On a tragic day in Rogue River, Oregon, the life of Shane Heiwa Roork, a 35-year-old White/Caucasian male, was violently cut short. On November 4, 2020, what began as an attempt to retrieve personal property escalated into a deadly confrontation that also claimed the life of his 58-year-old father, Duane Allen Roork. The father and son, who were from the Ukiah and Willits areas of California, had traveled to a hemp farm on East Evans Creek Road where they were known to the residents.
The situation turned fatal following a heated argument over money between Duane Roork and a resident of the property, Joshua Robert Miller. Witnesses reported that Miller became agitated by the Roorks' arrival and the appearance of a second vehicle. During the dispute, Miller opened fire, shooting both Shane and his father. As the second vehicle fled the scene, Miller also fired upon it. After the shootings, Miller took the bodies of both men and left the property, prompting a large-scale manhunt.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office, assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies including SWAT teams and the U.S. Marshals Service, launched an immediate investigation and search for the armed suspect. The bodies of Shane and Duane Roork were discovered the following day on nearby Bureau of Land Management land, approximately half a mile from the scene of the shooting. The search for the suspect concluded in the early morning hours of November 6, 2020, when Joshua Robert Miller was located at a nearby residence and taken into custody without incident.
Miller was initially charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse, and one count of attempted second-degree murder. He claimed to investigators that he had acted in self-defense, believing he was being threatened. However, witnesses stated they did not believe the victims posed a threat to him. Ultimately, in April 2025, Joshua Robert Miller pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse. For his role in the deaths of Shane and Duane Roork, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
