Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
An Indiana man who taunted police for decades over an 8-year-old girl’s sex assault and murder was caught after investigators tracked him down, in part, using public genealogy database research, authorities said.
John Miller, 59, was arrested Sunday and later confessed to raping and killing April Tinsley in 1988, according to a police affidavit.
When detectives from the Fort Wayne Police Department approached him and asked if he knew why they were there, Miller looked at the police and said, “April Tinsley,” according to the affidavit.
Miller first began allegedly flaunting the crime in 1990 when officers were called to a barn where a note was found. The note said, “I kill 8 year old April M Tinsley, did you find her other shoe haha I will kill agin (sic),” according to police.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Miller aided police by leaving three used condoms — along with notes claiming responsibility for the April Tinsley murder — at three different addresses in 2004, according to police. DNA samples from those condoms were matched to the DNA profile created after the original crime.
Police then hired Parabon Nanolabs to conduct genetic DNA testing and analysis on the collected samples. The testing narrowed down the DNA to Miller and his brother, according to police.
After surveillance of Miller’s home confirmed he lived alone, police conducted a “trash pull” trying to find any material with DNA on it. Three used condoms were collected and given to the Indiana State Police laboratory for testing, according to police.
When the DNA collected from the trash matched with the past samples, detectives went to Miller’s residence where he agreed to come to the Fort Wayne police department to talk, according to police.
When asked to explain what happened to April, Miller replied, “I can’t,” according to police. He then confessed to the crimes, police said.
He was charged with murder, child molesting and confinement and is expected to appear in court later Monday.