Nevaeh Alana Miller
August 22, 2007 - March 22, 2008

Nevaeh died on Saturday, March 22, 2008. Because of an unselfish act on the part of her parents, other babies have been given new life:

Janet Stolz made a great point when she said:

Jereme J. Bassett was accused of abusing and causing the death of Nevaeh. Jereme was the boyfriend of Jennifer Wilcox, Nevaeh's mother. Jereme was held in the Spokane, Washington jail on $1. million dollar bail. The charge was second degree murder.

Janet was told about the condition of Nevaeh on Friday morning. A member of her family called her while they were on the way to the hospital. Jennifer was already there as well as Brian Miller, who is the father of Nevaeh and Janet's nephew. Jennifer was in shock at the situation while Brian was angry. There were reports about Jereme's
drug use and how he had a troubled a childhood:

Jennifer, who was 29 at the time, had come home from work that day to find Nevaeh in an unresponsive state. They were living in a hotel room, which they had rented at the Wynn Motel, while Jennifer tried to save money to rent an apartment. Their previous landlord had sold the place they were living in and they had been forced to move. They lived in the room with her daughter and her son, who was eight, from a previous relationship:

Jereme had called her that day to tell her that Nevaeh had fallen and hit her head, however, she seemed to be okay according to him. Apparently, he then turned to smoking Marijuana with his friends.

Janet said that Jennifer and Brian had dated for a few months before Nevaeh had been born. They eventually broke up, though they did remain friends and Brian was a very active father. Nevaeh, she said, was a typical baby:

The weekend that was spent at the hospital with Nevaeh and the details of what Jereme did to her, were horrible. The hopelessness of the entire situation was overwhelming:

The priest who baptized Nevaeh said that her baptism was going to ensure that they didn't need to worry about her eternal fate:

The Neptune Society was going to cremate Nevaeh at no charge to the family. A memorial service was arranged by Jennifer's coworkers at the hospital where she worked in Spokane.

The Neptune Society is cremating the child at no charge, Stolz said. Wilcox's coworkers at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Spokane are arranging a memorial service. 

Site creators note: I have read about the troubles Jereme has had and would normally put a few those into the story. Out of respect for Janet Stolz and Nevaeh, I am not going to do that here. I think whatever he went through as a teenager, from what I have read, is a result of his own choice in making bad decisions. I feel bad for what 
his family is going through and have read some of their comments. I WILL talk about the court dates and things along that line.

Jereme's bail was upheld by District Court Judge Debra Hayes and he was also banned from using the phone after it was discovered that he was trying to call Jennifer. County Deputy Prosecutor, Kelly Fitzgerald, said that Jereme's brother, Josh, had called Jennifer several times while visiting his brother in jail.

Police said that the day that she had been injured, Jereme had called Jennifer to tell her that Nevaeh had fallen and that she cried for a few minutes before she fell asleep while drinking a bottle. Some of his friends stopped by and saw that he was scared and anxious and they tried to revive Nevaeh and then while she lay there limp and un-
responsive, though they say she was breathing, they smoked some Marijuana. Jennifer got home about 5:00pm and called 911.

Jereme would later say that he was drying Nevaeh off after he had given her a bath. The doctor at Sacred Heart Medical Center said that the injuries which killed her, were typical of those seen in babies who had died due to Shaken Baby Syndrome.

A Spokane man who murdered a 7-month-old girl, then assaulted her older brother, faces 12 to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced next month.

Jereme J. Bassett, 24, has been in Spokane County Jail since March 20, 2008, the day his now ex-girlfriend brought her daughter, Nevaeh Alana Miller, to Sacred Heart Medical Center with head trauma so severe doctors said recovery was hopeless.

Bassett recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and third-degree assault of a child and will be sentenced May 3.

“I wish he would have burned in Hell instead, but it sounds like this is the best deal we’re going to get,” said Nevaeh’s grandmother, Deborah Parks. “It’ll never replace what he took from us.”

The assault conviction stems from Bassett choking Nevaeh’s 8-year-old half-brother and slamming him into a bed after the children’s mother, Jennifer Wilcox, rushed Nevaeh to the hospital. The boy had commented to Bassett that Nevaeh “was brain dead,” according to court documents.

Bassett was unemployed and regularly watched Nevaeh and the boy while Wilcox worked.

Wilcox returned the day of Bassett’s arrest to find her baby unresponsive in the room she and Bassett shared at the West Wynn Motel on Sunset Boulevard.

Bassett had called her earlier to say Nevaeh had fallen and hit her head but seemed OK. He told police he tried to revive the child, then smoked marijuana with two friends who were visiting.

Nevaeh was pronounced dead on March 22, 2008. Her organs were donated to three babies. Parks said she stays in contact with the parents of the baby who received Nevaeh’s heart. “That’s made a big difference,” she said.

Bassett has past convictions for possession of a controlled substance, residential burglary, and attempted first-degree theft.

His criminal history calls for a standard sentencing range of 144 to 244 months.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Annette Plese approved Bassett’s plea deal on Thursday, the same day Spokane police announced the arrest of 18-year-old Tyler L. Jamison on accusations that he assaulted his 2-month-old daughter, SkyeLynn. 

A judge sentenced an admitted baby killer to 15 years in prison Monday but denied the slayer’s mother a final request: a hug before deputies escorted him away.

Jereme J. Bassett, 24, last month pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of 7-month-old Nevaeh Alana Miller, who was the daughter of Bassett’s girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Wilcox. Bassett also pleaded guilty to third-degree assault that stemmed from him choking Wilcox’s 8-year-old son after he learned Nevaeh was brain dead.

Superior Court Judge Annette Plese sentenced Bassett to 15 years in prison, following a plea agreement between Deputy Prosecutor Kelly Fitzgerald and Assistant Public Defender Kevin Griffin. However, Bassett will get credit for more than two years he has served in jail since he harmed Nevaeh on March 20, 2008, in the room he and Wilcox shared at the West Wynn Motel on Sunset Boulevard.

“You have hurt me so bad,” Nevaeh’s paternal grandfather, Lester Hart, said in court. “The first chance I got to see her, she was already dead. May the rest of your life be filled with pain and misery because Nevaeh’s life is over.”

The girl’s mother, Jennifer Wilcox, pointed out how Bassett did nothing to help Nevaeh after he assaulted her so severely that the girl was declared brain dead when she arrived at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. In fact, Bassett smoked marijuana with a couple friends after beating the girl and it was Wilcox who rushed the girl for medical help hours later when she returned home from work.

Nevaeh died two days later, but not before three other babies received the benefit of her transplanted organs.

“You are not capable of understanding the unconditional love I have for my children,” Wilcox said in court. “I feel in my heart that justice is being done Monday. I fought the fight that my kids could not.”

Bassett’s mother, Tammy Naugle, asked the judge for two things. She wanted to speak on her son’s behalf, and she requested that she be able to hug her son before he was sent to prison.

“His father abused him. His father abused me,” Naugle said with tears. “I’m sincerely sorry to everyone in her family. My son has been man enough to take responsibility for his actions. I’m losing my child, too.

“I failed you as a mother and never thought to take you away from an abusive father. I just pray that everyone in Nevaeh’s family can forgive him.”

But Plese denied Naugle’s request for the embrace, pointing out that Wilcox did not have the opportunity to hug Nevaeh goodbye.

Bassett, who was unemployed at the time and has previous convictions for possession of drugs, residential burglary and attempted first-degree theft, struggled to speak. But he asked for forgiveness from Nevaeh’s family.

“I would like to apologize … for the pain and grief I have caused,” he said. “I am truly sorry for what happened.”

Call this number to report child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child  1-800-422-4453

Share this page with your family and friends!

Your Name: 

Your E-mail Address: 

Family Or Friends E-mail address: 

This button will take viewers to the page you are viewing right now.
NOTE: ALL e-mail addresses are kept confidential.
NEVER harvested and NEVER shared with anyone
other than who YOU send this page to.

My sincerest appreciation goes out to Diane Trembly for allowing me to use one
of her beautiful Angels to make the graphics for this set. Please visit her site,
by clicking the link below, to see all of her amazing work.