On June 8, 2024, a shooting incident occurred at a home in the Bay Lake Ranch area of Osceola County, Florida, resulting in the death of 29-year-old Joseph Beck. The incident took place in the driveway of a residence on Bronco Drive near St. Cloud. Beck was shot and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Michael Alan Miller, was known to the victim. Miller and Beck were friends through their work at Miller's parents' landscaping company.
However, an argument allegedly over a pool pump escalated, leading to the fatal shooting. According to the sheriff’s office, a home camera captured the incident, showing Miller walking towards Beck, who was sitting in his truck in the driveway. Miller kicked open the passenger door, yelled at Beck while holding a gun, and struck him with the gun, with one of the strikes resulting in a gunshot wound to Beck's abdomen and an abrasion on the left side of his head.
Following the shooting, Miller fled the scene on foot. He was later located and arrested on Sunday morning at a different residence in St. Cloud, in the area of Nolte Road and Michigan Avenue, after a nearly 20-hour search. Miller was taken to the Osceola County Jail and charged with felony murder with a firearm and burglary of a conveyance by battery with a firearm. During his arrest, Miller confessed to the crime.
Miller has an extensive arrest record, including previous arrests for assault, escaping police, drug possession, burglary, and grand theft. He had served two and a half years in prison for a burglary charge and was most recently in the Osceola County Jail as of March 7, 2024.
Beck leaves behind three children: a nine-year-old girl and two boys aged five and six. His ex-wife, Brittany Harrell, described Miller as someone who had been close to their family, with Beck considering Miller like a brother. The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for Beck’s funeral services and to provide for the children.
Miller made his first court appearance on Monday and remains detained without bond pending further hearings. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office praised the public for their assistance in providing crucial tips that led to Miller’s arrest.
