In the spring of 2018, a palpable sense of fear led to a devastating series of events in Scranton, Pennsylvania, culminating in the disappearance of 76-year-old Angela Miller, a beloved nun. On April 27, 2018, Angela, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was last seen in the West Scranton neighborhood where she resided. She lived in one half of a duplex on Washburn Street, while her sister, Rosemary Smith, and Rosemary's son, Alan Smith, occupied the other side. The day before she vanished, a growing apprehension prompted both Angela and her sister to seek emergency protection-from-abuse orders against Alan. In their petitions, they detailed a history of troubling behavior, with Angela describing her nephew as a 'sociopath' with 'deep anger issues with psychotic episodes,' and Rosemary stating he had threatened to kill her, her family, and their neighbors.
This desperate plea for help was the last time the women were heard from.
The situation escalated tragically the following morning, April 28, when Scranton police officers arrived at the duplex to serve the PFA order to Alan. Instead of complying, Alan Smith met them with a shotgun blast and proceeded to set the house on fire. When authorities were finally able to enter the smoldering remains of the home, they made a grim discovery. The bodies of Rosemary Smith and her son, Alan, were found inside the residence. An investigation determined that Rosemary had been fatally shot by her son before he set the fire and ultimately died from smoke inhalation and burns in an act ruled a suicide. However, there was no trace of Sister Angela Miller within the debris. A meticulous four-day search of the burned-out structure yielded no sign of the elderly nun, and the house was eventually demolished.
Investigators pieced together a chilling theory: they believe Alan Smith killed his aunt, Sister Angela, and used his mother's dark blue Subaru Crosstrek to dispose of her body before returning to the duplex to murder his mother and take his own life. This theory was bolstered by the discovery of what appeared to be blood in the trunk of Rosemary's vehicle, which had been parked in the driveway. Alan Smith was not unknown to law enforcement; he had a criminal past that included a prison sentence for child pornography charges and was also a suspect in a 2005 homicide, though he was never charged in that case. Despite extensive community searches and an ongoing investigation, Sister Angela's body has never been located. In February 2021, nearly three years after she vanished, Angela Miller was officially declared deceased, providing a legal resolution but little comfort to a grieving family and community. The case remains a haunting mystery, a presumed homicide where the victim has never been found, leaving only the devastating aftermath of domestic violence and the enduring question of where Sister Angela Miller rests.Last Seen: Apr 27, 2018
