GWINNETT COUNTY, GA – A 51-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury found him guilty in a case that exposed years of abuse and neglect inside a suburban home, culminating in the death of his 10-year-old daughter during a house fire. Prosecutors said the girl, forced to sleep on a piece of plywood placed over a bathtub, could not escape when flames spread through the residence.
William McCue was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, along with an additional life sentence plus 120 years, after being convicted Thursday of felony murder, two counts each of rape and incest, and three counts of aggravated child molestation, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office. His daughter, Zowey McCue, died from smoke inhalation after becoming trapped in a windowless bathroom that had been used as her bedroom.
Mother sentenced after testifying against husband
Carina McCue, 42, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment. She was sentenced to 90 years in prison and testified for the prosecution during the trial.
A fire broke out at the family’s Loganville home on April 17, 2022. Carina McCue escaped with two of her sons, then ages 12 and 8, but could not reach Zowey. William McCue was not home at the time.
The couple’s oldest son, who was 15 at the time, testified that he intentionally set the fire in an attempt to escape ongoing abuse inflicted on him and his siblings.
Testimony details prolonged abuse inside home
According to court testimony, the children endured repeated physical punishment and were subjected to extreme conditions. Prosecutors stated the children were beaten, forced to wear shock collars, and made to stand naked on cinder blocks for extended periods.
“They were not allowed to use the toilets but instead Lowe’s buckets that were emptied once a week and they were never enrolled in school nor homeschooled,” prosecutors wrote. “Evidence showed that the children flourished once they were away from their parents, although they were developmentally and educationally years behind their respective ages.”
Carina McCue also testified that her husband admitted to sexually assaulting their oldest daughter for years.
Jurors reached a verdict after about four hours of deliberation.
“The treatment of these children was horrible,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “This child’s death was unconscionable and preventable, and she and her siblings deserved better than they received from their parents.”
Zowey McCue had celebrated her 10th birthday just three days before the fire, according to her obituary, which described her as a child who enjoyed playing outside, drawing, and spending time with family.
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