Kontz Avoids Life Sentence With Plea Deal In Husband's Death
tiny dancer
with a man in Calif. and that in Derril Willards admissions to his attorney
prior to his committing suicide, he was told 'he'd been played by this
woman' and he agreed with that assessment. The state supreme court made
some sort of ruling that there was no evidence in Willards statements to his
own attorney as to any 'admissions' he made in this crime, other than being
*used* by ann miller.
Kontz Avoids Life Sentence With Plea Deal In Husband's Death
Posion Victim's Wife Sentenced To At Least 25 Years In Prison
POSTED: 9:42 am EST November 7, 2005
UPDATED: 11:07 pm EST November 7, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The woman accused in the arsenic poisoning death of her
husband nearly five years ago was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison
after pleading guilty Monday to murder and conspiracy charges.
In a statement read Monday by her defense attorney, Joseph Cheshire, Ann
Miller Kontz said she felt "a deep sense of remorse and regret" for the
death of her husband, pediatric AIDS researcher Eric Miller.
Kontz, who remarried and moved to Wilmington after Miller's death, pleaded
guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder,
acknowledging that she poisoned Miller at least twice before his death in
December 2000. The couple had a child, Clare, now almost 6 years old,
together.
Under the deal with the state, Kontz, who was scheduled to go to trial in
January 2006, will serve two consecutive terms for a total of 25 to 31 years
in prison, meaning she will be at least 60 years old before she is released.
If convicted during a trial, however, she would have faced a life sentence
in prison.
In the plea, Kontz said she conspired with Derril Willard -- a colleague at
GlaxoSmithKline, where she worked, and with whom authorities said she had a
romantic relationship.
In November 2000, Miller got sick after a night out bowling with his wife
and some friends. He died Dec. 2 of arsenic poisoning. Initially, Raleigh
police did not name Kontz as a suspect in Miller's death, but further into
their investigation Raleigh police discovered Kontz's relationship with
Willard and that they both had access to an arsenic compound where they
worked.
Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said that while Kontz could
have been found guilty if her case had gone to trial, the case was based on
circumstantial evidence and a guilty verdict was no guarantee. The plea deal
was the best guarantee to keep Kontz in prison for an extended period of
time.
"There were some legal frailties about this case that we all knew that
proposed a risk if it were tried and she were convicted, and it went on
appeal."
A key piece of evidence in the case is Willard's statement to attorney Rick
Gammon that Kontz poisoned her husband while he was hospitalized --
information that would be difficult to admit into trial because Willard
committed suicide shortly after police questioned him in January 2001 about
the case.
Strong Emotions From Victim's Family
During court Monday, Kontz bowed her head and cried quietly during most of
the presentations from Miller's family. Her silence, however, was met with
contempt.
"Ann, why don't you look at me? Why can't you look at me?," one of Miller's
sisters said.
"I have a hole in my heart and a pain in my chest every day, and with every
breath I take, you have taken my son from me," said Doris Miller, Eric
Miller's mother. "I'll never hold him again. He'll never sit at my table. I
will never see him smile."
And though she had expressed regret through her attorney, Miller's family
said they did not believe Klontz's feelings were sincere.
"She wants forgiveness," said Miller's father, Verus Miller. "Where's the
forgiveness been for the last five years? She's sorry, she's sorry she got
caught."
Verus Miller said the family accepted the plea, in part, to keep Kontz from
raising their granddaughter, who is currently in the care of Kontz's sister
in Wilmington.
"One of the reasons this plea agreement is so good is that it removes Ann
from Clare's life," Verus Miller said.
The Miller family would not say if they planned to seek custody of the
child.
http://www.wral.com/news/5267752/detail.html
eartha...@yahoo.com
tiny dancer wrote:
> Word on the local news tonight is that ann miller had had a previous affair
> with a man in Calif. and that in Derril Willards admissions to his attorney
> prior to his committing suicide, he was told 'he'd been played by this
> woman' and he agreed with that assessment. The state supreme court made
> some sort of ruling that there was no evidence in Willards statements to his
> own attorney as to any 'admissions' he made in this crime, other than being
> *used* by ann miller.
This one would make a really good true crime book. Do you know if the
Millers get to see their granddaughter? This article says he was out
with his wife and friends when he got sick. Do you think Willards was
telling the entire truth, do you think he did have something to do with
the murder? Why would she tell him anything? Has WIllards wife said
anything to the press now that some of the contents are known about
what he revealed to his attorney? Sure would like to know more about
the previous affair, when did it happen. The Willards affair happened
when her daughter was still a baby, was the other one before the
daughter was born? Why did she not divorce Miller if she was so
unhappy, there must not have been that much money on the table? Oh
yes, wonder how the Christian rocker feels about his wife.
tiny dancer
<eartha...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1131427175.3...@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> tiny dancer wrote:
> > Word on the local news tonight is that ann miller had had a previous
affair
> > with a man in Calif. and that in Derril Willards admissions to his
attorney
> > prior to his committing suicide, he was told 'he'd been played by this
> > woman' and he agreed with that assessment. The state supreme court made
> > some sort of ruling that there was no evidence in Willards statements to
his
> > own attorney as to any 'admissions' he made in this crime, other than
being
> > *used* by ann miller.
>
> This one would make a really good true crime book.
I do know, when this first happened, Ann Rule was watching this case.
Whether or not she will include it since it didn't go to trial, I don't
know. But yes, I think it would make a great true crime book.
Do you know if the
> Millers get to see their granddaughter?
Yes, the Miller's have visitation rights with their granddaughter. She
lives with Ann Miller's sister right now, but it's been mentioned in more
than one local story that this plea opens the door to the Miller's seeking
custody of Eric's child. She was eleven months old at the time Eric Miller
died. Her name is Claire.
This article says he was out
> with his wife and friends when he got sick.
It's always been reported that Eric was out bowling with Ann's work
assoicates, but it's never been reported before, that I've seen anyway, that
Ann was with them that night. I always got the impression it was a 'guys
only' bowling night when Eric got that arsenic in his beer. Rick Gammon,
Willards lawyer who fought to keep his clients statements confidential after
Willard committed suicide, said 'had there been a trial, probably more would
have come out from him, but because he is bound by confidentiality, he can't
talk about any of those things.'
Do you think Willards was
> telling the entire truth, do you think he did have something to do with
> the murder? Why would she tell him anything?
Okay, I'll try to take these. I just heard tonight that Ann Miller and
Derril Willard went on a trip to Chicago earlier in the month of Novemeber,
the same month Eric was poisoned. The first part of that month Ann and
Willard went to Chicago together. At the end of the month is when Miller
got the poison in his beer while bowling. Apparently Ann Miller told her
husband that 'she had to go on a business trip to Chicago', and Willard told
his wife 'he was attending some sort of reunion in Chicago.'
I think Willard put the arsenic in Eric's beer at the bowling alley. I
think Ann Miller *convinced him* to help her on that trip to Chicago.
Actually, in a way, it kind of reminds me of that Sheree case, the one they
are making a movie about. I think Ann duped Willard into helping her. Have
you seen the photo's of him? He wasn't exactly a hunk, chubby, old-looking,
etc.
Has WIllards wife said
> anything to the press now that some of the contents are known about
> what he revealed to his attorney?
Yes, she said 'she knew Willard was having an affair with Ann Miller. And
she also knew that Ann Miller was duping him. From what I've heard locally,
that's pretty much what everyone believes. Willard didn't have a reputation
as a player. He had more of a reputation as a dupe.
Sure would like to know more about
> the previous affair, when did it happen.
The previous affair with the guy in California went on for the three years
prior to Eric Millers death. The DA tonight on the news said that affair
had been ongoing right up to Miller's death. I'd bet they also talking to
the Calif. guy in their investigation. Sounds to me like Annie duped poor
Willard into helping her get rid of Eric for the Calif. guy. I don't think
she ever had any intention of staying with Willard. She just needed
somebody to help her get rid of Eric.
The Willards affair happened
> when her daughter was still a baby, was the other one before the
> daughter was born? Why did she not divorce Miller if she was so
> unhappy, there must not have been that much money on the table?
Eric Miller's sister, I think it was, one of his family members anyway, made
some reference to Ann 'always needing attention, always needing to be the
center of attention'. Never being happy unless she was. So did the DA.
They referred to Ann as a manipulative sociopath who always had to have her
own way. I don't think they were hurting for money. The DA said 'Ann
Miller paid for numerous trips for herself and her *Calif. guy* boyfriend.'
Oh
> yes, wonder how the Christian rocker feels about his wife.
I don't know, haven't heard a thing about him today. Don't know if he was
in court today or not. Didn't he and Ann have a child shortly before she
was arrested last year? I could swear the two of them had a baby together?
But I haven't seen anything mentioned about it today.
td
tiny dancer
Ann Miller's plea and reactions from Eric's parents, investigators, DA, etc.