Caroline Miller interview

Friday, October 30, 2020 – 10:00 a.m.

Caroline Miller is the victim's wife.

Detective Murphy interviewed her at her residence.

Participants:

• Detective S. Murphy
• Caroline Miller

Detective Murphy: Thank you for speaking with me today, Mrs. Miller. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Caroline Miller: Yes. Thank you.

Detective Murphy: This won't take long. I need to ask these preliminary questions, and some may be difficult, but if at any time it gets to be too much, we can take a break.

Caroline Miller: Thank you. I understand.

Detective Murphy: Would you please state your name and address for the record?

Caroline Miller: Caroline Miller. 244 Sisk Avenue.

Detective Murphy: Thank you. Mrs. Miller, did your husband have any enemies that you know of?

Caroline Miller: My husband was … um … the right word isn't coming to me, but he could push people's buttons.

Detective Murphy: How so?

Caroline Miller: He could be impatient. His motivations were noble, but his methods were … uh … sorry. I'm sorry.

Detective Murphy: Take your time, Mrs. Miller.

Caroline Miller: Caroline. Please call me Caroline.

Detective Murphy: Caroline, was he involved in any altercations recently?

Caroline Miller: It's likely, yes. He had a confrontational nature.

Detective Murphy: With whom? Do you know?

Caroline Miller: He and Nathan butted heads at least once a week.

Detective Murphy: Who is Nathan?

Caroline Miller: The choir director. At the church. Nathaniel Huggins.

Detective Murphy: Has this person threatened your husband?

Caroline Miller: Not with death. Not that I am aware of.

Detective Murphy: But he has threatened your husband?

Caroline Miller: Yes, in a sense. He threatened to relieve Frederick of his duties as assistant choir director.

Detective Murphy: And how did your husband react?

Caroline Miller: It enraged him. He put his heart and soul into the music for that choir. And he did it in his spare time.

Detective Murphy: Had your husband been acting strangely lately?

Caroline Miller: He was stressed about something. More than usual, I think.

Detective Murphy: What was causing that stress, do you know?

Caroline Miller: No, not really.

Detective Murphy: Was everything okay at home?

Caroline Miller: For the most part, yes.

Detective Murphy: What wasn't okay, Caroline?

Caroline Miller: Nothing in particular. We have a 17-year-old daughter. That can be stressful.

Detective Murphy: Were she and your husband not getting along?

Caroline Miller: Frederick was very strict. It made it difficult sometimes.

Detective Murphy: For her or for you?

Caroline Miller: Yes. Both.

Detective Murphy: When was the last time you saw your husband, Caroline?

Caroline Miller: At home. Yesterday. Before choir practice.

Detective Murphy: What time yesterday?

Caroline Miller: Around 5:15 p.m.

Detective Murphy: What time does choir practice start?

Caroline Miller: It starts at 6:00 p.m.

Detective Murphy: Did your husband always leave for choir practice so early?

Caroline Miller: He didn't leave. I did.

Detective Murphy: Had you and he argued?

Caroline Miller: No, we hadn't argued. We hadn't even really talked. When he came in from work around 4:00, he went straight to his office. He came out for dinner just as I was leaving.

Detective Murphy: Where were you going?

Caroline Miller: To run some errands.

Detective Murphy: Where specifically?

Caroline Miller: I needed to pick up some dry cleaning. Then I was going to go to a yoga class. Then maybe Square Books.

Detective Murphy: Is that what you did?

Caroline Miller: Yes.

Detective Murphy: Where is this yoga class?

Caroline Miller: At the library.

Detective Murphy: Which library?

Caroline Miller: Sorry. The public library on Bramlett.

Detective Murphy: You went to yoga at the library, then to Square Books?

Caroline Miller: Yes.

Detective Murphy: Where were you at around 9:00 p.m. last night?

Caroline Miller: I was at home.

Detective Murphy: Was your daughter with you?

Caroline Miller: No. She wasn't with me.

Detective Murphy: Do you know where she was?

Caroline Miller: Yes. At High Point Coffee. Studying.

Detective Murphy: Caroline, do you know what your husband planned to do last night?

Caroline Miller: Just choir practice at the church.

Detective Murphy: Nothing else?

Caroline Miller: No. Frederick kept a rigid schedule.

Detective Murphy: How do you mean rigid?

Caroline Miller: Everything was scheduled. Wake up at 5:00 a.m. Leave for work at 6:15. Dinner promptly at 5:15. Laundry on Sundays after church. Oil change every 3,000 miles. He wasn't spontaneous. Ever.

Detective Murphy: Okay, Caroline. Thank you. Those are all the questions I have for now, but we may need to talk to you again.

Caroline Miller: I understand.

Detective Murphy: Before we leave, Detective Armstrong and I would like to take a look around the house to see if we can find any information about who might've done this in your husband's papers and so forth. Would that be all right with you?

Caroline Miller: Of course. His office is right down the hall. If there's anything to find, it'll probably be in there.

Detective Murphy: Thank you. We'd also like to get samples of your fingerprints and DNA for elimination purposes. Would it be okay if we took care of that too before we leave?

Caroline Miller: Um … yes. Yes, of course.

Detective Murphy: Thank you for your time today.

Caroline Miller: You're welcome, Detective.

Interview ended – 10:23 a.m.