REOPENED: Cat and Mouse

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – Cat and Mouse

Hosted by Paula Barros on A&E / PodcastOne | Released May 1, 2025

---

Introduction to the Case

In the episode titled "REOPENED: Cat and Mouse," Cold Case Files delves into the mysterious death of Alma Napier, a 40-year-old woman from a small town in California. Initially ruled as a tragic accident, Alma’s case remained unsolved for decades until new evidence and persistent investigators brought it back into the spotlight.

---

The Tragic Night: Alma Napier’s Death

Alma Napier's life took a fatal turn on the night of March 25, 1980. Alma had decided to visit a pub in Winchester, a nearby town, not for the alcohol but to engage in her favorite pastime—playing pool. The bar was bustling well into the early hours, but Alma found herself embroiled in a disagreement with the bartender, followed by an altercation with a stranger. The exact cause of the dispute remains unknown, as Alma never disclosed the details to anyone. Tragically, this conversation would be her last.

At approximately 3 a.m. on March 26, Patrolman Steve Perlesnik responded to a distress call regarding an accident on Highway 79. Only one car was involved, and it was still smoldering from a recent fire.

Steve Utter [01:43]: "It was on its roof, as I recall. It had been on fire. The female driver had been thrown loose from the accident and just real dark, foggy, remote and quiet."

Upon arrival, Perlesnik found Alma lying face down about 15 feet from her vehicle. Despite checking her vital signs, it was clear that Alma had perished. Identification was difficult to locate due to the car’s condition and the intensity of the fire.

Steve Utter [02:14]: "No ID or anything. And later on, with further checks, they got our name and address. Alma Napier here, out of Nuevo area, which is locally here."

The local community received minimal information, with only a brief mention in the newspaper titled "Car Flips. Woman Killed," which provided scant details about the incident. Alma's death was swiftly categorized as an accident, a common fate that left many cold cases unresolved.

Brooke Giddings [02:27]: "Her autopsy showed no signs of alcohol, but that didn't stop her death from being ruled an accident. It was late and dark and she'd been coming home from a bar. It was sad, but not uncommon. The case was closed and filed under accidents and effectively forgotten."

---

Parole Violations and a Suspicious Man: Craig Miller

Fast forward to 1996, Craig Miller, a parolee convicted in 1982 for molesting his stepdaughter, caught the attention of his parole officer, Agent Nakaneh. Despite his seemingly perfect demeanor, Agent Nakaneh sensed inconsistencies in Miller’s behavior.

Agent Nakaneh [03:44]: "He was too good, too perfect. I have been doing this job 28 years, and I have seen all kinds, and I just didn't feel it was all there. Something was missing."

Suspicious of Miller's claims of living with his parents, Agent Nakaneh conducted a home visit. The immaculate condition of Miller’s environment raised more red flags.

Agent Nakaneh [04:08]: "The room was too clean, too perfect. The bed was immaculate."

Trusting his instincts, Agent Nakaneh devised a subtle test by placing a pen on Miller’s pillow and observing. A week later, the pen remained untouched, indicating that Miller was not residing where he claimed.

Agent Nakaneh [04:52]: "You can't confront him, because if you confront him, he knows you are onto him and he's going to start covering his track."

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Agent Nakaneh enlisted the help of Special Agent Steve Utter to surveil Miller.

Steve Utter [05:09]: "We followed him from town to town. He had a young male juvenile with him for some reason, which was a concern to us. And once we completed the surveillance, we had enough violations. Based on his companion, the young juvenile male, and the fact that he was obviously living somewhere other than what he had registered, we had enough to arrest him for parole violations."

Despite the seriousness of Miller’s parole violations, the judicial system only sentenced him to seven years for violating sex offender registry laws, a decision that Utter passionately disagreed with.

Steve Utter [05:51]: "I felt that a life sentence in Craig Miller's case was appropriate, and I was very frustrated with the decision in the court. I looked at this guy's background, his psychological profile, his past offenses, and I felt that he was a very dangerous person."

---

Uncovering the Truth: Barbara’s Letter

Determined to pursue justice, Agent Utter revisited Miller’s file and discovered a pivotal piece of evidence—a letter from Miller’s ex-wife, Barbara, who had endured severe abuse at his hands.

Steve Utter [06:18]: "He [Miller] killed this woman, and everybody thinks it was an accident."

Barbara’s harrowing account detailed Miller’s violent tendencies and, crucially, her claim that he confessed to a homicide. This revelation prompted Utter to investigate further, ultimately linking Miller to Alma Napier’s death.

---

Connecting the Dots: Linda Parrott’s Testimony

Agent Utter sought out Linda Parrott, a former waitress at the Winchester Inn, who was present on the night Alma Napier was killed. Linda's account provided the missing pieces needed to solidify the case against Miller.

On May 22, 1998, Agent Utter, along with Detective Bob Creed and District Attorney Levine, interviewed Linda.

Linda Parrott [14:50]: "I don't remember if he mentioned car accident or I had mentioned something about a car accident. But anyway, the word car accident, and I knew. Tell you exactly what happened. I mean, I'm brain dead, but I'm not that brain dead. Craig Miller."

Linda recounted how, on March 25, 1980, Craig Miller and his friend Mark Ackerman were at the Winchester Inn when they noticed a woman (Alma Napier) having an altercation at the pool table. The situation escalated when Miller began persistently following and tailgating Alma’s car, culminating in her vehicle flipping and catching fire.

Linda Parrott [16:10]: "As we were going up Simpson Road, we noticed that somebody was behind us with their headlights off. So Craig went on up the road, and he flipped a U-turn to where his headlights were shining on the car. And we saw it was her."

Her detailed description mirrored Barbara’s account, providing compelling evidence against Miller.

---

The Arrest and Conviction of Craig Miller

Armed with corroborative testimonies from Barbara and Linda, Agent Utter moved swiftly to arrest Craig Miller. He was charged with second-degree murder and subsequently found guilty, receiving a sentence of 15 years to life.

Barbara [18:48]: "I feel better that he's off the street. He doesn't belong on the street, because anytime he's on the street, he's going to hurt somebody. As far as justice, you can't take back the things he's done. You can't fix any of the damage that he's done. You can't bring back the murder victim. So in my mind, it's not justice."

Despite Miller’s incarceration, both Barbara and Linda expressed lingering anguish and a sense of incomplete closure.

Linda Parrott [19:25]: "Is it over with? No, I don't feel that it's over with. Not as far as I'm concerned. I can only speak for myself because I still deal with a lot of issues. I still deal with Craig and that night. You know, it's not something that just it doesn't go away. So the longer you wait to tell somebody, the longer it takes to get over it."

---

Agent Utter’s Reflection and Legacy

Agent Steve Utter emphasized the importance of Barbara and Linda's bravery in coming forward, which was instrumental in solving the cold case.

Steve Utter [20:00]: "Without Linda's statement, I would not have been able to corroborate Barbara's statement. Without the letter, none of this would have happened at all. That letter got things started. I think there was a lot of bravery on the part of both Barbara and Linda to come forward and be honest. And I think those things combined and made that case."

Craig Miller remains incarcerated in California, with parole denied in both 2014 and 2017. His next parole hearing is scheduled for April 9, 2020.

---

Conclusion: The Ripple Effect of Justice

"REOPENED: Cat and Mouse" underscores the relentless pursuit of justice by dedicated investigators and the profound courage of victims who speak out. While the conviction of Craig Miller brought some semblance of justice, the emotional scars endured by Barbara and Linda highlight the enduring impact of unresolved trauma. This case serves as a testament to the critical role of perseverance and technological advancements in solving cold cases that once seemed unsolvable.

---

Produced by McKamey, Lynn and Steve Delamater. Associate Producer: Julie McGruder. Executive Producer: Ted Butler. Music by Blake Maples. Distributed by PodcastOne.

Transcript

[Brooke Giddings]

Before we start, we want to thank Pretty Litter for sponsoring Cold Case files. Go to prettylitter.com and use code COLD Case onto the show. This episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual assault. Use your best judgment. Alma Napier was 40 in March of 1980. She lived in a small town in California. 6,000. It was small, but that didn't stop the people living there from going out and having fun. On March 25, Ambal went to a pub in the nearby town of Winchester. She didn't plan to drink, but she liked to play pool. The bar was busy all night into the early morning hours. Alma had a disagreement with the bartender and then another spat with a man she didn't know. They could have been arguing over the pool table or maybe he had too much to drink. Or it's possible he just gave her the creeps. No one knows for sure because Alma didn't tell anyone else what they were arguing about. She couldn't, because that conversation was the last one she ever had. From A and E. This is Cold Case files. At around 3am on March 26, Patrolman Steve Perlesnik was called to the scene of an accident on Highway 79. There was only one car and it was still smoldering.

[Steve Utter]

It was on its roof, as I recall. It had been on fire. The female driver had been thrown loose from the accident and just real dark, foggy, remote and quiet.

[Brooke Giddings]

Outside of the car, about 15ft away, the driver was laying face down on the ground. Poleznik checked her vital signs, but the woman was dead. He looked for identification, but the fire made it difficult.

[Steve Utter]

No ID or anything. And later on, with further checks, they got our name and address. Almanap here, out of Nuevo area, which is locally here.

[Brooke Giddings]

I'm a good researcher, but I couldn't find Alma's obituary. I couldn't find any funeral arrangements, nothing. What I did find was a two sentence mention in her local paper. The title was in large bold letters, Car Flips. Woman Killed. They went on to say she was thrown from her car when it overturned early Friday. Alma Napier was driving at Highway 79 in Benton Road at 3am when the accident occurred. That's it. That's the only public mention I could find about Alma's death in the police file. Her autopsy showed no signs of alcohol, but that didn't stop her death from being ruled an accident. It was late and dark and she'd been coming home from a bar. It was sad, but not uncommon. The case was closed and filed under accidents and effectively forgotten. In 1996, a man named Richard Craig Miller, who went by Craig, was on parole. He was convicted in 1982 for molesting his stepdaughter. Agent Nay, Miller's parole officer, felt like something was off.

[Agent Nakaneh]

He was too good, too perfect. I have been doing this job 28 years, and I have seen all kind, and I just didn't feel it was all there. Something was missing.

[Brooke Giddings]

Craig Miller reported that he was living with his parents, so Agent Nakaneh scheduled a home visit.

[Agent Nakaneh]

The room was too clean, too perfect. The bed was immaculate.

[Brooke Giddings]

Acting on a hunch, Agent Nakaneh asked Miller to get him something from the other room. He had a plan.

[Agent Nakaneh]

I just moved the bedspread and put the pen on top of the pillow and then covered the bedspread, and he came back. And then I said, everything's fine and dandy, and left.

[Brooke Giddings]

A week later, the agent scheduled another visit where he discovered his pen and the exact same place he had left it. Wherever Craig Miller had been sleeping, it wasn't in his own bed.

[Agent Nakaneh]

You can't confront him, because if you confront him, he knows you are onto him and he's going to start covering his track.

[Brooke Giddings]

Nakaneh requested surveillance on Miller, and special agent Steve Utter was assigned the task.

[Steve Utter]

We followed him from town to town. He had a young male juvenile with him for some reason, which was a concern to us. And once we completed the surveillance, we had enough violations. Based on his companion, the young juvenile male, and the fact that he was obviously living somewhere other than what he had registered, we had enough to arrest him for parole violations.

[Brooke Giddings]

In California, the parole violation could have been ruled a felony, Miller's third, meaning a mandatory life sentence. Instead, the judge only sentenced him to seven years for violating sex offender registry laws. But Agent Utter disagreed with that decision.

[Steve Utter]

I felt that a life sentence in Craig Miller's case was appropriate, and I was very frustrated with the decision in the court. I looked at this guy's background, his psychological profile, his past offenses, and I felt that he was a very dangerous person.

[Brooke Giddings]

Agent Utter looked back through Miller's file, hoping to find something that might have been overlooked. Utter found a letter written by Miller's ex wife and also the mother of the girl he molested.

[Steve Utter]

She wrote a letter to the judge trying to explain to him just how vicious Craig Miller is and that if any person deserves a life sentence, Craig Miller does. And it was when I reviewed that letter that I found information that implicated him in a homicide. It was a five or six page letter, and the first four or five pages detailed his abuses of Barbara. His physical abuse, his sexual abuse, his emotional abuse. And then as an attachment to that letter, there was a one page description of a homicide that Craig Miller had told her he had committed.

[Brooke Giddings]

Agent Utter found and contacted Barbara to discuss the possible homicide.

[Barbara]

He said that he had run across my letter and that he felt like Craig Miller was capable of doing what I had said.

[Suzanne Rico]

This is a story that begins with a dying wish.

[Brooke Giddings]

One thing I would like you to do.

[Suzanne Rico]

My mother's last request that my sister and I finish writing the memoir she'd started about her German children childhood when her father designed a secret super weapon for Adolf Hitler. My grandfather Robert Lesser headed the Nazi project to build the world's first cruise missile which terrorized millions and left a legacy that dogged my mother like a curse.

[Barbara]

She had some secrets.

[Agent Nakaneh]

Mom had some secrets.

[Suzanne Rico]

I'm Suzanne Rico. Join my sister and me as we search for the truth behind our grandfather's work and for the first time face the ghosts of our past.

[Barbara]

Who is he?

[Suzanne Rico]

Listen to the man who calculated death. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brooke Giddings]

Are you a fan of true crime? Then you have got to check out the Court Junkie podcast. Imagine being wrongly convicted for a crime you didn't commit. Or imagine your child's killer a still on the loose even though there's enough evidence for an arrest. The Court Junkie podcast shined a light on the injustices of our judicial system by delving into court documents, attending trials and interviewing those closest to these cases. Be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Podcast one, Apple Podcasts and many other podcast apps so you can get new episodes every week. Barbara told Utter the reason she believed that her ex husband had committed murder. The story started 18 years earlier in 1980. Barbara had fallen in love with Craig Miller.

[Barbara]

He was just real easygoing and seemed very loving and it was just an act.

[Brooke Giddings]

Shortly after the couple was married, the act stopped and the abuse began.

[Barbara]

He would just randomly, just out of the blue, attack me. I had him come home and strangle me until I was unconscious. And when I came to I was laying on the floor and he stood over me laughing hysterically and he said he knew he had to quit when my eyeballs and tongue were popping out.

[Brooke Giddings]

The abuse wasn't just physical, it was mental and emotional. One day Miller showed Barbara a gun and loaded it in front of her.

[Barbara]

It was a.357 revolver and he put three bullets in it, one in every other hole and he stuck it right here in my face and I could see him pull the hammer back, and I closed my eyes, and then I heard it click. He would laugh and say things like, he could kill me and get away with it and no one would ever know. And then that's when he started talking. And he said, well, I killed this woman, and everybody thinks it was an accident.

[Brooke Giddings]

Barbara said that while pointing the gun at her, Miller continued to tell her about his crime the night he left a bar and followed a woman in his truck.

[Barbara]

He said he followed her, ramming her car until she ran off the road. And he said that the car flipped and he got out. And what he told me was he went up to the car and she had her arm hanging out, saying, help me, help me. And he reached in his pocket, took out his cigarette lighter, and he goes like that and lit it.

[Brooke Giddings]

According to Barbara, there was another woman in his truck with him. She worked at the bar. This is Agent Utter.

[Steve Utter]

He gave her the name of someone who was there with him, just a first name, and described her as a barmaid at the Winchester Inn. She wasn't familiar with Linda, but she did remember the first name.

[Brooke Giddings]

Barbara was understandably afraid for her own life. She also wasn't sure if her husband was just trying to intimidate her or if he really had committed murder. Barbara decided not to go to the police. She tried to leave Miller shortly after, but he found her. Here's Barbara again.

[Barbara]

He took me to his grandmother's mobile home in Yucaipa.

[Brooke Giddings]

Where he held me for three days. Miller beat and raped Barbara.

[Barbara]

I was sitting there at the table, already afraid for my life, when I happened to glance down and I noticed this paper. And I remember that the paper was old, so it was obvious that there was something that, you know, somebody had been saving. And then I glanced down and I saw this article. And it described everything that he said he had done to this woman, the area her age. The car ran off the road and caught fire. I mean, the whole thing. And I knew. I knew then he did it. He really did do it.

[Brooke Giddings]

Agent Utter searched through archives of old newspapers.

[Steve Utter]

I got down to April 1st, and there was a small 1 1/2 line entry in there that seemed similar to what she described for me. I gave that information to the staff there at the newspaper, and they pulled the microfiche for me. And I took a look at the article, and it was the most similar thing I could find.

[Brooke Giddings]

Utter believed Craig Miller had killed Amon Napier, but he needed to find the woman who might have been called Linda. He decided to start at the Winchester Inn. The bar where he believed she had worked. The former owner was able to give him a name. Linda Parrott. When Utter runs a background check on Linda, he discovers she does have a history with the law. Linda's daughter had been murdered, and she was a witness in the case.

[Steve Utter]

The first thing I did since I knew her daughter was the victim of a homicide, I went to the Crimes Against Persons Bureau for. With the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, and I contacted Detective Bob Creed, who was handling that investigation.

[Brooke Giddings]

This is Agent Bob Creed.

[Steve Utter]

We felt that this may be a good time to approach her just because of the situation that she was in. She was dealing with the murder of her daughter. That was her mindset. And then we had this murder from years ago. And this may help Steve with his interview because she would be at a vulnerable time.

[Brooke Giddings]

On May 22, 1998, Utter, Creed, and District Attorney Levine all sat down for an interview with Linda.

[Steve Utter]

I'm here about another investigation we're conducting. I'm looking into something that happened a long time ago. Okay. We need to go way, way, way, way back to 1980, to when you were a waitress at the Winchester Inn.

[Linda Parrott]

Bartender.

[Steve Utter]

Bartender. And this particular incident happened in March of 1980. It resulted in the death of a woman. Is this something any more familiar to you? Yes.

[Brooke Giddings]

Linda had kept Craig Miller's secret for so long, it practically burst out of her.

[Linda Parrott]

I don't remember if he mentioned car accident or I had mentioned something about a car accident. But anyway, the word car accident, and I knew. Tell you exactly what happened. I mean, I'm brain dead, but I'm not that brain dead. Craig Miller. And then I said craig Miller because that was the name. That was the one thing that had stuck with me for 18 years was that name.

[Brooke Giddings]

It was March 25, 1980. Linda met a woman she didn't know playing pool at the Winchester Inn.

[Linda Parrott]

She didn't like the way I was shooting pool. In other words, she was getting beat and she was getting upset over it. And she kept at me, at me, at me about the pool game. And it's like, you know, I don't really want to get into a fight tonight. So I just left the table and went back up to the bar.

[Brooke Giddings]

Miller had been at the bar with his friend Mark Ackerman. They had a few more beers and then decided to leave. Linda got into Craig Miller's truck, and Ackerman got into his own car. Both cars pulled onto Highway 79 toward Ackerman's house.

[Linda Parrott]

As we were going up Simpson Road, we noticed that Somebody was behind us with their headlights off. So Craig went on up the road, and he flipped a U turn to where his headlights were shining on the car. And we saw it was her.

[Brooke Giddings]

Alma Napier was her. The three cars pulled out onto the highway. Ackerman pulled in front of Alma's car, and Craig Miller followed her closely behind. Linda didn't know what to do.

[Linda Parrott]

He just started hitting the back end of her car. But their speeds were staying like even. So no matter how fast she went, he stayed right behind her and just kept tapping the back end of her car.

[Brooke Giddings]

For five miles, Miller continued to bump into Alma's car with his truck. According to Linda, his behavior appeared to be escalating.

[Linda Parrott]

And after she got in front of him, then you could see the adrenaline pumping. I could see the veins in the side of his neck just throbbing. And that's when it became intense because it was like, well, who in the hell does she think she is?

[Brooke Giddings]

The three cars were heading for a dip in the highway and a sharp right curve where Miller rammed Alma's car one last time.

[Linda Parrott]

When he hit the car, all I saw was her fly over to the right side of the road. She hit the dirt, and you could just see the car just flipping, fluffing, fluffing, fluffing.

[Brooke Giddings]

Miller pulled over, and he and Linda walked down to the ditch where Alma's car landed. It smelled like gas. And Craig Miller took out his lighter and tossed it into the car.

[Linda Parrott]

All of a sudden, the inside of the car just went poof. Just went into a ball of flame. And when it did that, I turned my head this way, and when I turned my head to the left, I. I saw Alma laying over in the dirt.

[Brooke Giddings]

Linda tried to check Alma for a pulse, but Miller dragged her back to the truck and drove away, leaving Alma lying in the field. Linda and Barbara's accounts were almost exactly the same, which made for a compelling case. Craig Miller was arrested and charged with second degree murder. He was found guilty and given a sentence of 15 years to life. Barbara still has emotional scars caused by Craig Miller that will always be a part of her.

[Barbara]

I feel better that he's off the street. He doesn't belong on the street, because anytime he's on the street, he's going to hurt somebody. As far as justice, you can't take back the things he's done. You can't fix any of the damage that he's done. You can't bring back the murder victim. So in my mind, it's not justice.

[Brooke Giddings]

Linda Parrott also felt little relief or closure from Miller's conviction.

[Linda Parrott]

Is it over with? No, I don't feel that it's over with. Not as far as I'm concerned. I can only speak for myself because I still deal with a lot of issues. I still deal with Craig and that night. You know, it's not something that just it doesn't go away. So the longer you wait to tell somebody, the longer it takes to get over it.

[Brooke Giddings]

Agent Utter was thankful that Barbara and Linda were brave enough to share their experiences. So Craig Miller won't be able to hurt other women.

[Steve Utter]

Without Linda's statement, I would not have been able to corroborate Barbara's statement. Without the letter, none of this would have happened at all. That letter got things started. I think there was a lot of bravery on the part of both Barbara and Linda to come forward and be honest. And I think those things combined and made that case.

[Brooke Giddings]

Craig Miller is currently incarcerated in the state of California. He was denied parole in 2014 and 2017. His next parole hearing is April 9, 2020. This is our last regular episode of Cold Case Files until the summer, but make sure you check out next week's episode. It's something special that you won't want to miss. Cold Case Files the podcast is hosted by Brooke giddings, produced by McKamey, Lynn and Steve Delamater. Our associate producer is Julie McGruder. Our executive producer is Ted Butler. Our music was created by Blake Maples. This podcast is distributed by Podcast one. The Cold Case Files TV series was produced by Curtis Productions and is hosted by Bill Curtis. You can find me BrookeGiddings on Twitter and Brooke the Podcaster on Instagram. I'm also active in the Facebook group Podcast for Justice. Check out more Cold case [e-mail] or learn more about cases like this one by visiting the AE RealCrime blog at aetv.com realcrime stream all the movies and shows you love for free on Pluto tv. Say Huena Showtime. That means drama is free with heart wrenching stories from Love and Basketball Power and Greenleaf.

[Barbara]

In this family we live by the.

[Brooke Giddings]

Spirit and laughter is free with gut busting comedies like Pee and Peele, the Neighborhood Everybody Hates Chris and Boomerang. Watch all the hits all for free from all your favorite devices.

[Barbara]

Oh my God, I love it.

[Brooke Giddings]

Feel the free Pluto TV stream now pay never.