Child Murdered By Father's Transgender Partner | The Myls Dobson Story

0:00 Welcome to No Tears for Black Girls, a true crime series created, written and produced by award-winning writer Jon Reedberg and hosted by Samantha Paul. As the frigid January air bit into the skin of New York City, a harrowing tragedy took place that forever shattered the illusion of security for its residents. Amid a city that never sleeps, a chilling crime would leave an indelible mark on every household. A small apartment, usually filled with the innocent laughter of four year old Miles Dobson, fell eerily silent. The vibrant echoes of his joy were replaced by the harsh realities of betrayal and unimaginable pain inflicted by someone who was supposed to protect him.

0:45 This was no random monster lurking in the shadows, but a trusted figure from within his family circle as the city continued its ceaseless rhythm outside. Within those four walls, a life teetered on the edge of extinguishment. Miles Dobson was birthed into this world on a dreary April day in 2009, amidst the clamor of New York City. His mother, Ashley, and father, known simply as Okie Wade, welcomed him with open arms. Like most youngsters, Miles was full of vitality and wonder, leaving an indelible impression on all those who crossed his path. Those closest to him described him as charming, wise beyond his years and forever wearing a contagious smile. Despite his young age, Miles possessed an unflinching trust in others and exuded love for all. This was evident by the way his face lit up any room he walked into.

1:43 According to interviews with Miles's paternal grandmother, he spent his earliest days in South Carolina. Under the watchful eyes of both his mother and father's families, he was showered with affection and received ample care from those around him. But as he grew older, accusations of maltreatment began to swirl. On January 11th, 2011, the Administration for Child Services opened an investigation into Miles and Ashley after allegations of neglect surfaced. However, due to a lack of evidence, the case was closed just two weeks later. Sadly, this was not the end of Miles's suffering.

2:25 In April 2011, Ashley was arrested after a nurse at the hospital noticed lacerations on Miles's body during an emergency visit. The incident occurred while they were staying at Miles's grandmother's home in Walterboro, SC. In a video that has since been deleted, Miles's grandmother can be heard explaining to law enforcement that Ashley had intentions of moving to New Jersey with her son. However, they ended up relocating to Brooklyn instead so that Wade could assist in raising Miles alongside Ashley. Sadly, their Co parenting situation was short lived before a tragic event occurred. On one occasion, Ashley and Miles were forcibly taken from their home after a disturbance was reported.

3:11 Miles's grandmother recounted seeing him and immediately questioned Ashley about the bruises on his body. She wasted no time in seeking medical attention for him, aware of his mental struggles, which had previously led to suicidal thoughts and conversations with the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. The incident at the supermarket, captured on surveillance cameras, showed Ashley striking Miles when he ran out into traffic. She claimed it was out of fear and anger, but not malicious intent. The fall down the stairs happened later when Miles called out to her at a friend's house and he stumbled while running to her.

3:52 Despite these events, there was never any suspicion of ongoing abuse towards Miles. He remained in good spirits during interviews with officers, sipping apple juice as he smiled and answered questions. In July 2011, all charges against Ashley were dropped and she returned with Miles to New York City. It was a fresh start for them, but challenges still lay ahead. However, Miles continued to smile through it all, surrounded by loved ones in New York City. Despite accusations of neglect from ACS in August 2011 that led to Miles being removed from their home, those close to Ashley and Miles attest that she was working hard to better herself as a mother. Unfortunately, in August 2012, full custody of Miles was granted to his father, who had a history of arrests, including identity theft and allegations of violence towards women. Just a month later, he would be arrested again. Despite this complicated family history, Miles was deeply loved by both sides of his family.

5:03 The court used Ashley's struggles with mental health as ammunition against her, ultimately leading them to grant Wade sole custody of Miles. This tactic has been used before in similar cases where winning is the top priority. At the time, Ashley was still trying to get her life together and was living in a shelter in Harlem, which was justification for removing Miles from her care. The truth is that a tumultuous lifestyle can have detrimental effects on a young child, and the arrest just kept coming. It seems that when Wade was arrested just a month after gaining custody of his son, there was no one left to take care of Miles. So he would often turn to his ex-girlfriend, who he had a very rocky relationship with, to look after him. It was rumored that Wade had even been physically abusive towards her.

5:53 Things got so bad that when the ex girlfriend's mother passed away, her final request was for Wade to never set foot in their home again. Yet despite this, Wade insisted on using his ex girlfriend's address whenever asked by the judge where he and Miles were living. Now that he had full custody, Miles was seen as nothing more than a pawn since Wade would use him to collect public assistance by tying him to an address. Even after being monitored for a short time, any ACS case involving Miles was quickly closed. They assumed that since his father now had custody, he was in safe hands. But with Wade's questionable past and alleged behavior, could anyone say for sure? In some cases like this, the child is often left with one parent and they simply hope for the best. Unfortunately, things do not always turn out well, and the child, the most important part of the equation, has no say or choice in the matter.

6:53 By late 2013, Wade had started dating someone new, someone he spoke very highly of and introduced to Miles. No one knew it at the time, but this relationship would mark the beginning of the end for four year old Miles. According to reports, Wade began dating someone named Crazy King, AKA Monroe, who was 27 years old, A10 year age gap between them. King was born Christopher King but later transitioned into a woman. Wade never introduced King to anyone in his life, but spoke highly of their fancy apartment near Times Square and King's attractive physique. This mysterious new person raised questions about how they could afford such a luxurious place in an upscale neighborhood with rent upwards of $4000 a month. Wade shared tidbits with the family about his new flame, a former model who worked for Nike or perhaps designed clothing and made videos.

7:51 The truth was difficult to ascertain, as Wade barely knew King himself, but he found great joy in bragging about the lavish gift she would give to his young son, Miles, tickets to Broadway shows, designer clothes and sneakers, and a trip to Miami. Some family members warned Wade to take it slow, considering how quickly he had fallen head over heels for King. They advised him to be cautious, especially when it came to exposing his child to someone new, but Wade had full custody of Miles, so there was little anyone else could do or say. Then came the day that everyone's worst fears were realized. On June 27th, 2013, Wade was arrested on fraud charges along with 22 other suspects involved in a scheme at Atlantic City casinos.

8:41 He was granted bail and given a court date for later that year. As if that weren't enough, just a few months later, on December 19th, Wade was once again arrested at his home in Brooklyn for violating the terms of his bail. This left Miles without a father once again. Now, Miles had plenty of family members willing and able to care for him during this time. Both sides of his family loved him deeply and would have welcomed him into their homes with open arms. But instead, on December 21st, 2013, Wade made a call to King asking her to pick up Miles and become his caretaker. And thus began the tragic downfall of the innocent 4 year old.

9:26 Miles was left alone with King without anyone's knowledge or permission. Even ACS Administration for Children's Services, who monitored Wade's custody of Miles, was unaware of this arrangement because they failed to properly investigate Wade after his arrests. Had they done so, they would have known that Miles should have been placed with family, not a stranger like King who had no connection to the child or his family. But it was too late. Miles's fate was sealed when he began living with King at the Ritz Plaza on 48th St. in Manhattan. At precisely 10:50 AM on January 8th, 2014, only a week into the new year, a distress call was made to 911 regarding a motionless child.

10:14 The apartment belonged to King, and officers were summoned to the scene. They discovered Miles, limp and battered, slumped over in the bathtub. He showed no signs of life. Miles was swiftly transported to Roosevelt Hospital, where medical personnel were horrified by the state of his bruised body. Cigarette burns littered his skin and his front tooth was missing. There were also numerous Marks and wounds on his stomach and testicles, As reported by CNN, When questioned about Miles's condition, King claimed she had left him unattended on a ledge in the bathroom.

10:54 While she went into another room. She heard a loud noise and found him in the tub, unresponsive. This explanation did not align with the weeks of torture evident on Miles's body. Suspicion grew and authorities fears were confirmed when King eventually confessed. For weeks, Miles had been subjected to excruciating physical punishment at the hands of King, who stood at an imposing 5 foot 10 and weighed over £230. He was constantly beaten and whipped with hangers and belts that intentionally struck his head with metal buckles. Allegedly, this was all because he misbehaved.

11:37 King would lock him alone in the dark bathroom for hours when he acted out. On one occasion, she even slammed his head against the wall so hard that it knocked out a tooth. She burned him with cigarettes between his eyes and all over his body. Another method of torture was placing a scorching oven rack on his leg while wearing oven mitts. Miles was also bound to a chair with shoelaces and gag to muffle his cries for help. According to King, this was all because he spilled perfume in the home as punishment. He was also slowly being starved with his last full meal, allegedly on December 26th, 2013.

12:18 The last time he ate anything at all was on January 3rd, 2014. His fingers were lacerated, likely from trying to defend himself. His armpit had cuts and scars crisscrossed his back. He even received a severe beating for simply requesting McDonald's because he was hungry. Despite suffering from these horrific injuries, Miles was thrown onto the 11th floor balcony of King's apartment in freezing temperatures on January 7th, 2014, after a particularly brutal beating. According to weather reports, New York City was experiencing a polar vortex that evening with below freezing temperatures and harsh winds. Miles was left on the balcony for over an hour wearing nothing but shorts and AT shirt.

13:06 According to King's testimony, Miles had also been brutally beaten on one occasion. This was due to his confession of feeling isolated and alone in the world. While Miles suffered at the hands of King, he was left locked in a dark bathroom, battered and burned while she carried on with everyday tasks as if nothing was wrong. On his final night, Miles body began to shut down from weeks of neglect, torture, and starvation. He rapidly lost 25 lbs and eventually slipped into unconsciousness as his eyes grew hazy. Despite this, King did nothing to help him. It is believed that Miles died on the 7th, but it wasn't until later that King called the police.

13:51 She remained emotionless during her confession as the gruesome details of what Miles endured shocked the city. His tragic story was compared to that of Nick's Mary Brown, who had also suffered before losing her life. The news of Miles death was almost unbearable for many. When his mother Ashley identified his body, she screamed in agony the entire time. She had been denied visitation rights since November of 2013 and had not seen Miles in his tortured state. The last thing she expected was for him to be lifeless. The news of Miles's death was almost unbearable for many.

14:32 When his mother, Ashley identified his body, she screamed in agony the entire time. She had been denied visitation rights since November of 2013 and had not seen Miles in his tortured state. The last thing she expected was for him to be lifeless. As word spread through family, friends and the rest of the city, there was debate over who would claim Miles Body. Wade tried to make a plea with a judge for temporary release so he could make Funeral arrangements but was denied. Ashley Dobson expressed her intention to claim her child's body and it was finally claimed a week later. His body was released from the morgue to a Funeral Home in Brooklyn where arrangements were made.

15:15 A few days later, after appearing before a judge again, Wade was granted temporary release to attend Miles funeral which was held on January 21st, 2014 at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. Despite a snowstorm, hundreds of people took to the streets to pay their respects to Miles. The hearse carrying his body arrived over two hours late due to the weather. The funeral service was a brief affair. Hanford by unforeseen delays, The church was filled with an overwhelming sea of emotions as the funeral workers lifted the lid of Miles casket for all to see. His grandmother, adorned in a white suit and hat, attempted to approach the casket but was quickly escorted back to her seat.

16:02 Overcome by grief, notable attendees Ashley Dobson and Okie Wade were visibly shaken. As the harsh reality of Miles passing sank in, Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a fiery sermon, placing blame on ACS for their negligence in Miles care. In later interviews, Wade claimed that he had done everything in his power as a father and denied any knowledge of Crazy King or the details surrounding Miles tragic death. He insisted that he only knew what he had been told during his time in jail, slowly learning more gruesome details over time. As always, questions began to arise about how such a young child could fall through the cracks.

16:44 Once again, familiar excuses from previous cases like Elisa Isquerdo, Dayton Bennett and Justina Morales resurfaced, with some pointing fingers at child services, while others blamed the parents. But at the end of the day, these children are no longer here, and it doesn't matter where or who we place blame on. They suffered at the hands of monsters and those who could have prevented it should be eternally ashamed. Miles was loved and had plenty of family members willing to take care of him, yet somehow he ended up in the hands of someone unfit.

17:25 King, virtually a stranger to the family, dealt every brutal blow that ended Miles's life. And while everyone rushes to show their urgency and condolences after such tragedies occur, it is often too little too late. Rest in peace, Miles Dobson. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all his family and loved ones. Thank you for tuning in to No Tears for Black Girls, now a part of the Alive Podcast Network, the first Black female owned and operated network dedicated to amplifying Black voices. If you enjoyed this episode, please show your support by following us on the Alive Podcast app, available on both iPhone and Android.

18:09 You can also stay connected with us on social media and YouTube at No Tears for Black Girls or on X at No Tears for BG Remember to stay loved, stay blessed, and stay safe. Until next time.