Landlord Who Killed Tenant Pleads Not Guilty

A landlord accused of killing his tenant appeared in Clackamas County Court Monday, pleading not guilty. Police had arrested 66-year-old Gerald Lee Miller after being called to the 13000 block of Southeast Oatfield Road in unincorporated Milwaukie.

Miller was arrested after he called 911 to report that he had shot his tenant, Ricky Pineda McKowen.

McKowen was found dead inside the home when deputies arrived on scene.

In jailhouse interviews Monday, Miller told reporters that he had killed McKowen because the tenant had been planning to kill him. He claimed that McKowen had been living in his basement for three years but had not paid rent in more than one year.