Poison

Summary

48 Hours Podcast Episode Summary: "Poison"

Introduction

The December 5, 2024 episode of CBS News's "48 Hours," titled "Poison," delves into the chilling case of Eric Miller, a respected pediatric AIDS researcher whose life was abruptly ended by arsenic poisoning. Host Anne-Marie Green guides listeners through the intricate investigation, highlighting key evidence, intense interviews, and the profound impact on those involved. This episode not only uncovers the layers behind a meticulously planned murder but also showcases the relentless pursuit of justice by law enforcement and the enduring pain experienced by the victim's family.

The Tragic Death of Eric Miller

Eric Miller, at 30 years old, was the epitome of a successful young scientist. Living in Raleigh, North Carolina, he was deeply involved in research that made significant contributions to pediatric AIDS studies. On a seemingly ordinary evening, after a night out bowling with colleagues, Eric returned home severely ill. Despite his deteriorating condition, he was released from the hospital as his symptoms resembled a severe flu ([01:12]). However, his condition worsened over the following weeks, culminating in his untimely death.

Initial Investigation and Suspicion

Immediately after Eric's death, blood tests revealed alarming levels of arsenic, a potent toxin. This discovery shifted the investigation from a natural cause to foul play. Detective Deborah Regentine was dispatched to Eric's home to collect samples of all potential sources of arsenic, including personal care products and items from the refrigerator ([09:01]). Meanwhile, Eric's family grappled with the horrifying realization that their beloved son and husband had been murdered.

One family member poignantly states, “Test results came back and they showed Eric had received very high doses of a very lethal toxin. Was someone trying to kill Eric Miller?” ([03:17]). This moment of raw emotion underscores the initial shock and confusion surrounding Eric's sudden decline.

Unveiling Potential Motives and Suspects

Lieutenant Chris Morgan took the helm of the investigation, focusing on individuals with access to arsenic and potential motives to harm Eric. The primary suspect early on was Daryl Willard, a 37-year-old biochemist and colleague at the same company where Eric's wife, Ann, worked as a chemist. Daryl's proximity and the circumstances of the poisoning positioned him as a person of interest.

The plot thickened when phone records revealed multiple late-night communications between Ann Miller and Daryl Willard. Additionally, a seemingly innocuous business trip to Chicago raised eyebrows, as there was no record of such a trip being officially sanctioned by their company. These revelations suggested a deeper, possibly romantic entanglement between Ann and Daryl, introducing the possibility of a love triangle gone deadly.

The Affair and Its Implications

As the investigation progressed, evidence surfaced pointing towards an inappropriate relationship between Ann Miller and Daryl Willard. Ann’s friend expressed skepticism about Daryl’s guilt, stating, “I don't think Darryl would have tried to kill Eric” ([25:02]). However, the mounting evidence made it increasingly difficult to dismiss Daryl as a mere suspect.

A critical turning point occurred when Daryl Willard committed suicide, leaving behind a note that denied any involvement in Eric's murder. His death, coupled with the discovery of emails indicating an affair between Ann and Daryl, intensified the scrutiny on Ann herself.

Breakthrough Evidence and Confession

Years into the investigation, a breakthrough emerged from an overlooked transcript involving Yvette Willard, Daryl's wife. She revealed that Daryl’s attorney had informed him that he could face charges of attempted murder in connection to Eric's case ([39:34]). This revelation prompted Lieutenant Morgan to push for further information, leading to a pivotal moment where Ann was confronted with irrefutable evidence of her involvement.

Under immense pressure and facing the inevitability of conviction, Ann Miller entered a plea deal. In 2005, five years after Eric's murder, Ann confessed in court to poisoning Eric with arsenic. Her admission was a culmination of relentless investigative efforts and strategic legal maneuvering by the district attorney's office, which deemed a jury trial too risky given Ann's potential to sway the jury with her charisma.

Impact on the Miller Family and Community

Eric's family endured immense emotional trauma throughout the investigation. Ann’s deceit not only shattered their perception of her but also introduced deep-seated grief and betrayal. Eric's sister, Pam, voiced the family's anguish, “Why did you brutally murder my brother Eric? Poisoning him, watching him suffer?” ([44:43]). The family's pursuit of justice also highlighted the challenges faced when dealing with high-profile cases, especially those involving powerful legal representation and intricate interpersonal relationships.

Moreover, the case had broader implications for the community, emphasizing the potential dangers lurking beneath seemingly perfect lives and the lengths to which individuals might go to protect their secrets or desires.

Conclusion and Reflections

"Poison" serves as a compelling narrative of love, betrayal, and the quest for truth. Through meticulous reporting and emotional storytelling, "48 Hours" not only unravels the mystery behind Eric Miller's death but also portrays the enduring resilience of a family seeking closure. The episode underscores the complexities of human relationships and the profound impact of crime on every facet of a community.

Lieutenant Chris Morgan, who dedicated nearly five years to solving the case, reflects on the bittersweet victory of achieving justice: “Justice has been done,” he acknowledges, yet the loss remains a poignant reminder of the personal costs involved in such investigations. As Ann Miller awaits her release in 2029, the family's quest for peace continues, encapsulating the enduring struggle between the pursuit of justice and the lingering shadows of loss.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Eric's Family Member: “Test results came back and they showed Eric had received very high doses of a very lethal toxin. Was someone trying to kill Eric Miller?” ([03:17])

• Lieutenant Chris Morgan: “We need to get samples of everything in the house to find out where the arsenic came from.” ([08:56])

• Friend of Eric: “I mean, he was very good at his job, very respected.” ([14:25])

• Eric's Family Member: “They check into the Ritz Carlton and spend a weekend up there ordering a whole lot of room service.” ([15:15])

• Lieutenant Chris Morgan: “I think you've been used by a woman. And she's done a very good job of it.” ([20:34])

• Detective Regentine: “He [Ann] threw away all of Eric's soiled clothing from his first night of being ill. She threw away all of the bathroom rugs.” ([34:44])

• Eric's Sister, Pam: “Why did you brutally murder my brother Eric? Poisoning him, watching him suffer?” ([44:43])

• Lieutenant Chris Morgan: “Justice has been done.” ([46:16])

Impact and Legacy

The "Poison" episode stands as a testament to the intricate dance between law enforcement and the legal system in solving complex crimes. It highlights the importance of perseverance, attention to detail, and the willingness to revisit and re-evaluate evidence over time. For listeners who have not experienced the episode, "Poison" offers a gripping exploration of a modern-day murder mystery, infused with emotional depth and investigative rigor that "48 Hours" is renowned for.

By transporting listeners into the heart of the investigation and providing intimate glimpses into the lives affected by the crime, "Poison" not only informs but also evokes a deep emotional connection, making it a standout episode in the "48 Hours" series.

Transcript

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[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I very much dislike mysteries. I don't like not knowing answers to questions. I was never going to quit until I knew what happened to Eric Miller. Eric came home that night extremely ill. He keeps getting worse and worse. As the night wears on, he realized that he had to go to the hospital. I mean, the first thing that crossed my mind, I mean, this guy's a scientist. He was a pediatric AIDS researcher. He works in a laboratory. What are in laboratories? A lot of dangerous things.

[Detective]

Eric was very agitated. They had to put him in restraints. Watching my brother that way out of control, it was horrible. It was the worst night that I can remember of my life.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Test results came back and they showed Eric had received very high doses of a very lethal toxin. Was someone trying to kill Eric Miller?

[Detective]

And I couldn't believe it. I thought, how could this happen?

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Officer Ford is sent to Rex Hospital to speak with Eric Miller.

[Officer]

I went into his room, he was.

[Detective]

Laying in the bed. He had a hard time talking. He was in obvious, obvious signs of pain. And he told me he has no enemies. He has a happy family. His life seemed perfect and just could not think of anybody that would want to hurt him.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

It was a long, terrible death. Eric Miller, we tore his life apart. We shined a light in every recess of his life and we found nothing. But my instincts were crying out. This was not an accident. It was a very carefully planned homicide. My name is Chris Morgan. I don't like people getting away with things. This is my city, my home. And nobody is gonna be allowed to get away with murder in my town.

[Narrator]

Minutes after Eric Miller's heart stopped, his parents Veras and Doris arrived at the hospital.

[Detective]

He was laid in his bed with a tube in his mouth because they had tried to resuscitate him. He was cold and I wanted to take that tube out. I wanted to cover him up because he was so cold.

[Narrator]

None of what happened that evening made any sense. Eric, sick with flu like symptoms for weeks, seemed to be on the mend. Recovering.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

They were going to take care of Eric.

[Narrator]

Eric was going to be all right. Six months earlier their 30 year old son, a respected young scientist, was the perfect specimen of health. He'd always been that way. Growing up in rural Indiana, Eric was the picture image of the all American boy.

[Detective]

He was a bit mischievous.

[Narrator]

His older sisters Pam and Leanne, he.

[Detective]

Would hide behind the couch when your boyfriends were over and oh, I'm here.

[Narrator]

But Eric's interest matured.

[Detective]

I think Eric truly blossomed when he went to college. He got involved in biology and chemistry and research and he found that that's what he wanted to do.

[Narrator]

He also fell in love. Eric met Ann Breyer in a Purdue University science class.

[Detective]

I had met some of the girls he had been dating prior to Ann then I could tell there was a difference. When he introduced me to Ann, he proposed for Valentine's Day.

[Narrator]

Ann's college roommate, Renee Henson.

[Advertiser]

This was the happiest time of her life.

[Detective]

She was marrying the man of her dreams.

[Narrator]

They bought a house in Raleigh, North Carolina. Eric got a prestigious position as a pediatric AIDS researcher and Ann was a chemist at a large pharmaceutical company. When their daughter Claire was born, Eric was over the moon.

[Detective]

He looks at me and he says, mom, you always told me how much you love me. But he said, I never knew how much you loved me until I had Claire.

[Narrator]

But Eric wouldn't live to see his daughter's first birthday. At the funeral, his beloved wife Ann was grief stricken.

[Friend of Eric]

I was gut wrenching watching her.

[Narrator]

It's an image Eric's friends Fran and Dale Martin can't forget.

[Friend of Eric]

She grabbed onto me and just, you know, cried.

[Detective]

That cry where your whole body is.

[Friend of Eric]

Shaking and she was just inconsolable. She was saying, why?

[Detective]

Why did Eric have to die? Why did he have to die?

[Friend of Eric]

Why did he have to die?

[Narrator]

Doctors had no easy answer. Two weeks earlier, Ann had rushed Eric to the hospital after he came home from a night out bowling and was violently ill. Eric's symptoms looked a lot like a very bad flu. When he got better, they released him. But just weeks later, Eric was deathly ill again. To everyone's shock, blood tests revealed Eric had been poisoned with arsenic.

[Detective]

How do you get arsenic poisoning?

[Narrator]

Hours later, Eric Miller was dead. The police immediately launched an investigation.

[Detective]

We need to get samples of everything in the house to find out where the arsenic came from.

[Narrator]

Detective Deborah Regentine was sent to search the Miller home.

[Detective]

Every shampoo, conditioner, soap, any fluid, everything out of the refrigerator. A sample was taken.

[Narrator]

Police scoured Eric's place of work for clues.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

One of my first thoughts was he's working in a lab.

[Narrator]

Lieutenant Chris Morgan.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Maybe something was dripping down. Maybe, you know, he had a roast beef sandwich that somehow got exposed to arsenic by mistake.

[Narrator]

But this was not a mistake. Medical examiner Tom Clark.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The levels in Eric Miller were high enough that accidental exposure is not a possibility.

[Narrator]

Not a possibility.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Not a possibility.

[Narrator]

Ruling out accidental exposure left Lieutenant Chris Morgan with just one possibility. Murder. He was looking for a suspect who had access to Eric, access to arsenic, and someone who knew that arsenic poisoning often mimics flu like symptoms and can go undetected. Someone perhaps like a fellow scientist. After we get done with pictures, we'll proceed there.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

He's in a very competitive field, and, I mean, he was doing quite well. Was there some kind of professional jealousy that could have led to his death?

[Narrator]

There are more than 100 labs in the Raleigh area. They call it the nation's research capital. But at Eric's lab, police couldn't find a trace of arsenic or anyone with a motive. Police were hoping Ann could help them.

[Detective]

Her father was holding her up, and so she appeared to be very weak. She would sob and she would break down.

[Narrator]

But after speaking with detectives, Ann called her friend and sounded scared, worried maybe that police considered her a suspect in her husband's death.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

She goes, well, you know I have arsenic in my lab at that point. Then I said, innocent people need lawyers, too.

[Narrator]

Ann Dale knew there had to have been arsenic in dozens of labs and was concerned Ann would be the victim in a rush to judgment. He wasn't the only one.

[Detective]

I felt like there was no way that she could have done this to him. She loved him.

[Narrator]

In fact, Ann wasn't with Eric when he first started feeling sick that night at the bowling alley. It was a guy's night out. Biochemist Darrell Willard ordered a pitcher of beer.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Darrell passes out the beer cups. Eric had drank half of his beer. He had commented that, hey, this beer tastes kind of funky. Something wrong with it?

[Narrator]

An hour later, Eric was severely ill.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

My boss said, we need to go out and question this Darrell Willard guy.

[Narrator]

But before police even got to his door, they learned intriguing new information from Darryl's colleagues. Darrell Willard was deeply infatuated, if not in love with Ann Miller. Could that, they wondered, be a motive for murder?

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[Narrator]

Lieutenant Morgan wanted to talk to everyone Eric Miller came into contact with the first night he became sick at the bowling alley. Especially the man who poured Eric's beer, Daryl Willard.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

He's been ducking us, he's been not returning calls. You know, he hadn't given us an interview at all.

[Narrator]

37 year old biochemist Darrell Willard worked at the same company as Eric Miller's wife Ann. But beyond that, those who know him best say he's an unlikely murder suspect.

[Friend of Eric]

I mean, he was very good at his job, very respected.

[Narrator]

Daryl and his wife Yvette are devoted to their daughter Kelsey.

[Detective]

Kelsey, she's drooling.

[Friend of Eric]

He was a great, great dad. He was so good with Kelsey. She absolutely adored him.

[Narrator]

Sounds like you had a happy life.

[Friend of Eric]

We did.

[Narrator]

But shortly after eric's death in 2000, police began digging into Darrell Willard's background and found evidence suggesting another scenario.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

And then we got complete phone call records.

[Narrator]

Phone records between Daryl and Eric's wife days before Eric's murder hint at what may have been an inappropriate relationship.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

There was a ton of communication between the two of them.

[Narrator]

How often?

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Multiple calls on a daily basis. When you look at the phone records and you're finding phone calls where Ann has called Darrell at 4:30 in the morning, you gotta ask yourself who calls a casual acquaintance, a co worker, at 4:30 in the morning?

[Narrator]

Then there is a trip to Chicago, also just days before the bowling alley incident that the two take together. Ann says it's a company business trip. But when police investigate, there was no company trip.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

They check into the Ritz Carlton and spend a weekend up there ordering a whole lot of room service.

[Narrator]

Police also retrieved emails from Ann's computer. I never want to stop making you feel, Ann wrote to Darrell. I want to show you new things. I want to touch places in you that you knew not existed. Just hours after Ann sent that email, Darrell poured Eric a beer at the bowling alley. Did he attempt to kill Eric Miller that night at the bowling alley?

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

No doubt in my mind he did.

[Narrator]

But Morgan suspected something more complicated was going on. When Eric came home after bowling, Ann rushed him to the emergency room where doctors ran a battery of tests. Eric's sister was there when he began to hallucinate.

[Detective]

He was thrashing and he started to cry and he's like, why? Why are they doing this to me? I remember laying on top of him physically because he was thrashing so much and I was so afraid he was going to hurt himself and I'd lay on top of him and I just got in his and I said, Eric, you need to calm down. It's going to be okay.

[Narrator]

After that horrible night, Eric did begin to slowly improve and days later was discharged. While recuperating at home, his parents stayed by his side. One night, they decided to give Ann and Eric some time alone.

[Detective]

Some friends of theirs had brought in some food. Ann was going to serve that, and they were going to have that and have just the quiet time.

[Narrator]

But after Ann says she and Eric ate a chicken dinner, Eric became violently ill again and went back to the hospital. Doctors poured over the tests from his previous stay and discovered the arsenic in Eric's blood. Lieutenant Morgan had many questions for Eric's wife, but now Ann was refusing to cooperate.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

We tried to contact Ann. She never came by. She never called.

[Narrator]

Instead, within days of Eric's death, Ann hired attorneys, effectively cutting police off.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

She had retained the most experienced lawyers that money can buy.

[Narrator]

Wade Smith and Joe Cheshire, the lawyers who successfully defended the young Duke lacrosse players accused of rape. And while Morgan thought it suspicious, Eric's family was more forgiving.

[Detective]

I just dismissed it. I'm like, okay, well, I guess that happens lots of times. The spouse gets blamed for things.

[Narrator]

The Miller family embraced their grieving daughter in law. After Eric's death, Ann asked to spend Christmas in Indiana with them.

[Detective]

She wanted to be here where Eric was. She wanted to sleep in his bedroom.

[Narrator]

But they would soon learn a horrible truth about their daughter in law. On January 21, 2001, a month and a half after Eric's death, the Millers came to Ann's house for Claire's first birthday.

[Detective]

They had no idea we were coming.

[Narrator]

The police wanted to confront Ann about her affair.

[Detective]

We went, knocked on the door, but.

[Narrator]

When she saw them, she ran upstairs.

[Detective]

Mr. Miller opened the door. I said, Mr. Miller, I said, we're here to talk to you about Darrell Willard. We have reason to believe that Ann and Darrell Willard have engaged in a relationship.

[Narrator]

What was your reaction?

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I got mad as hell.

[Narrator]

Did you confront Ann?

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Ann had run upstairs and hid herself in the closet.

[Detective]

I was devastated. I was just so hurt, and I felt Eric was so betrayed.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

She had been talking to this Willard numerous times, numerous times on the telephone.

[Narrator]

And the one that really put a.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Dagger in my heart that she talked to him for 24 minutes two hours before he died. Don't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Something's wrong big time.

[Narrator]

While Ann wept in the closet, Detective Morgan was nine miles away in front of Darryl Willard's house.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

He came to the door, and Darrell, I mean, he just had the look of a man who was experiencing total defeat.

[Narrator]

Morgan wondered aloud to Darrell whether Ann had set him up.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I said, darrell, I think you've been used by a Woman. He looked up, and with resignation on his face, he said, yeah, and she's done a very good job of it. And then he said, I can't talk to you anymore. I need to call my attorney.

[Narrator]

Darrell sat in the back of Morgan's car and phoned his lawyer. Morgan stood outside wishing he could overhear the conversation. He was certain Daryl knew who killed Eric Miller, that he was the key to unlocking the mystery. But 24 hours later, news broke. One location of your emergency that changed everything.

[Detective]

He's in the garage.

[Narrator]

I want you to stay on the.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Line with me, okay?

[Narrator]

No one saw it coming.

[Officer]

Late Monday afternoon, emergency crews got the.

[Narrator]

Call to Darrell Willard's home after his wife found his lifeless body in his garage. The news shocked Lieutenant Chris Morgan.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Somebody came running in saying, oh, my gosh, you ain't going to believe this.

[Narrator]

24 hours after he tried to interrogate Daryl Willard about his role in Eric Miller's murder, Darrell Willard was dead.

[Advertiser]

He just.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

What?

[Detective]

He killed himself?

[Advertiser]

Okay.

[Narrator]

And he's inside the house.

[Detective]

He's in the garage. He had shot himself in the head.

[Narrator]

His wife, Yvette, found Daryl's body by his side. A note apologizing for leaving his family, but also denying his involvement in Eric Miller's murder. I've been accused of an action for which I am not responsible, Darrell wrote. I have taken no one's life, save my own.

[Friend of Eric]

He was supposed to go to see the attorney that day.

[Officer]

The intense scrutiny put on the Willard home may have become too much.

[Narrator]

Yvette says her husband was worried that morning after the police searched their home looking for arsenic. Stories about his affair with Ann, his romantic trip to Chicago with her just days before Eric fell ill at the bowling alley were going to be all over the news.

[Friend of Eric]

I told him that I needed to go to work and explain to my boss because we knew it would be in the paper.

[Narrator]

Yvette already knew what the world was just finding out about her husband's affair. Willard had some kind of relationship with Miller's widow before he died. For weeks, she had her suspicions.

[Friend of Eric]

I knew he was attracted to Ann when I knew the way he talked about her versus the way he talked about everybody at work.

[Narrator]

Before Ann, Daryl had been depressed, trying to take stock of his life as he approached 40.

[Friend of Eric]

You know, we'd been married for a while. The newness has worn off, and we just started, you know, fighting a little more.

[Narrator]

But after he became friendly with Ann, Darrell began paying more attention to his appearance and working out on Yvette's birthday. Darrell told her he needed some time away to think things over.

[Friend of Eric]

I knew what he was going out of town for.

[Narrator]

That was the weekend in Chicago?

[Friend of Eric]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

With Ann Miller?

[Friend of Eric]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Why didn't you confront him? Why didn't you say something?

[Friend of Eric]

Fear. You can know the truth, but once those words get out, you can't get them back. And I guess I was hoping he'd realize what he was doing.

[Narrator]

But after Eric's murder, Darrell sat his.

[Friend of Eric]

Wife down and he said he didn't know if he loved me and that he'd been having an affair. And I said, with Ann? He said, yes.

[Narrator]

What do you think was going through his mind? Did he think he had a future with this woman?

[Friend of Eric]

I think that Darrell would not have had an affair without that.

[Narrator]

Did Darrell put arsenic in Eric Miller's beer that day?

[Friend of Eric]

I do not believe so.

[Narrator]

Did you ask him that question?

[Friend of Eric]

Yes, I did. And he said, no, I did not. I don't think Darryl would have tried to kill Eric.

[Narrator]

How can you be so certain?

[Friend of Eric]

Darryl wasn't the type who thought he could get away with something like that.

[Narrator]

She says Darrell is just not capable of murder. He would have encouraged Ann to seek a divorce, not help her kill her husband. And although he was innocent, she says her husband was emotionally fragile and could not handle the very public accusations he had made.

[Friend of Eric]

One comment to me prior to his death, he said, you know how to bend. You can take things and you just bend and you keep going. He says, I can't. I'll break.

[Narrator]

What was your last conversation with your husband?

[Detective]

The morning.

[Friend of Eric]

It was the day after. They searched the house, and I told him it was going to be a really hard day. And he. And I asked him if he'd give me a hug. And he did. And I thought he was going to break my bones. He was squeezing, and then I left.

[Narrator]

While Yvette dropped Kelsey at daycare and headed into work, Darrell was planning his death. The world looks black to me, he wrote. All I can see is the smearing of my name, pain caused to my family, personal humiliation and probable economic ruin. Darrell thought his family would be better off without him. Who's to blame here?

[Friend of Eric]

Ann Miller. My husband would still be here if it wasn't for her.

[Narrator]

The Millers, on the other hand, didn't know what to believe.

[Detective]

Ann was feeding us information that Darrell was obsessed with her. We did think that it was possible that Darrell poisoned Eric and in the end, was trying to get him out of the picture.

[Narrator]

But when the full autopsy report was released, the Millers were flabbergasted I think.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It'S very likely that Eric Miller received at least one dose of arsenic in the hospital and very likely the fatal dose.

[Narrator]

Incredible as it sounds, Dr. Clark is almost certain someone came into Eric's hospital room and finished him off with a final fatal dose. But that wasn't the only stunning news. To the shock of investigators, Dr. Clark's team found arsenic in Eric's hair four months before he went bowling with Daryl Willard and months before police believed Daryl and Ann started an affair.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Arsenic's not the kind of crime you can commit at any distance. You have to be able to put the arsenic in the food or drink and introduce it into the body.

[Narrator]

In terms of possible suspects, that left only Ann for months. Morgan believes Ann dosed her husband with arsenic.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I do that. Ann was seeing just how much poison it would take to make Eric sick, sort of experimenting.

[Narrator]

And then Morgan says she turned to Darrell.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Ann reached a point in time where she was ready to eliminate Eric. She needs to make sure that she keeps her hands clean and has a reasonable patsy that if something does go wrong, he can take the fall.

[Narrator]

If Ann really was this cold and calculating, was she in fact a psychopath? Morgan and the Millers feared the worst. Would she now try to hurt baby Claire?

[Detective]

I am scared. I am scared to death for Claire's well being. You know, at any moment, she could be poisoning Claire.

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[Narrator]

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[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I was sure that Ann Miller was directly responsible for her husband's death.

[Narrator]

Lt. Chris Morgan was desperate to put Ann Miller behind bars. You kept your eye on.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

We did. For a period of time. We watched her pretty much round the clock. They're coming out. In a space of about six months, she had completely reinvented her life.

[Narrator]

Morgan couldn't believe that so soon after Eric's murder, Ann packed up her life in Raleigh and took Claire 120 miles away to Wilmington, North Carolina. Far from the reach of the Raleigh Police Department.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

She had latched on to a new man in her life.

[Narrator]

Her new boyfriend was musician Paul Const.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

He was just a normal everyday guy.

[Narrator]

And she had a new job, trying.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

A new career, working for an interior designer. Is that what you would normally expect from a spouse whose husband's been murdered in such a cruel way?

[Narrator]

An innocent person, he believed, would have been hounding the police for answers.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Ann Miller should have been on a first name basis with every detective involved in this investigation.

[Detective]

We just want to talk to you for a minute.

[Narrator]

But Ann wasn't interested in talking to anybody.

[Advertiser]

Could we please have a minute of your time?

[Narrator]

Morgan wondered what kind of person watches her husband die and doesn't look back.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I think she is a psychopath. She never felt any guilt. She never felt any remorse.

[Narrator]

He feared for what could happen next. Did you also believe she would harm her own daughter?

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

We didn't know. But I didn't want to take that chance.

[Officer]

She just lost control.

[Narrator]

Morgan turned to his friend, forensic psychologist Michael Teague, for help.

[Officer]

I think even people like Ann have emotion.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

I don't think Ann's got any emotion. Sometimes we would argue over whether his insights were correct. Think you're wrong on that one, my good doctor. Teague was being very objective. Missing the point. Again, I need objective viewpoints. She wanted him dead, Teague. Eventually she wanted him gone.

[Narrator]

You didn't think that Ann fit the profile of a killer?

[Officer]

She's not very typical. I mean, most of the women who kill their husbands are not highly educated as she is. Did not come from a very high income background.

[Narrator]

Ann grew up in a traditional church going family. The eldest of three girls, her mother a teaching assistant and her father a sales executive. Say she is a devoted and loving daughter. Teague wondered, did Ann just snap one day? Or was she the psychopath that Morgan described? Someone likely to kill?

[Officer]

Again, there's more to this picture than just your typical murder of a husband by a wife.

[Narrator]

Teague needed a face to face with Ann, so he went undercover, visiting the design shop where she worked.

[Officer]

I didn't recognize her. She projected meekness and just weak. She came across as so harmless.

[Narrator]

Ann had a chameleon like quality, he concluded. A dangerous ability to transform herself and fool people.

[Officer]

I think Ann is very disturbed, very high risk. If she had no boundaries to stop her from killing a saint like Eric Miller, I don't see what would stop her in the future.

[Narrator]

New troubling information Was coming to light about Ann every day. Emails revealed that at the same time she was having an affair with Daryl, Ann was having a romantic relationship with a man from California, all while Eric lay dying in the hospital. And on the day Eric was transferred to the icu, Ann chose not to spend the day with him. But at the beauty salon, she did.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Say she was ready for something new, something fresh.

[Narrator]

Another time, she left Eric's hospital bedside to clean house.

[Detective]

She threw away all of Eric's soiled clothing from his first night of being ill. She threw away all of the bathroom rugs. Instead of just washing things like any normal person would do, she threw everything away.

[Narrator]

At the time, Eric's sisters believed Ann was just overcome with stress. In retrospect, what do you think she was doing?

[Detective]

She was covering her tracks.

[Narrator]

And that's not the only evidence she destroyed. After Eric's death, Ann insisted her husband be cremated against his family's wishes. You did not want your son cremated? We did not want him cremated. We just.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

We didn't want it. It was like he's died and then.

[Narrator]

They was gonna destroy him again. But Ann begged for Eric's ashes to be interred at the Catholic church in Raleigh so she and Claire would be able to visit every Sunday.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

She just knew how to play your heartstrings.

[Narrator]

Just weeks later, though, Ann would move away from Raleigh and leave Eric's ashes behind. The Millers were furious and concerned. Morgan and Teague asked child protective services to remove Claire from Ann's care.

[Officer]

They told us flat, unless Ann gets arrested, we're not going to do anything. Looking into this case, both Morgan and.

[Narrator]

Teague believed that an arrest was imminent.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

We thought we were going to be getting a call at any minute saying, pick Ann Miller up, arrest her.

[Narrator]

But the call never came.

[Officer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

The district attorney's office wasn't quite ready to move at the same pace that we were.

[Officer]

We needed something in addition to just suspicions, suspicious circumstances, and circumstantial evidence.

[Narrator]

District attorney Colin Willoughby wanted hard evidence, Especially if he was going to square off against Ann's high profile defense attorneys.

[Officer]

It was necessary to have solid proof.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

There was no ending to this story.

[Narrator]

It was true. Morgan had no one who could place the arsenic in Ann's hands. It was 2002, and more than a year had passed since Eric Miller was murdered. Morgan frustrated, Morgan reread the case file again and again. And then late one night, looking at the file for what felt like the 100th time, Morgan says he saw it plain as day. The Opening exactly the key to solving Eric Miller's murder.

[Officer]

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[Narrator]

Lt. Chris Morgan couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. In the case file was a transcript from a police interview with Yvette Willard that could crack the case wide open. She told investigators that days before her husband, Daryl committed suicide, his attorney, Rick Gammon, warned him that he could be charged with attempted murder in the Eric Miller case.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Why is Rick Gammon telling Darrell that he could be charged with attempted murder? Well, it's gotta be that Darrell has told Rick Gammon something.

[Narrator]

So Morgan asked, I said, rick, let.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Me ask you this. When are you gonna tell us what Darrell Willard told you?

[Officer]

And my response to Chris was, chris, you know I can't do that unless I was ordered to do that by.

[Narrator]

A judge, Attorney Rick Gammon.

[Officer]

I told Darrell Willard over and over and over again that any and everything that he told me was confidential.

[Narrator]

They say dead men don't tell tales, but Morgan was banking his case on changing that. Getting Gammon to break attorney client privilege was Morgan's only hope.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

That's going to be the key to this case.

[Narrator]

District Attorney Colin Willoughby took Up the cause.

[Officer]

The privileges between lawyers and their clients and priests and their parishioners are probably the two most sacred, and those are probably the most difficult to go after.

[Narrator]

Despite the pressure, Gammon refused to break his silence.

[Officer]

I don't want to see anyone who's committed murder to go free, even though I'm a defense attorney. But on the other hand, you know, the attorney client privilege is so important.

[Narrator]

It's really about black and white for you. There's no moral or ethical struggle.

[Officer]

Oh, sure, there's a moral struggle, but there's not a legal struggle.

[Narrator]

As the case dragged on in the courts, questions about Ann and her relationship with Daryl Willard lingered. Desperate, Eric's sister Pam phoned Ann and secretly recorded the conversation.

[Detective]

It's out in the newspapers that you called Willard, like, I don't know how many times. What is that all about? And he said, this guy was stalking you. Obsessed might have been a good word, but I, you know, I don't. I don't know what you want me to say.

[Advertiser]

I want you to tell us what.

[Detective]

Happened, what this is all about. Would it make any difference? Would anybody listen to me? Yes, we're listening. No, I don't think so.

[Advertiser]

I really don't think anybody would listen to me.

[Narrator]

Weeks passed, months come together, years.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

A lot of people said, I've been so obsessed with. I paid no attention to my career.

[Narrator]

Three years after Eric's murder, Ann wed her musician boyfriend, Paul Kuntz, and Morgan approached retirement age.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

The only thing I cared about, it would seem to the outsider, was Ann Miller going to jail.

[Narrator]

Then, in the spring of 2004, the North Carolina Supreme Court made a startling decision, ruling that Gammon must reveal what Darrell Willard told him about Ann's role in Eric's murder.

[Officer]

He told me that he met Ann one day in a parking lot. Ann was crying, and she admitted to him that while Eric was in the hospital, she took a syringe that contained a substance and injected it into his iv. Darrell asked her, why did you do this? And she said, I just. I don't know why I did.

[Narrator]

The DA could now put the arsenic that killed Eric Miller in Ann's hands. As for Daryl Willard, the judge revealed that Darrell told his attorney that he never tried to kill Eric. You felt vindicated.

[Friend of Eric]

I felt that he at least got to speak up and defend himself.

[Narrator]

Ann was ordered to surrender. I got it.

[Officer]

I got it.

[Narrator]

And was charged with Eric's murder. The DA was worried, though, about Gammon's statement being used at trial. Even if a judge allowed it into evidence. Any conviction would be subject to appeal. What's more, the DA thought Ann might charm a jury.

[Detective]

We needed to protect our granddaughter. We needed to take Ann out of her life, at least until Claire's an adult.

[Narrator]

The DA wasn't willing to gamble, and neither were the Millers. A plea was offered. 25 years in prison for Eric's murder. Ann takes the deal. So in 2005, five years after their son's murder, the Millers finally hear their daughter in law accept guilt. Ann's family was also in the courtroom.

[Officer]

Ms. Konz, did you with malice, unlawfully and intentionally participate in causing the death of Eric Miller?

[Detective]

Yes.

[Narrator]

There it was. In a small, barely audible voice, Ann admitted killing Eric. But the Miller family wanted answers. Their emotions were raw.

[Detective]

Ann, why don't you look at me? Why can't you look at me?

[Narrator]

Eric's sister, Pam.

[Detective]

Why did you brutally murder my brother Eric? Poisoning him, watching him suffer? I think sometimes you just can't explain it. There's, I think, pure evil in the world, and I think she falls into that category of pure evil.

[Narrator]

Leanne was next.

[Detective]

I don't believe that you, Anne, truly love your daughter. How could you when you have taken away one of the most precious gifts that she will ever have? Her father. I will never understand Ann. Why you just didn't divorce him.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

She can't divorce him because that, in Ann's world, amounts to admitting that she's not perfect.

[Narrator]

So instead of shattering this image of the perfect couple, you're saying that Ann Miller decided to kill Eric.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

Exactly. From Ann's point of view, she would be looked at by her friends as this total victim.

[Narrator]

With Ann Miller sentencing, Chris Morgan retired from the police force.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

The main question I'd like to ask her is why did you think you'd be able to get away with.

[Narrator]

And while the case that consumed him for nearly five years is finally over, to this day, Morgan feels little satisfaction.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

What in the hell have I got to be happy about? Two good men are dead. Two little girls will never know their fathers. I'm not happy about any of this. My job was to get justice for Eric Miller. Justice has been done.

[Narrator]

Ann Miller Kantz is scheduled to be released from prison in 2029. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus and the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself.

[Ryan Reynolds]

By filling out a quick [e-mail] Survey.

[Detective]

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[Advertiser]

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[Narrator]

That's bombas.com wondery Codewondery in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little known British territory called Pitcairn and it harbored and deep dark scandal.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

There wouldn't be a girl on Pit count once they reached the age of 10.

[Officer]

That would still a virgin.

[Eric Miller's Family Member]

It just happens to all of the.

[Narrator]

Stories I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn.

[Friend of Eric]

When there's nobody watching, nobody going to.

[Detective]

Report it, people will get away with what they can get away with.

[Narrator]

In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wonderry. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. My name's Jack Wagner, host of Otherworld, a podcast featuring real people who experience.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Something paranormal, supernatural, or unexplained.

[Detective]

I have no idea how I got there. I don't think I've ever seen anything that looks like this. It felt like electric stars on fire.

[Narrator]

I started Otherworld to take a grounded.

[Detective]

Approach to the paranormal, help people tell.

[Narrator]

Their own stories, and encourage more to come forward. I certainly don't have the answers, but.

[Detective]

Maybe one day we will.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Join me as we explore our world's greatest mysteries. Listen to Otherworld now for free on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.