Brian J. Edwards, a 37-year-old man from Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was fatally shot on the afternoon of Saturday, February 25, 2023. The incident occurred on Jifkin Street in Nanticoke, where Edwards was inside his Ford F-250 pickup truck. He was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township, where he succumbed to his injuries.
An autopsy later confirmed that Edwards died from multiple gunshot wounds, and the Luzerne County Coroner's Office ruled his death a homicide.
The investigation, led by the Pennsylvania State Police and Luzerne County detectives, quickly identified a suspect: James Scott Miller, 32, of Plymouth. Investigators determined that Miller and Edwards were involved in an ongoing feud over a woman who was Miller's girlfriend at the time. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Edwards had reportedly told his sister that if anything were to happen to him, 'Jimmy did it,' referring to Miller. On the day of the shooting, Miller was visiting a friend on Jifkin Street when Edwards drove by. Miller allegedly fired six. 40-caliber shots into Edwards' truck, with two rounds striking him. Surveillance footage captured Miller fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.
A warrant was issued for Miller's arrest, and he surrendered to authorities a few days after the shooting. He was charged with an open count of criminal homicide. Evidence recovered included six. 40-caliber shell casings from the scene and two spent rounds, one from the driver's seat of the truck and another during the autopsy. A search of a backpack Miller left at another woman's residence uncovered a holster for a. 40-caliber handgun and a box of ammunition with 21 rounds missing.
In March 2024, James Scott Miller, then 33, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. During an emotional sentencing hearing, Miller apologized to Edwards' family, stating, 'We were best friends to the worst of enemies.' He also acknowledged his actions were influenced by drug use. The court heard tearful victim impact statements from Jocelyn Thomas, Edwards' girlfriend of 19 years and the mother of their three children, who called his death a 'senseless murder.' Following his guilty plea, Miller was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison.
