Sheila Miller says men shot mother, kidnapped her Defense says Miller didn't try to escape
BY JOE CALLAHAN
STAR-BANNER
OCALA - The daughter of a murdered Villages retiree testified Wednesday that one of three men who came to her parents' home used to be her drug dealer and came to the home to bring her a gift.
Sheila Miller, 40, testified that on July 21, 2006, the men tied her up and demanded money and later killed her mother, wounded her father and kidnapped her for access to bank card passcodes.
"She turned around, grabbed her chest, looked down and moved her hands and there was a perfect bullet hole," Miller said as she looked at the 12-person jury Wednesday and testified about the day her mother, Diana Miller, 63, was killed.
Miller's testimony came during the first-degree murder trial of Jarrord Marqui Roberts, 20, and Renaldo Devon McGirth, 19, who were both charged with kidnapping, attempted murder and armed robbery in connection with the case.
If convicted, they could face the death penalty.
Miller said she was taken away from the home before her mother was fatally shot in the head and before her father was wounded with a shot to his head. Though James Miller was left for dead, he survived. He testified Tuesday.
State Attorney Brad King and Assistant State Attorney Anthony Tatti are prosecuting the case against McGirth and Roberts.
Prosecutors reached a plea agreement with a third defendant, Theodore Houston, 18, who agreed to testify against the other two in exchange for a sentence of 25 to 40 years in prison.
Miller admitted that she once had an alcohol and drug abuse problem, including a 1989 arrest for drug possession. She said her mother always paid her bills and made sure that she was comfortable during her drug addiction. She said she has not taken hard drugs since before her mother was killed.
She remembered vividly the day Roberts, McGirth and Houston entered her parents' home in The Villages of Springdale retirement community.
Miller had been in a car crash and injured her knee, pelvis and toe and that's why she moved in with her parents, who had rented beds, wheelchairs and other equipment for her.
On the day of the home invasion robbery, Miller said, she received a phone call from a man she knew only as "Pooney," whom she later identified as McGirth. He said he had a gift for her.
After giving McGirth directions, he and two others arrived at the house to pay a visit. One of the men she knew only by the name of "Bro," whom she later identified as Houston.
Just a few minutes after the men arrived, Miller wheeled herself into her room to smoke a cigarette. McGirth and Houston followed and tied her hands, head and mouth with duct tape. She then watched McGirth shoot her mother.
"She fell on the bed and began coughing up blood," Miller said. Her mother kept saying she was fine and everything would be OK.
Miller said she was taken to the van, apparently before her parents were shot one last time, and taken to automatic teller machines between The Villages and Gainesville.
She testified that she was taken in order to provide credit card and bank card passcodes and was told that if she did not do what they said, or if she called 911, they would kill her.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office found them at a store north of Ocala on U.S. 441. A chase soon ensued, leading to the arrest of all three men.
"We were going head-on with cars," she said, adding that the chase ended when deputies used Stop Sticks, which blew out the tires and eventually caused the van they were in to flip several times.
During cross-examination, McGirth's attorney, Candace Hawthorne, asked Miller about the fact that she was pushed by one of the unarmed men through Kmart in Belleview for about six minutes. The other two men, as well as the gun, stayed in the van.
Hawthorne pointed out that Miller did not scream, yell or do anything else to attract attention while inside the store, knowing the man pushing her through the store did not have a gun.
"You didn't steal anything in hopes to set off an alarm?" she asked. Miller said "no."
Hawthorne also asked Miller if she had stolen her mother's identity for the purpose of obtaining credit cards. Miller said she had.
Roberts' attorney, Henry Ferro, also cross-examined the daughter, asking how she knew McGirth.
Ferro spent about 45 minutes going through every part of Miller's testimony and pointing out inconsistencies. Ferro hinted that she had called McGirth to bring her drugs.
Hawthorne objected to Ferro's questioning, stating it would be prejudicial to her client. The objection was overruled by Circuit Judge Brian Lambert.
Miller said she hadn't seen two of the three men in the two years prior to July 2006 after their relationship became strained. Ferro asked Miller whether she thought the "gift" they were bringing her was, in fact, drugs - specifically marijuana.
"No!" she said, adding she was clean.
BY JOE CALLAHAN
STAR-BANNER
OCALA - The daughter of a murdered Villages retiree testified Wednesday that one of three men who came to her parents' home used to be her drug dealer and came to the home to bring her a gift.
Sheila Miller, 40, testified that on July 21, 2006, the men tied her up and demanded money and later killed her mother, wounded her father and kidnapped her for access to bank card passcodes.
"She turned around, grabbed her chest, looked down and moved her hands and there was a perfect bullet hole," Miller said as she looked at the 12-person jury Wednesday and testified about the day her mother, Diana Miller, 63, was killed.
Miller's testimony came during the first-degree murder trial of Jarrord Marqui Roberts, 20, and Renaldo Devon McGirth, 19, who were both charged with kidnapping, attempted murder and armed robbery in connection with the case.
If convicted, they could face the death penalty.
Miller said she was taken away from the home before her mother was fatally shot in the head and before her father was wounded with a shot to his head. Though James Miller was left for dead, he survived. He testified Tuesday.
State Attorney Brad King and Assistant State Attorney Anthony Tatti are prosecuting the case against McGirth and Roberts.
Prosecutors reached a plea agreement with a third defendant, Theodore Houston, 18, who agreed to testify against the other two in exchange for a sentence of 25 to 40 years in prison.
Miller admitted that she once had an alcohol and drug abuse problem, including a 1989 arrest for drug possession. She said her mother always paid her bills and made sure that she was comfortable during her drug addiction. She said she has not taken hard drugs since before her mother was killed.
She remembered vividly the day Roberts, McGirth and Houston entered her parents' home in The Villages of Springdale retirement community.
Miller had been in a car crash and injured her knee, pelvis and toe and that's why she moved in with her parents, who had rented beds, wheelchairs and other equipment for her.
On the day of the home invasion robbery, Miller said, she received a phone call from a man she knew only as "Pooney," whom she later identified as McGirth. He said he had a gift for her.
After giving McGirth directions, he and two others arrived at the house to pay a visit. One of the men she knew only by the name of "Bro," whom she later identified as Houston.
Just a few minutes after the men arrived, Miller wheeled herself into her room to smoke a cigarette. McGirth and Houston followed and tied her hands, head and mouth with duct tape. She then watched McGirth shoot her mother.
"She fell on the bed and began coughing up blood," Miller said. Her mother kept saying she was fine and everything would be OK.
Miller said she was taken to the van, apparently before her parents were shot one last time, and taken to automatic teller machines between The Villages and Gainesville.
She testified that she was taken in order to provide credit card and bank card passcodes and was told that if she did not do what they said, or if she called 911, they would kill her.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office found them at a store north of Ocala on U.S. 441. A chase soon ensued, leading to the arrest of all three men.
"We were going head-on with cars," she said, adding that the chase ended when deputies used Stop Sticks, which blew out the tires and eventually caused the van they were in to flip several times.
During cross-examination, McGirth's attorney, Candace Hawthorne, asked Miller about the fact that she was pushed by one of the unarmed men through Kmart in Belleview for about six minutes. The other two men, as well as the gun, stayed in the van.
Hawthorne pointed out that Miller did not scream, yell or do anything else to attract attention while inside the store, knowing the man pushing her through the store did not have a gun.
"You didn't steal anything in hopes to set off an alarm?" she asked. Miller said "no."
Hawthorne also asked Miller if she had stolen her mother's identity for the purpose of obtaining credit cards. Miller said she had.
Roberts' attorney, Henry Ferro, also cross-examined the daughter, asking how she knew McGirth.
Ferro spent about 45 minutes going through every part of Miller's testimony and pointing out inconsistencies. Ferro hinted that she had called McGirth to bring her drugs.
Hawthorne objected to Ferro's questioning, stating it would be prejudicial to her client. The objection was overruled by Circuit Judge Brian Lambert.
Miller said she hadn't seen two of the three men in the two years prior to July 2006 after their relationship became strained. Ferro asked Miller whether she thought the "gift" they were bringing her was, in fact, drugs - specifically marijuana.
"No!" she said, adding she was clean.
Joe Callahan may be reached at joe.callahan@starbanner.com or at 867-4113.
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