Mom sleeps with knife under pillow after her newborn allegedly targeted for kidnapping
Elysia Miller of Graham said she sleeps with a knife under her pillow. Her children have to be in the same room as her, always in sight. The mother of two is terrified to be at home.
“I carry a machete, a knife and pepper spray in the house and in my car,” Miller said at a news conference Tuesday.
Investigators believe a Spanaway woman attempted to poison Miller and kidnap her newborn daughter recently.
Last month, Miller responded to a Facebook post of a woman offering free newborn photos to build up her portfolio. The woman, identified by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office as Juliette Parker, was charged Tuesday with first-degree assault and second-degree attempted kidnapping.
The sheriff’s department said at the news conference Miller was not the first woman Parker reached out to on social media. Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said about a dozen women have come forward, saying that Parker offered free photos. Some said Parker also visited their homes and took photos, Troyer said.
Parker was arrested with a bail set at $150,000. She’s pleaded not guilty.
“Just because she is behind bars doesn’t mean that I have peace of mind,” Miller told reporters.
Parker visited Miller in unincorporated Pierce County three times to take photos of her newborn. Miller said Parker repeatedly offered to babysit the newborn.
On the final visit, Parker brought over wine and cupcakes with her 16-year-old daughter. The mother and teen allegedly pressured Miller to try the cupcakes. Miller described what happened after taking a bite.
“As I ate one, my lips and face started to feel numb,” she said.
As Miller’s began to feel worse, she texted a friend her two children’s names, dates of birth and explained minute-by-minute what was happening.
“I saw the photographer wiping down her wine glass and other items in my house” Miller said. “My legs and arms started to go numb, and I repeatedly started to tell the photographer and her daughter to leave my house.”
After they left, Miller realized her house keys were gone, and she began to vomit uncontrollably. She called the police and went to the hospital.
“They tested my blood and told me my symptoms sounded like what someone would experience if they were exposed to GHB, or the date-rape drug,” Miller told the press.
Police are investigating the case, Troyer said. The toxicology reports have not yet been completed. The sheriff’s department said Parker had been planning the kidnapping for at least three months.
Parker’s 16-year-old daughter was expected to be arraigned in juvenile court on the same charges as her mother.
Miller warned other moms looking for newborn photographers to have someone with them and to check references, business licenses and reviews.
“Be very careful and trust your instincts,” Miller said.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 5:11 PM.
