PA State Trooper From Montco Charged In 2014 Shooting Death Of Wife, Newborn: DA

A former Pennsylvania State Trooper from East Norriton has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 deaths of his wife and newborn child, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

The three-year investigation began after the incident occurred on March 7, 2014, the DA said. Joseph Miller and his wife, Joanna, who was pregnant, were at home with their two children on the 3000 block of Stoney Creek Road in East Norriton.

Miller, who was off-duty, called 911 at around 2:25 p.m. and said that he was cleaning his gun when he accidentally shot his wife, according to 911 records. He later told police that he had walked into the room where his wife was to tell her he was going to clean his gun. He said that he did not think the weapon had a magazine in it and he did not think he was pointing the weapon at her. He squeezed the trigger, he said, because he was in the proceess of taking the gun apart to clean.

“I, ah, was cleaning,” Miller said in the 911 call. “I was about to clean my gun and I didn’t realize there was a round...I shot my wife.”

Authorities responding to the scene found Miller covered in blood, and Joanna lying on the ground next to a pile clothes, bleeding from her head. A vacuum was running right next to her, the criminal complaint states.

Joanna was rushed to Mercy Suburban Hospital in critical condition, authorities said. As she was dying, an emergency Cesarean section was performed in an attempt to save the baby, who was about 24 weeks old, authorities said. The baby was delivered "in life-threatening distress" and was given CPR, but was pronounced dead at 4:24 p.m, authorities said.

The DA at the time, Risa Vetri Ferman, ruled that Miller had been “negligent” while handling the firearm, but there was insufficient evidence to say he was criminally liable. She added that the case could be reopened if new evidence was discovered.

And it was.

Perhaps the most condemning piece of evidence that arose from an extensive forensic examination of the crime scene was the discovery that Miller’s gun was only three to six inches away from Joanna’s head when he pulled the trigger, the DA said. Miller had told investigators that he was eight to ten feet away, which is a significant difference.

The second piece of evidence resulted from an investigation into Miller’s background as a state trooper, for which the DA said he had received extensive, specialized firearms training from the State Police Academy. In total, Miller received 139 hours of formal instruction, and 67 hours of hands-on instruction in the shooting range, police said.

In describing his training, authorities said that Miller was repeatedly taught the “Cardinal Rules of Firearms Safety,” specifically “treat every weapon as it it is loaded” and “always keep the muzzle pointed in the safest direction.” Furthermore, Miller was required to re-qualify his firearms skills in annual tests, something which he did successfully 11 times.

All evidence pointed towards the notion that Miller was careful, capable, qualified officer and firearm user, implying that he was either lying about what happened, or that he was grossly negligent.

Miller, who has since resigned his position with the state police, was arraigned on Friday and bail was set at $10,000. He waived his preliminary hearing, and his next court date has not yet been set.

Image via Montgomery County District Attorney's Office