Investigators say Gas City girl endured abuse before stepmom strangled her

GAS CITY, Ind. (WXIN) -- The stepmother of a 10-year-old girl reported missing from Gas City is formally charged with murder.

Police arrested 34-year-old Amanda Carmack on Wednesday after police say she confessed to killing Skylea Carmack.

Amanda is charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, strangulation, and domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to court documents obtained by FOX59, Skylea lived in a home with Amanda, her biological dad Kevin Carmack, and six other children. Three of the children are Amanda's, and the other three children are Amanda's brother's children.

Authorities interviewed the six children, and they told police Amanda is a “strict disciplinarian, physically abusing them.” They said when they were in trouble they would have to stand with their face against the wall and their hands in the air, sometimes for several hours.

They also said Amanda used a belt to whip them.

The child who shared a bedroom with Skylea said that Skylea had been confined to her room for the last week and a half, and she was only allowed to come out to eat and use the restroom.

The child said she last saw Skylea around 4 or 5 p.m. before going on a bike ride. The child said Skylea was cleaning her room when she left, but when she returned at 6 p.m. Skylea wasn't there. The child said she told Amanda that Skylea was missing, but Amanda just shrugged it off.