New York divorcee kills detective dad, claims insanity

A Suffolk County, NY, man is accused of shooting and killing his father during an argument before the suspect fled the scene and hid in a shed on someone else’s property. The incident happened March 19 this year, and the suspect, 43-year-old Christopher Miller has pleaded not guilty because of insanity.

Police responded to a call the day of the shooting about a disturbance in the homeowner’s shed where Miller was found. Once officers arrived, they found Miller inside the shed, and the police returned to Miller’s father’s home, where they found Miller’s father, 75-year-old John Miller, a retired Suffolk County detective and volunteer firefighter, dead. Christopher had recently moved into his father’s house after a divorce.

Christopher went missing earlier that week

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A retired Long Island detective, John Miller, 75, was fatally shot by his son, Christopher Miller, 43, in a brutal attack inside their home. Prosecutors say Christopher shot his father multiple times before delivering a final blow.

After the murder,…

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Officers recognized Christopher from a missing person’s report his father, John, had tried to file earlier that week. Christopher had been involved in an automobile accident days earlier, and John didn’t know where he was. He was later informed Christopher was injured in the wreck and in the hospital. John picked his son up from the hospital on Tues. March 18.

The next day, Christopher reportedly brought a shotgun downstairs around 7:30 a.m. and he and his father fought over the weapon. A fight broke out between Christopher and his father as his dad tried to take the gun. Christopher shot John several times killing him before he fled the scene. Police say Christopher had prepared the shotgun and AR-15 the night before.

According to Long Island News 12, Christopher tried to steal a landscaping truck, but when that failed he hid in a shed on a neighbor’s property who called the police.

According to Suffolk Police Homicide Detective Lieutenant Kevin Beyrer, “He 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 his shed.”

Christopher entered a plea on his own behalf

Christopher was arrested and appeared in court Thursday, the day after his father died. He pleaded not guilty because of insanity and told the judge he was not comfortable with the legal representation assigned to him and entered the plea on his own behalf.

According to ABC 7 New York, Christopher’s defense attorney, Dan Russo said Christopher is going through something traumatic, whether psychiatric or health-related,  “but he’s definitely going through something,” Russo said.

Christopher is charged with second-degree murder and held without bail. An official motive for the crime has not been reported. Christopher faces 25 years to life if convicted.

According to the New York Post, John worked for the Suffolk County Police Department until he retired in 1995, and since then he volunteered for the West Babylon Volunteer Fire Department.

Tributes poured in for John after he died. According to the New York Post, the West Babylon FD wrote on Facebook, “Ex-Chief Miller was a decorated Suffolk County Police Department Detective and an avid volunteer, with a dedication to service few men could replicate.”

Meanwhile, John’s neighbor, Nisha Shibi told Long Island News 12, “It’s really a good neighborhood. We never had any problems. Everybody was so nice to everybody, and this was, you know, heartbreaking.”