News footage of Christopher Miller being escorted out of court by police (News 12 Long Island).
A man from New York was discovered hiding in his neighbor’s shed after law enforcement was notified about a disturbance. Upon escorting him back to his father, a retired police detective, it was revealed that the older man had been shot dead — allegedly by his own son.
Christopher Miller, aged 43, was apprehended by Suffolk County police on March 19 following a report of a disturbance in a backyard shed. Responding officers identified Miller and linked his name to a missing person’s report filed by his father, John “Jack” Miller, earlier in the week. Upon returning Christopher Miller to his father’s residence, the authorities found the deceased body of John Miller inside the house.
According to Suffolk Police Homicide Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, Christopher Miller purportedly emerged from the stairs at around 7:30 a.m. on March 19 while carrying a shotgun. An altercation allegedly occurred when Jack Miller tried to disarm his son, resulting in the son supposedly shooting his father multiple times before fleeing the premises. Prosecutors mentioned that Christopher Miller tried to steal a vehicle but was unsuccessful in his attempt.
Beyrer reportedly told the station that Christopher Miller was seen by the homeowner of the property where the shed was located. The neighbor said Christopher Miller “walked past the homeowner and wouldn’t respond to her questions about what he was doing. And the homeowner just saw a person walk into [the] shed.” The neighbor then called police.
Authorities said that Christopher Miller recently moved back into his father’s home after the younger man got divorced. On March 17, Christopher Miller got into a car accident and was hospitalized after getting into a fight with another driver, but at the time, Jack Miller didn’t know his son’s whereabouts, News 12 Long Island reported. Jack Miller, 75, intended to report his son missing, but was informed by police that his son was in the hospital.
According to police, Jack Miller picked his son up from the hospital on March 18. The next morning, the retired Suffolk County police detective and volunteer firefighter was dead.
Christopher Miller was arraigned in a Suffolk County courtroom on March 20 and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He is charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bail.
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