On November 28, 2009, 47-year-old Michael Leroy Miller Sr., a White male, was found deceased in his home in Webster Plantation, Maine. Miller, a recently laid-off mill worker, and his wife, Valerie Miller, also 47, were discovered in the kitchen of their mobile home by a visiting friend. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Family members reported that Michael Miller was found with a bullet wound to the back of his neck.
His wife was found beside him with her head on his chest.
The investigation into the double homicide initially led police to release a composite sketch of a woman who was reportedly seen at the Miller residence. However, the information for this sketch was provided by a man who was a family acquaintance, Nathaneal K. Nightingale. In a surprising turn of events, investigators later determined that the woman in the sketch did not exist and that Nightingale himself was the primary suspect. He was arrested in Burlington, Maine, and charged with two counts of murder.
Nathaneal Nightingale, who was friends with the Millers' son, eventually confessed to the killings. He told police that he had gone to the Miller's home to pawn a handgun belonging to his stepfather. According to his confession, the shooting of Michael Miller was accidental. He stated that he then shot Valerie Miller out of desperation. The motive appeared to be related to a robbery gone wrong.
In 2011, Nathaneal Nightingale was convicted of manslaughter for the death of Michael Miller and murder for the death of Valerie Miller. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Valerie Miller, with a concurrent 15-year sentence for the manslaughter of her husband. Prior to his sentencing, a tearful Nightingale apologized to the Miller family for the pain and worry he had caused.
