Complaint: Mother made abused children help her hide body

MMSD employee placed on leave

MADISON, Wis. — An investigation into incidents in Fitchburg dating as far back as 2000 has resulted in homicide and child abuse charges against a woman who was in court on Monday.

Taylin Hill, formerly known as Minnie M. Hill and Marie Hill, made an initial appearance Monday in Dane County Court. She faces a first-degree reckless homicide charge and is also charged with five counts of intentional child abuse causing bodily harm and one count of physical abuse of a child.

Hill was placed on leave this week by the Madison Metropolitan School District. She was a substitute special education aid.

A criminal complaint includes information from a witness who said Erika A. Hill was found dead in Taylin Hill’s Fitchburg home in 2007, and that Taylin Hill had her three children help her take the body to somewhere near Chicago, where they attempted to burn it. They returned later and moved the body to a garage in Gary, Indiana, according to the complaint.

Erika Hill was adopted by Taylin Hill after Erika’s grandmother died in 2001.

The witness told police that Taylin Hill abused her children and abused Erika more than the others. All four children were removed from Madison schools out of Taylin Hill’s concern that questions would arise as a result of scarring on the children, according to the complaint.

Police said Taylin Hill took measures to avoid detection by taking the battery out of her cellphone when they drove to Chicago and attempting to obscure identification of Erika’s body by removing some of her teeth.

The witness told police that the children were afraid of their mother, who had told them that if anyone said anything about Erika’s death, they would be next.

The charges are a result of an ongoing investigation into incidents starting in 2000.