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Colton's Legacy

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On Saturday September 21st, 2019 around 2:45pm Cassandra Tanner-Miller and her 9-year-old daughter Camryn and 18-month-old son Colton were having a normal routine Saturday where nap time was right around the corner. Cassie put Colton down for a nap and was about to finish putting groceries away and then have Cam and herself lay down as well. When she was putting away the groceries, she saw a figure move past her back door and realized it was her estranged husband. He presumed to break into her house through the back door in which she pushed Cam behind her. The monster came into her house with a smile on his face and said, "are you all ready to die today? We're all dying today!" 

With a smile on his face, he beat Cassie over and over and over again. Cassie screamed for Camryn to go get Colton and get out of the house.  She put up the most amazing fight, fighting him off for nearly 30 minutes. She did everything in her power to protect her babies but you cannot fight off a trained military killing machine who has the training, muscles, anger and the influence of drugs overbearing you. She fought so hard, he ended up giving her two black eyes, a broken nose, broken jaw, fractured knee and strangled her until she lost consciousness. This monster then proceeded to beat her on her back while she was laying face down with a massive decorative candle holder that had a metal rod in it. He jumped up and down on her legs/kneecaps trying to make sure her legs were broken so she could not go get her babies. 

He then left Cass to go onto finding Camryn. He got in Cams face with a huge smile on it and said, "are you excited? You're going to die today". He proceeded to beat Cam and strangle her. He went to grab her shirt but her shirt slipped through his hands and she was able to run down the stairs. At that moment she ran past Cassie and Cass began to regain consciousness and told her to go run for help. 

**As more details unravel from the investigation, the police are now stating that the mark on Cassie’s back is actually from a bullet that grazed her back. They were able to determine from the blood on the stairwell that it was Cassie’s blood, the bullet holes along the wall on the stairwell determined he was standing at the top of the stairs by the banister shooting down at her while she was crawling up the stairs trying to get her babies. She was in and out of consciousness but crawling to a man with a gun to do everything in her power to protect her babies**

The monster moved onto his next victim and went on to shoot baby Colton two times. He then went downstairs to finish off Cass and Cam but Cass gained full consciousness and was able to escape and save one of her babies. They both were outside while he tore apart the house trying to find them. Without luck, he went back upstairs and unloaded 7 more bullets in baby Colton’s body and then turned the gun on himself like a coward. 

This is Colton, Camryn’s and Cassie’s story. They fought, they fought so hard and they are both such strong, brave survivors and fighters who lost their world and they need tons of love and support right now. Cassie has the most loving heart and always puts everyone before herself, especially those children. She is one of the best moms anyone has ever seen and gives her children the world. She would give her shirt off her back for anyone and has the best intentions. Both Cass and Cam had their worlds torn apart, their futures were robbed, their sanity has been jeopardized, their happiness has been destroyed and their sense of security will never be the same. Camryn’s innocence was robbed. Colton’s life was robbed. Cass was robbed of Colton’s life and Camryn ever having a normal future after what she survived.

This account is to help both Cassie and Cam begin to heal and try to make things easier on them. Cam is going to need a lot of therapy and counseling after the horrific events that just unfolded in that house on Saturday and the tragedy that she survived. We would like funds to be raised for Camryn’s future schooling, a new house for the family, for Colton’s Law that Cass is now going to dedicate her life to establish  stricter policies and procedures regarding people’s criminal history, current behaviors and punishments. Cass did everything she could to protect her kids, she moved out, separated and got a restraining order. There are now video footage being released to police from neighbors who have outdoor security cameras of him skipping to their house waving his gun around. This monster had an agenda and nothing was going to stop him from allowing them to move on with their lives without him. Domestic violence, mental illness and drug abuse are very serious and real problems. Restraining orders are a joke. People who have an agenda and the intent to kill, will do what we it takes with or without a gun. It’s time to make real some changes and so this account is for whatever they would like to do to move forward.

Thank you!

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/i-met-the-devil-that-day-grieving-mom-speaks-out-after-husband-kills-young-son-himself-561183311.html?amp=y

Organizer and beneficiary

Andrea Carlene
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Cassandra Miller
Beneficiary

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