In the early hours of a late spring morning, the quiet of rural Kouts, Indiana was shattered by the sound of gunshots and the sight of a home engulfed in flames. Inside, authorities would later discover the body of 52-year-old Cheryl A. Miller, a woman known for her love of gardening and creating jewelry. She was a mother and a manager at a local establishment, Marti's Place at Ramsey's Landing in Hebron.
The tragic events of May 31, 2011, unfolded in what was determined to be a
murder-suicide. Cheryl Miller was found to have died from gunshot wounds, as did her estranged husband, 59-year-old Frederick Miller. The Porter County Coroner's preliminary examination led to this conclusion, with autopsies scheduled to confirm the findings.
Prior to the discovery of the bodies, the couple's 19-year-old son managed to escape the burning home. He reported that his father, Frederick Miller, had thrown a flammable device through a window of the house around 3 a.m. and that he had heard several gunshots. This was not the first instance of trouble at the residence; police had removed Frederick Miller from the home the previous month.
Cheryl, a graduate of Valparaiso High School, was remembered for her creativity and passion for arts and crafts. Her life was violently cut short by her estranged husband in a final act of domestic violence. The investigation concluded that Frederick Miller was the sole suspect in her death, and with his own death at the scene, the case did not proceed to an arrest or trial.
