Imagine you are twenty years old and madly in love. So much so that you propose to your girlfriend who is eighteen years old. She says yes.
You plan a wedding. A small, intimate ceremony. Just a few guests. You imagine your life together.
Money is tight so staying in a multi-generational home is in your near future. But you are young, strong, resolute, and hardworking. The world is yours and you are going to make it work.
That was the life of Richard “Petie” William Miller Jr.. In two days, he would be married to Penny Wilson. It never happened.
Petie Miller went missing and for the longest time there was the hope that the groom had just gotten cold feet or that he wanted a last weekend alone, or that somehow he was at his bachelor’s party. But none of that was in his character.
For a young man of twenty, Petie was a profoundly serious person. He would have let at least his mother know where he would be. He checked up on her daily so this absence would have been out of character.
After his truck was finally found in Richmond, the airport connection came up. Did Petie have the money for an airplane ticket? Did he even have a passport? Was his name on the flight records? None of that mattered because again, this was an action out of character. Petie Miller would not spend money on a ticket knowing he was going to be married and how much his family needed the income. He was a responsible young man. So, what happened in the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia, in the fall of 1983?
In painstaking detail, Ron Peterson tells the story of what Petie did the morning of November 17, 1983. He includes the witness statements and the words of Petie’s dad, Richard Miller. Sr. who tailgated him that morning but then lost sight of his son’s truck.
Peterson describes the family dynamics, employment, Penny’s family, her stepfather, his previous relationships, and the actions they all took when Petie did not come home.
The investigation and the many law enforcement officers and prosecutors involved in this case play a huge part in this book, and rightfully so. Their dedication to this case is nothing but admirable.
Eventually, several persons of interest were filtered out of the many leads and tips. Some were more plausible than others. A few had a volatile character and could become physically aggressive, however, without a body, without remains, without a cause of death determination, the case would be hard to make in court.
My biggest fear, which was later confirmed by Commonwealth Attorney Lee Ervin was double jeopardy. What if you put someone on trial in a no-body case with circumstantial evidence and they get acquitted?
Double Jeopardy, this is the legal principle of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. A person cannot be prosecuted twice for the same offense or punished more than once for the same crime.
Was there a risk for acquittal? Yes, there were gaps in the timeline, issues that could be explained, and people whose words were backed up by others. The case was not in the best shape until fresh eyes bore into it and found the way to get justice for Petie Miller.
Petie’s remains have not been found until this day. There is speculation about where he has been buried. His mom died on the 21st anniversary of his disappearance. His dad died days after the guilty verdict.
This is a heart wrenching story in which you will root for Petie’s dad who tirelessly kept working to keep his son’s name in the papers, on flyers, on stickers, in the media, and on every police officer’s calendar.
Ron Peterson wrote an excellent book about the missing person case that became a no-body trial. The pace is a bit slow; however, the investigation developed in the same pace. Despite the many people involved, the author managed to keep them streamlined so the reader does not get lost. If you do feel you need a reminder, go to the back of the book and check the “Where are they now?” section.
The book has a table of contents, several black and white non-graphic photographs inserted in the text with full credits, newspaper clippings, explanations of the legal procedures in Virginia and the forensics applied in this case, a “Where are they now?” section of the people involved in this case, and of course, the author’s acknowledgements.
Highly recommended reading.
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