In the winter of 1981, in Kokomo, Indiana, the lives of a young couple were tragically cut short. On the morning of December 11th, 19-year-old Kimberly Jane Miller and her 21-year-old husband, Thomas E. 'Tommy' Miller, were discovered deceased in their trailer. Kimberly, who was pregnant at the time, and her husband had both been shot multiple times at close range with a.
38 caliber pistol in what was described as an execution-style slaying.
The investigation into the double homicide soon uncovered a connection to the local drug trade. Tommy Miller was involved in distributing marijuana for a wholesaler named Marvin Bieghler. The motive for the murders appeared to stem from Bieghler's belief that Tommy had become a police informant, a betrayal symbolized by the dimes found placed near each of their bodies, a grim reference to 'dropping a dime.' Bieghler had reportedly suffered a significant financial loss when one of his main distributors was arrested, and he suspected Tommy was responsible for tipping off the authorities.
Witnesses, including Bieghler's associate Harold 'Scotty' Brook, recounted Bieghler making threats against the person he believed had informed on his operation. On the night of December 10, 1981, Bieghler and Brook had been drinking and using marijuana, during which Bieghler allegedly spoke of his intent to 'blow away' the informant. This testimony proved crucial in the ensuing legal proceedings.
Marvin Bieghler was arrested and charged with the murders of Kimberly and Tommy Miller. In 1983, a jury found him guilty on two counts of murder. Based on the jury's recommendation, the judge sentenced Bieghler to death. Despite numerous appeals that raised claims of ineffective legal counsel among other arguments, his conviction and sentence were upheld. After spending over two decades on death row, Marvin Bieghler was executed on January 27, 2006.
