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0 7 - 0 8 - 2 0 0 5 Police: Cop's alleged shooter took steroids
By ALAN CROWELL WINSLOW -- The Winslow man who allegedly shot a Kennebec County Sheriff's deputy when police arrived at his house to investigate a report of domestic violence was taking steroids, police said Saturday. Bobby J. Miller, 28, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon late Thursday after he allegedly shot at two Winslow officers and Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Chase, striking Chase's body armor inches from his throat. Winslow officers, who had been warned that Miller was taking steroids before they went to his home on North Pond Road, called for backup before responding. Chase answered that call with his dog Jack. "My experience has been that people who are heavy steroids users, you tend to see an escalation in their aggression over time," Winslow Police Chief Michael Heavener said Saturday morning. Chase was unhurt thanks to his body armor, but Heavener said the incident illustrates how quickly any call can escalate from routine to life-threatening. The officers first tried to get Miller's attention by knocking on a side door of the home, police said. When that was unsuccessful, they went to the rear of the home, where Miller's bedroom is located. Miller was in his bed and visible to police when they knocked on his bedroom's sliding glass door, attempting to get his attention. As they knocked, however, Miller suddenly rolled out of bed and fired at the three officers, striking Chase, according to police. After the officers retreated, setting up a perimeter around the house, Miller called a police dispatcher and reported he had fired at people trying to break into his house. When the dispatcher told him that he had fired at police, not burglars, Miller surrendered. Inside the home, police found a significant amount of steroids, which Miller was apparently taking intravenously, Heavener said. 0 9 - 0 8 - 2 0 0 5 Suspect's name was changed, police say
By DOUG HARLOW WINSLOW — Bobby Miller, the man police believe was on powerful steroids when he allegedly shot a sheriff's deputy last week, recently changed his name and is in the process of filing for bankruptcy, police said Monday. Miller, 28, was known as Bobby Schofield when he operated a land development company, which has gone out of business. Winslow police Detective Gina Henderson said Monday that police, acting on a tip about a possible name change, "ran a check and found it had been changed from Bobby Schofield to Bobby Miller, and that's under investigation." Henderson said that when police arrived at Miller's North Pond Road home late Thursday they found boxes of steroids - including human growth hormones - a 9 mm handgun, two empty shell casings and a bullet hole in the wall of his bedroom. Miller was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon Thursday after he allegedly shot at two Winslow officers and Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Chase, striking Chase's body armor just inches from his throat. Police had responded to the home Miller shares with his wife, Heather, on a possible domestic dispute report. Winslow police had been warned that Miller often used steroids, body-building drugs that can trigger violence and rage. Chase was not seriously injured in the shooting. Henderson said the wording of the search warrant police obtained from a District Court judge included steroids because of information developed in an interview with Miller's wife. The steroids may have been purchased over the Internet, she said. "He had boxes of pure testosterone and a number of vials of other drugs, bags of pills and a whole box of untouched and unopened human growth hormones," Henderson said. "There were needles, bags of needles." The weapon confiscated appeared to be a Walther semiautomatic 9 mm handgun. It will be taken to the state crime laboratory for inspection on Wednesday, Henderson said. Henderson said Miller's wife told police their company had fallen on hard times and was going out of business. "She told me they were going through bankruptcy." Richard Corbett of Rome, a water treatment and radon gas expert who works in the building trades, said several local businesses have tried to take Miller and his company to court for running up bills and not finishing jobs. Augusta lawyer David Lipman said Monday he recently represented a homeowner who wanted to take Miller to court for not completing a construction job, but said the case had been released when Miller filed for bankruptcy. He said the name of the company was Giroux Development. A neighbor of the Millers' North Pond Road home said the 75 acres on which the large home now stands was offered for sale by the previous owner, a Pennsylvania man. The parcel was purchased by Heather Miller's father, whose last name is Giroux. Miller began building the home in the fall of 2003. He later went into business, using the Giroux name. Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley said his office is unaccustomed to prosecuting drug cases involving illegal anabolic steroids. "Most steroids require a prescription, so possession of steroids could result in charges," he said. Kelley said a Kennebec County grand jury will get the Miller case early next month, when additional charges could be brought against him. In the meantime, the original charges of aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon remain in place. Miller remained at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta on Monday, according to an intake worker. His bail is $500,000 cash. 1 3 - 0 8 - 2 0 0 5 Wife seeks protection day after shooting
By DOUG HARLOW A day after her husband allegedly shot a sheriff's deputy in the chest, Heather Miller of Winslow went to court and got a restraining order to protect herself from the man who had a gun, allegedly used steroids, and has a history of domestic violence. In a handwritten statement dated Aug. 5 at Waterville District Court, Miller, 28, said she was afraid of her husband, Bobby J. Miller, 28, who by then was in jail in Augusta facing criminal charges. Bobby J. Miller, who also has been known in court documents as Bobby J. Scofield and Bobby J. Giroux, was arrested Aug. 4 on charges of aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a firearm after allegedly shooting Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Chase. Chase, who had responded to the couple's North Pond Road home with other police officers, was wearing a protective vest and was not injured. The slug, fired from a 9 mm handgun, struck his body armor inches from his throat. Police had been warned that Miller had been taking steroids, which can cause aggression in some people. Miller faces an additional charge for allegedly assaulting his wife before police arrived that night. According to the order filed by Heather Miller, Bobby Miller had been verbally abusing her for three years. The physical abuse began in March, she wrote, when Miller allegedly picked her up in a rage and threw her from one room into another room. The statement says that Bobby Miller routinely breaks furniture and punches holes in the walls of the couple's large home. Augusta lawyer Ronald Bourget, who is representing Bobby Miller, said Friday he will try to get his client's bail reduced next week. Miller is being held at the county jail in Augusta on $500,000 cash bond. If Miller is released, he will not be allowed to go home or to have contact with his wife. Bourget said he is aware of Miller's financial and marital problems and said there could be "valid defenses" on the criminal charges. A grand jury will hear the case in early September. "I am aware that he has a number of creditors and he was under a lot of stress on Aug. 4 when the police came to his premises," Bourget said Friday. He said it was too early Friday to discuss the case, but said anytime someone thinks he might be defending his own home, the legal lines blur. "Being confronted in his own home, there are valid defenses that have to be reviewed dealing with defense of premises," Bourget said. According to court documents, Miller and his company, Giroux Developing Inc., are being sued by dozens of creditors, including McCormack Building Supply of Winslow, which claims it is owed $500,000. The McCormack case was set for hearing in Kennebec County Superior Court this past week. Miller and Giroux Developing Inc. (Giroux is his wife's maiden name) have since filed for bankruptcy in federal court in Bangor. According to court documents, Miller has more than 45 creditors who claim he owes nearly $700,000. 0 1 - 1 0 - 2 0 0 5 Judge reduces bail for alleged police shooter
Saturday, October 1, 2005 AUGUSTA -- A superior court judge reduced bail for a Winslow man police believe was on powerful steroids when he allegedly assaulted his wife and then shot a sheriff's deputy who came to investigate a complaint of domestic abuse. Bobby J. Miller, 28, was being held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail since his arrest Aug. 4 on charges of aggravated assault, reckless conduct, assault, criminal threatening, unlawful possession of prescription steroids and criminal threatening. Friday in Kennebec County Superior Court, Justice S. Kirk Studstrup set new bail for Miller at $20,000 cash or $200,000 worth of real estate after hearing arguments from attorneys and reading an evaluation of Miller prepared by psychologist Brian Rines. "We still have the possibility of a very serious problem," Studstrup said. "The safety of Ms. Miller is of great importance to the state." Studstrup also acknowledged Bobby Miller had "no significant criminal history." He remained at the Kennebec County jail Friday afternoon. Assistant District Attorney Paul Rucha asked that bail remain high. "The state is still concerned and the victim is still concerned regarding her safety," Rucha said. He said Rines' report did not focus on the defendant's abuse of human growth hormone. Winslow police who searched Miller's home after his arrest reported finding steroids, testosterone, a box of unopened human growth hormone and other pills. Miller's attorney, Ronald Bourget, sought bail of $50,000 in real estate. Bourget said he had not received any reports indicating Miller was found with anabolic steroids in his system. "My understanding is that it came back 'not found,' " Bourget said. Miller is accused of shooting Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Chase when Chase and other officers knocked on the sliding-glass door of Miller's bedroom. Chase was hit in his body armor just below his throat and was not seriously injured. Conditions of bail ban Miller from possessing weapons and from being within a half-mile of Heather Miller's residence and place of work. 0 6 - 1 2 - 2 0 0 5 Lawyer asks Superior Court judge to exclude evidence against client
By DOUG HARLOW AUGUSTA -- A Superior Court judge on Monday gave defense lawyer Ronald Bourget 48 hours to explain why the court should suppress evidence that suggests his client committed a crime Aug. 4 when he allegedly shot a police officer. The motion to exclude the evidence was brought Monday before Justice Nancy Mills on behalf of Bobbi J. Miller, formerly of Winslow. Police and prosecutors believe Miller, 28, was on powerful steroids when he allegedly assaulted his wife and then shot a sheriff's deputy who came to investigate a complaint of domestic abuse. The idea, according to Bourget, is to have the evidence removed because police were at Miller's home improperly that night and without permission. He said it is Miller who has a case against police, not the other way around. Miller, who also has been known in court documents as Bobby J. Scofield and Bobby J. Giroux, is charged with aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, assault, unlawful possession of drugs and criminal threatening. Altogether, Miller could face more than 20 years in prison if he is found guilty of all the charges. District Attorney Evert Fowle and Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley said Bourget now must show why he thinks the court should allow what is called a testimonial hearing on the merits of the case itself. Bourget will have to write a memorandum citing case law or legal authority for holding such a hearing, they said. The approach is one not seen before in local courts, Fowle said. "It's a unique theory," he said. "He's attempting to take juris prudence where it has not gone before; that's our position. It would be a trial within a trial." A motion to allow Bourget access to the scene of the crime was allowed by Mills. Bourget said he wants to try to recreate the actual events of the night of Aug. 4 to show that his client was startled from sleep by police and acted as would any other threatened homeowner. Miller was arrested Aug. 4 after allegedly shooting Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Chase in the chest from inside his home on North Pond Road. Bourget alleges that Miller thought Chase was an intruder and even dialed 911 to report a crime. Bourget said the 911 tape shows the voice of a victim, not the voice of a perpetrator. Winslow police who searched Miller's home after his arrest reported finding steroids, testosterone, a box of unopened human growth hormone and other pills. Miller is accused of shooting Kennebec County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Chase when Chase and other officers knocked on the sliding-glass door of Miller's bedroom after they failed to get any response at the front door. Chase was hit in his body armor just below his throat and was not seriously injured. Bail on Miller remained Monday at $20,000 cash or $200,000 worth of property. Miller remains at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta, unable to make bail. 2 9 - 0 4 - 2 0 0 6 Miller found guilty of reckless conduct
By DOUG HARLOW AUGUSTA -- A jury in Kennebec County Superior Court on Friday found Bobby Miller of Winslow guilty on two charges related to the Aug. 4, 2005, shooting of a Kennebec County sheriff's deputy, but was deadlocked on the most important charge against him -- aggravated assault. The jury of seven women and five men found Miller, 28, guilty of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon in the shooting of Deputy Christopher Chase at Miller's home on North Pond Road. Jurors also found Miller guilty of assaulting his wife, Heather Miller, at their home earlier in the day Aug. 4 and with criminally threatening his wife in March 2005. Jurors deliberated and asked to review evidence for 10 or 11 hours during two days, ending about 6 p.m. Friday. Miller's bail possibilities were revoked. He has been in custody at the county jail since a bail violation in January. Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley said the guilty findings on the assault and reckless conduct charges vindicate the role of police officers that night last summer. He said he would seek to retry Miller on the aggravated assault charge. "The jury deliberated long and hard, and I saw some very resolute faces, and obviously I'm disappointed that they didn't reach a verdict on the aggravated assault," Kelley said. "The domestic violence was the reason the police were there that night. (Police) did everything right that night, there's no question." Heather Miller called police Aug. 4 after, she said, her husband squeezed her head with his hands and pressed his forehead hard against hers, hurting her. Miller had broken chairs and kicked a children's toy box before Heather Miller fled. She said her husband then called her at her mother's house in Albion, telling her he had a gun and was coming to get her. Winslow police officers Adam Sirois and Joseph Jackson, with Chase called in for backup, arrived at Miller's home after 10 p.m. to speak with him about the assault. Miller said he was startled awake by men's voices and a flashlight in his bedroom and feared creditors and enemies were intruding. He shot twice, prosecutors said during the trial, striking Deputy Chase once in the chest. Chase's bullet-proof vest saved his life. The second slug was never found. Miller's lawyer Ronald Bourget said the case was all about a man defending his home and that the use of deadly force had been warranted under the circumstances. He said he was disappointed Friday, but will challenge the retrial of his client. "Clearly on the aggravated assault charge, the jury had some trouble with that, it's pretty clear they did," Bourget said. "They must have considered strongly the defense-of-premises defense and I think the 911 tape, that was demonstrative to them that he did not mean to shoot a police officer." Bourget said he always looked at the case as a conflict of the police's duty and the homeowner's right to defend his property. "I'm glad they considered it, but, yeah, after all this work, I can be disappointed," he said. "That jury was hung up on the most important charge." Jurors sent notes to presiding judge Justice Nancy Mills on several occasions Friday, twice to review the 911 tape and once to view a DVD of an interview with Miller by a Waterville police detective. In both transcripts, Miller says he did not know that police were at his home. Jurors first reported to Mills that they were deadlocked at 3:15 p.m. Friday and were asked to continue deliberating until they were sure they could not reach a verdict. They went another two full hours before proclaiming the deadlock. For a verdict to be delivered, all 12 members of the jury must agree on guilt or innocence. Mills asked each juror, one by one, first if the guilty verdicts were universal among the panel and if they were certain further instructions or deliberations would not result in a common verdict. All members of the jury agreed. Miller previously pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge related to anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs found in his home when police searched the residence Aug. 5. He has not been sentenced on that charge and issue of steroids was not a factor in his trial this week. The reckless conduct charge is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. The assault and threatening charges carry with them a maximum of one year for each count and the drug charge has a maximum of six months in jail. The aggravated assault charge, a more serious felony, would have a carried a sentence of one to 10 years in prison had the jury reached a finding of guilt. Kelley said he would like to try Miller again on the aggravated assault charge. "Obviously it will come up again on a trial calendar and I'll confer with the district attorney, but I anticipate that we stand ready to retry it before another jury," Kelley said. Bourget begged to differ Friday after the weeklong trial. "Well, let's just see about that," he said outside the courtroom. "We have an act that occurred of reckless conduct, the jury has found him guilty of reckless conduct. Whether or not they can start a separate trial again with regard to aggravated assault is something I'm going to dispute." |
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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
(Wilmore and Costill) 
