PORT ORCHARD — Craig Warren Miller Jr. offered neither apology nor explanation before he was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the November 2015 murder of his 87-year-old neighbor, Floyd Zumwalt, who was stabbed and bludgeoned while he napped in his bed.
But as Zumwalt's loved ones wept in a capacity courtroom in Kitsap County Superior Court, Bremerton Police Detective Marty Garland gave Judge Kevin Hull a graphic account of what Garland said were Miller's motive, and method.
"Floyd fought back," Garland said. "He rolled and protected himself, but Craig had made up his mind."
Miller declined to speak before Hull handed down the 244-month sentence, the maximum for second-degree murder, to which Miller pleaded guilty. His attorney, Tim Drury, said Miller regretted what he did.
"If he could take it back he would, but he can't," Drury told Hull.
Despite the horror of the death of their father and grandfather, members of Zumwalt's family extended their forgiveness to Miller, 45, noting that it is what Zumwalt would have done.
"I know wherever he is, he even forgives you," said Zumwalt's grandson Dustin Ward. "My grandpa couldn't live with hate in his heart. That's not the kind of guy he was, and neither am I."
Zumwalt had difficulty getting around from his Lebo Boulevard apartment, sometimes using a wheelchair, which led him to welcome and trust his neighbor Miller, who told people he was a former fire chief, police detective and Navy SEAL.
"He lived alone, and he was lonely," Garland said of Zumwalt, adding that despite what Miller told people he was not to be trusted: "Craig has a problem with the truth."
Miller was arrested in April for Zumwalt's murder, but the case was strengthened over the Labor Day weekend when searchers checking the shrubs outside Zumwalt's apartment found the broken knife authorities say was used as the murder weapon.
The tip to check the shrubs came from a cellmate of Miller's, who said Miller admitted to killing Zumwalt and tossed the broken knife into the shrubs.
The cellmate also told authorities that Miller said he was a "hit man" and had killed people in Illinois, Virginia and Florida.
Garland said Miller had helped Zumwalt, using his ATM card to run errands for his elderly neighbor, but began stealing from him. When Zumwalt became aware of his dwindling account balance Miller decided to kill Zumwalt, Garland said.
"Craig knew eventually it would point toward him," Garland said, alleging Miller decided it was easier to kill Zumwalt than answer for the thefts.
Garland described a methodical and cold-blooded murder. In the lead up to killing Zumwalt, Garland said, Miller made sure he visited stores that had security cameras, saved his receipts and even waved to neighbors and set an alarm that others would hear, all in an attempt to account for his whereabouts.
Garland said Miller knew Zumwalt would be napping and let himself into Zumwalt's apartment, removed his clothes and put on Zumwalt's clothes, and repeatedly stabbed the elderly man through his blankets. Garland described, in detail, the multiple times Miller used a baseball bat to strike Zumwalt's head and body. Miller then called 911, claiming he walked into the apartment and found Zumwalt mortally injured.
"I believe he will take advantage of another vulnerable person in our society at his first opportunity," Garland said, asking Hull to sentence him to the maximum.
Garland said Miller's cellmate did not cooperate with authorities in order to receive a deal with prosecutors, but because of his disgust with Miller's excitement and giddiness as he described killing Zumwalt.
"He hopped about and swung an imaginary bat," Garland said.
Bremerton detectives also checked on the Illinois murder that Miller allegedly admitted to committing. According to court documents, Bartonville, Illinois Police Chief Brian Fengel said Miller reported finding the body of Bonnie Sue Fife, whose remains were identified in 2005. Miller was working as a security guard at the industrial plant where Fife's remains were discovered.
When contacted by the Kitsap Sun, Fengel said he could not comment on the Fife murder as it was an active investigation.
However, the sister of Fife, Rose Rojas, of Riverside, California, told the Kitsap Sun that when she saw the photo of Miller she immediately recognized him.
"I was shocked," Rojas said at seeing Miller's face.
When Fife went missing, Rojas' parents called her back to Illinois to help search. Rojas recalls going to an acquaintance of Fife's, a man who she strongly suspects was involved in Fife's disappearance, and at his house saw Miller.
"I thought, 'Oh my god,'" Rojas said when she saw Miller's photo on kitsapsun.com. "I believe he is the one I saw."
Judge Hull, in approving the sentence which was agreed upon by prosecutors and Miller's attorney, called Zumwalt's death "brutal."
"He was not afforded the opportunity to pass away peacefully among loved ones," Hull said. "It's likely that his final moments were filled with terror and despair, and nobody should have to go that way."
