Man charged with second-degree murder in 2014 Calgary death
CBC News | Posted: April 16, 2018 8:15 PM | Last Updated: April 16, 2018
Douglas Miller, 41, was found frozen near a northeast parking lot
Calgary police have charged a 28-year-old man with second-degree murder in a 2014 death only recently ruled a homicide.
Joshua Michael Anthony Mills was arrested Friday in Edmonton. He was charged on the weekend, the police service announced Monday afternoon.
More than three years ago, Douglas Miller's frozen body was found by a passerby near a parking lot in the 5900 block of Madigan Drive N.E., in the Calgary community of Marlborough Park. He was 41.
Miller's death was ruled a homicide in February.
Tips from the public helped
That month, the Calgary Police Service released surveillance camera images showing someone officers believed had information about what happened. Tips came in from the public and led to police finding the person in the photos.
Police determined that person wasn't of interest but they were led to the accused by various investigative leads.
Miller's family has asked Calgary police to withhold details of what investigators believed happened to their loved one that night, until the case goes to court.
Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta of the Calgary police homicide unit said officers believe Mills and Miller knew each other and both lived in the area where Miller was found.
"The suspect has strong ties to Calgary. I can say this was a targeted attack on our victim."
Recently acquitted of manslaughter
Mills was acquitted of manslaughter in another Calgary case in February.
At trial, defence lawyer Rebecca Snukal argued Mills stabbed an attacker out of self-defence.
In 2016, a man tried to to take Mills' bag. The bag held his son's baby blanket, so he refused to give it up.
The man beat and kicked Mills. Mills then stabbed the man, who died weeks later in the hospital.
Second suspect
Schiavetta said a second suspect was identified during the investigation but that person has since died.
"There was another suspect present during this homicide," he said. "That person has become deceased through a non criminal matter."
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