A Paulsboro vigil honored the 9-year-old as lawmakers and residents began asking whether more oversight could help protect children from hidden abuse.
PAULSBORO, N.J. — Residents gathered with candles, balloons and stuffed animals to remember 9-year-old Maya Thomas days after her mother and stepfather were charged with murder, turning a neighborhood vigil into both a memorial and a public call for answers about how alleged abuse could have gone unnoticed.
The Friday gathering near the Swedesboro Avenue home where Maya lived came three days after her death and one day after prosecutors announced charges against India Miller, 27, and Sean D. Scott, 45. As the community mourned, the case also began drawing attention from state lawmakers who said the circumstances warrant examination of safeguards for children educated outside traditional schools.
Photographs of Maya were displayed along a fence as residents, faith leaders and local officials gathered for prayers and a balloon release. Paulsboro Mayor John Giovannitti said he had spoken with Maya’s grandmother and described a community trying to support a grieving family even though many residents had never met the child.
“The grandmom is hurting right now,” Giovannitti said at the vigil. “But I told her this community that didn’t know Maya, never saw Maya would stand for Maya tonight.” The gathering followed widespread shock after authorities disclosed the allegations surrounding the girl’s death.
Prosecutors said Miller and Scott called 911 at about 1:10 a.m. Oct. 13 and reported that Maya was not breathing. Scott told investigators she had been walking the family dog and might have been struck by a vehicle. Miller said she heard a sound similar to tires screeching before Scott found the child near a shed, authorities said.
Hospital staff later found injuries that authorities said were inconsistent with a vehicle crash. Investigators said nearby surveillance video showed no vehicle traffic during the relevant period. An autopsy determined that Maya died from multiple blunt force injuries and found injuries in different stages of healing, which prosecutors said suggested earlier abuse.
The investigation also led officers to evidence inside the home, including children’s clothing and cleaning supplies with suspected blood, prosecutors said. Maya’s 4-year-old sibling told investigators that Scott had struck the girl in the eyes and face on the night of her death, according to authorities. Miller and Scott are charged with murder and other offenses. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The case has also moved into a broader policy debate. State Sens. John Burzichelli and Paul Moriarty said New Jersey has few formal requirements for families who homeschool and argued that the state should examine whether additional safeguards could help identify children facing abuse or neglect. They emphasized that homeschooling works well for many families while questioning whether the absence of routine oversight can leave some vulnerable children isolated.
Paulsboro school officials have said Maya was not enrolled in the local public school district. Authorities have not publicly detailed her recent education arrangements or confirmed what contact, if any, schools, social-service agencies or other public institutions had with her before her death. FOX 29 reported that officials had not released information about any previous agency involvement with the family.
Those unknowns have become central to the community’s questions. Lawmakers have pointed to the case while discussing homeschooling oversight, but investigators have not said that any particular education policy caused or contributed to Maya’s death. Any legislative response would require a separate examination of the facts and the state’s existing child-protection system.
Miller and Scott remained jailed as the criminal case continued. Their charges include first-degree murder, accomplice to murder, endangering the welfare of a child, making a fictitious report and hindering prosecution. The investigation remains active, and authorities have not released a complete account of Maya’s final hours or any confirmed history of prior government intervention involving the family.
For Paulsboro, the immediate response has remained centered on Maya. Candles, balloons and stuffed animals left near the home became a small public memorial as residents continued mourning a child whose death is now the subject of both a homicide prosecution and wider questions about how vulnerable children can be seen and protected.
Author note: Last updated October 18, 2026.