years of neglect, Erica Parsons was placed with an aunt who quickly noticed troubling signs. Erica wore toddler-sized clothes, even though she was far too old for them, and was dangerously underweight. But under her aunt’s care, Erica Parsons began to thrive. She started eating properly, playing, and gaining weight. During this time, Erica confided in her aunt about the physical punishments she had endured at the hands of Casey and Sandy Parsons.
Unfortunately, her aunt didn’t seek legal custody, and after eight months, Erica was sent back to the Parsons’ household.
A Changing Life
In 2004, Erica switched schools again. That same year, Casey gave birth to a daughter on August 20. By 2005, Casey was pregnant once more but reported a miscarriage early in the pregnancy. Around this time, Casey started a business called Carolina Tail Waggers, which some described as a chihuahua puppy mill.
In 2005, Erica’s education also shifted dramatically. Casey set up a homeschooling program called Parsons Christian Homeschool, naming herself as the chief administrator. The state didn’t require background checks or demand progress reports, and records showed Erica Parsons was one of just four students. Annual test scores were never submitted, raising questions about the quality of her education.
From 2005 onward, there was little information about Erica Parsons until 2010, when a photo of her surfaced. That same year, Erica’s adoptive brother, Jamie Parsons, was arrested for biting his three-year-old sibling to “see if he could draw blood.”
In 2013, Jamie made a shocking revelation. On July 30, he walked into the County Sheriff’s Office and reported that Erica Parsons had been missing for years. His account reignited interest in her tragic story.
A Strange and Suspicious Story
Jamie told officers that back in December 2011, his parents claimed Erica had gone to visit her biological grandmother in Asheville, North Carolina. But Jamie never believed this story. He remembered how his father, Sandy, looked pale and anxious whenever Erica’s name came up.
Jamie recalled the last time he saw Erica. She was 13 years old, sickly, and seemed exhausted. Her skin looked “gray,” and she had told Casey, “I can’t breathe.” Instead of showing concern, Casey allegedly dismissed her, telling Erica to “get back in the corner.” The next morning, Jamie woke up to find Erica Parsons gone.
When he asked his parents, they told him they had taken Erica to live with her grandmother, who had supposedly contacted them on Facebook. Jamie thought this explanation felt off, especially since the grandmother’s name and contact information were never provided.
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The Investigation Begins
Detectives immediately launched an investigation. They searched the Parsons’ home, tearing up floorboards and digging in the yard, looking for any trace of Erica Parsons. Tips poured in, including reports of Erica being seen on the roadside and even calls from psychics. But none of these leads brought answers.
The FBI joined the case, offering rewards and generating national attention. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created an age-progression photo of Erica, imagining how she might look at 15. Billboards featuring the image were placed across the country.
Casey and Sandy Parsons insisted they had last seen Erica at a McDonald’s in Mooresville, North Carolina, in December 2011. They claimed they handed Erica over to her biological grandmother, who had allegedly reached out to them on Facebook. But when detectives pressed for details, Casey and Sandy couldn’t provide any proof—not even the Facebook profile of this mysterious grandmother.
Investigators tried to track down the grandmother but found no evidence that she existed. By August 2013, authorities announced they believed the story was entirely fabricated.
As the investigation heated up, Erica’s biological mother, Carolyn Parsons, flew in from New Orleans to help authorities. Meanwhile, Casey and Sandy appeared on The Dr. Phil Show. They claimed Erica wasn’t missing but was simply a rebellious teenager who no longer wanted to talk to them.
Casey alleged that the grandmother had told her Erica refused to return home after staying with her for two months. When Casey tried to contact the grandmother again, she claimed the phone number was no longer active. She interpreted this as Erica Parsons cutting them off entirely.
Still Searching for the Truth
Despite national attention and a full-scale investigation, Erica’s story remains full of unanswered questions. What happened to her after that December night in 2011? Was she truly taken to Asheville, or was there a darker secret hidden within the Parsons’ home?
Even after national attention focused on Erica Parsons’ disappearance, Casey and Sandy Parsons clung to their narrative. They portrayed themselves as loving parents and dismissed concerns about Erica’s safety, blaming her supposed disappearance on typical teenage rebellion. Despite their insistence, their story was riddled with inconsistencies.
In September 2013, Casey invited media into her home, showcasing Erica’s former bedroom in an effort to prove their innocence. But doubts only grew—both from the public and investigators—about what truly happened to Erica after she was last seen in 2011.
Detectives strongly suspected that Casey and Sandy were hiding the truth. To break through, they needed leverage, and a financial trail gave them just that. The Parsons had continued collecting federal benefits for Erica, including adoption assistance and food stamps, even though she had been missing for years.
In 2014, this fraud led to their arrest on 76 counts of federal charges. Sandy tried to claim that Casey was the mastermind and he had no idea about the finances, but the jury didn’t buy it. By 2015, Casey and Sandy were sentenced to a combined 18 years in prison for fraud.
Even with these convictions, Erica’s whereabouts remained a mystery.
Sandy Parsons Breaks His Silence
In 2016, the breakthrough came. Sandy Parsons finally confessed that Erica Parsons had died in 2011, at just 13 years old. His confession led investigators to rural Chesterfield, South Carolina, where Casey had ties.
Sandy guided detectives to a shallow grave where Erica’s remains had been hidden for nearly five years. Tearfully, he recounted the horrifying events surrounding her death.
According to Sandy, he woke up in December 2011 to Casey telling him that Erica Parsons had died. Erica’s body was placed in a plastic tote and left there for two days while the couple figured out what to do. Shockingly, during that time, the family attended a Christmas party, pretending nothing was wrong.
Eventually, they drove to Chesterfield County, where they buried Erica’s remains. To conceal evidence, they poured bleach over her body. They even removed the batteries from their phones to avoid detection during their trips to the burial site—first to dig the grave, then to dispose of her body.
Detectives recovered Erica’s remains with great care. Detective Moose, who led the case, ensured Erica was treated with the respect and love she had been denied in life. Her remains were placed in a body bag, left unzipped so she “wouldn’t be left in the dark.” A stuffed animal was added to the bag as a small gesture of compassion.
Erica was finally laid to rest, and her community grieved the unimaginable cruelty she had endured. “Erica got more love from the community than she ever did from her adoptive family,” one investigator said.
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The Evidence Speaks
In October 2016, Erica’s remains were sent to a medical examiner for analysis. The findings were devastating. Erica’s skeleton revealed years of chronic abuse. She had fractures across her body, including her shoulder blades and ribs, some of which had partially healed only to be broken again.
These injuries told a story of relentless violence. Jamie Parsons, Erica’s adoptive brother, confirmed the horrifying details. He described how Erica Parsons was beaten with belts, remote controls, and subjected to cruel punishments. One method, chillingly called “friendly reminders,” involved bending Erica’s fingers back until they nearly touched her wrist.
Despite overwhelming evidence, Casey continued to deny any involvement in Erica’s abuse or death. “I’ve never been there,” she said when confronted with accusations. She dismissed every claim, but the truth was undeniable: Erica’s remains told the story of a child who had been systematically abused, neglected, and ultimately discarded by the very people who were supposed to protect her.
Erica Parsons endured more than just physical abuse—she was systematically starved. Food was withheld for long periods, stunting her growth to the point that, at 13 years old, her bones measured the length of a nine-year-old’s. This combination of starvation and violence was classified as torture, a level of cruelty that shocked even seasoned investigators.
Family photos offered a haunting glimpse into Erica’s life. While her siblings were captured smiling and carefree, Erica Parsons often appeared standing apart, isolated and facing a corner. These images starkly symbolized the neglect and abuse she endured, a heartbreaking contrast to the happy lives of those around her.
A Community Comes Together
On June 18, 2017, Erica Parsons was finally laid to rest in a funeral funded by the Rowan County community. Hundreds of people attended, determined to give her the love and respect she was denied in life. It was a powerful moment of solidarity, as strangers came together to honor a child who had been failed so completely by those closest to her.
By February 20, 2018, Casey and Sandy Parsons were charged with first-degree murder, felony child abuse, and concealing Erica’s death. The charges reflected the gravity of their crimes, but the legal process revealed little about why they did what they did.
On August 2, 2019, Casey pled guilty to Erica’s murder and child abuse. Her courtroom statement was detached and cold, offering no real explanation for her actions. “I don’t know why I did what I did,” she said. “I failed Erica horribly.”
Sandy also pled guilty, though to second-degree murder and child abuse. He claimed to have negotiated a reduced sentence with the FBI, a claim investigators denied. Both Casey and Sandy are serving their sentences—Casey in Florida, where she begins her life sentence for murder in 2024, and Sandy in New Jersey, serving 33 to 43 years. He won’t be eligible for parole until he is 82 years old.
A Legacy of Pain
The Parsons’ motivations remain unclear, but their actions speak volumes. Erica Parsons was treated as less than human, subjected to unimaginable suffering by the people who were supposed to care for her.
While her community mourns her loss, they also fight to ensure that Erica’s story sparks change. Policies and systems must improve to protect vulnerable children and prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Though her life was filled with pain, Erica Parsons is not forgotten. Her story has left an indelible mark on her community, inspiring action and remembrance. Finally at peace, Erica Parsons is remembered not for the cruelty she endured, but for the love and respect she was ultimately given by those who came together to honor her.
