Man Who Stored Wifes Remains in Lincoln, NE, Self-Storage Unit Found Guilty of Murder

Update 4/30/15 – Kevin “Mike” Miller pleaded no contest on Wednesday to first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony in the case involving the death of his wife, Kelsey Miller. Miller admitted to police during questioning that he shot Kelsey in the left arm, head and chest, before cutting her body into pieces and depositing her remains in a self-storage unit he had asked a friend to rent, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Janice Lipovsky told the court during the hearing.

In exchange for Miller’s no-contest plea, prosecutors agreed to drop several charges including child abuse, illegally disposing human remains, illegally possessing a gun and possession of meth, according to the source. The state also won’t seek the death penalty, Lipovsky told District Judge Lori Maret.

Prosecutors believe Miller killed his wife after she refused to shoot him. Miller told the court he has colon and stomach cancer. After Kelsey refused to help Miller kill himself last Thanksgiving, he hit her with a baseball bat and shot her three times, according to investigators. He allegedly cut up her body in the shower of their mobile home and stored her remains in buckets and totes inside his Suburban vehicle before moving it all into the self-storage unit, the source reported.

Miller is expected to be sentenced to life in prison on June 2, according to the source.

12/10/14 – Kevin Miller has been formally charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Kelsey, whose body was found on Sunday in a unit at a Big Red Self Storage facility in Lincoln, Neb. A judge set bond at $1 million, according to the source.

Authorities said Kelsey Miller was beaten and shot in the head. Police originally said Kevin Miller was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and illegally disposing of human remains.

A date for when Kevin Miller will appear in court was not reported.

12/8/14 – The body of Kelsey Danielle Miller, 28, was found on Sunday inside a unit at Big Red Self Storage, 7001 Custer St., in Lincoln, Neb. Miller had been missing since Thanksgiving Day and was last seen alive on Nov. 27 at a shelter for domestic-violence victims, according to the source. Police have arrested the victim’s husband, Kevin Michael Miller, 33, on suspicion of second-degree murder and illegally disposing of human remains, according to Lincoln Police Chief Jim Peschong.

Police first arrested Kevin Miller last Thursday on suspicion of domestic violence stemming from an incident on Nov. 22, the source reported. They arrested him again on Sunday based on the murder charge, Peschong said. The couple was married for five years.

Police believe Kelsey Miller died in the couple’s home and then was transported to the storage unit. An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted on Monday.

In a court affidavit, Sgt. Luke Wilke said Kevin Miller had earlier asked a friend to rent a storage unit in the friend’s name. When the friend became suspicious, he checked the unit on Sunday and found a body inside with tattoos that matched Kelsey Miller’s. Peschong said the woman’s body displayed obvious signs of trauma. He did not provide details of her injuries.

The couple had two children together, a 1-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. Kevin Miller, who primarily goes by Mike, has a teenage child from a prior relationship. All three children have been in foster care since Friday, the source reported.

A probable-cause affidavit filed last week indicates Kelsey Miller had sought domestic-violence assistance related to an alleged, ongoing pattern of abuse by her husband. According to the affidavit, Miller had bruises on her neck and told police she had been choked by her husband and was afraid of him, the source reported.

Miller didn’t report any assaults to police, Peschong said, and disappeared shortly after seeking services.

Kevin Miller was charged with misdemeanor assault in 2009 for allegedly hitting a man who owed him money. He was convicted of disturbing the peace and fined $300, according to the source.