Sterling Miller, a 65-year-old White man known to many in his community as “Petey,” was a fixture on the streets of York, Pennsylvania. Described by those who knew him as a complicated but harmless soul with a childlike nature, Miller dealt with mental health and developmental issues and was sometimes homeless. He was a doting father to his daughter, Kara, and a passionate fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Orioles.
His family said his love for his daughter was his pride and joy, and he called her constantly.
On the afternoon of July 8, 2023, Miller was panhandling under a shady tree near the intersection of West Market Street and Richland Avenue. He was trying to save enough money to buy a ticket to a Cowboys game. At approximately 3:51 p.m., a man wearing a mask and gloves walked past Miller, then suddenly turned around. He pulled a handgun from his pocket, shot Miller once in the head at close range, and walked away. Bystanders rushed to help Miller until police and paramedics arrived.
Miller was transported to WellSpan York Hospital in critical condition. He remained on life support for four days before passing away on July 12, 2023. The York County Coroner's Office later confirmed his cause of death was the gunshot wound to the head and ruled the manner of death a homicide. In the days following the shooting, York City Police released surveillance images of a person of interest. Numerous tips from the community quickly led investigators to a suspect.
On July 11, 2023, police arrested 30-year-old Brandon Ellerbe outside his residence on East Philadelphia Street. He was initially charged with attempted homicide, but the charge was upgraded to homicide following Miller’s death. Ellerbe was held in York County Prison without bail. Authorities did not release a motive for the attack or state whether Ellerbe and Miller had known each other.
In August 2026, Brandon Ellerbe, then 33, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder as part of a plea agreement in which a charge of first-degree murder was dismissed. York County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kathleen Prendergast sentenced him to 20 to 40 years in state prison. Ellerbe also pleaded guilty but mentally ill to carrying a firearm without a license and received a consecutive sentence of five years of probation, which will begin after he serves his prison term.
