Toxic

A Brilliant Scientist Turns Up Dead... Medical Mystery Or Murder?

(CBS)  Lieutenant Chris Morgan wanted to talk to everyone Eric Miller came into contact with the first night he became sick at the bowling alley - especially Derril Willard, the man who poured Eric's beer.

"He's been ducking us," says Morgan. "He's been not retuning calls. You know, he hadn't given us an interview at all."

The 37-year-old biochemist worked at the same company as Eric's wife, Ann. But beyond that, those who know Derril Willard best say he's an unlikely murder suspect.

"He was very good at his job, very respected," says Yvette Willard of her husband. "He was a great dad. So good with Kelsey. She absolutely adored him."

But shortly after Eric's death in 2000, police began digging into Derril's background. Phone records between Derril and Eric's wife, Ann, days before Eric's murder, hint at what may have been an inappropriate relationship.

"There was a ton of communication between the two. Multiple calls on a daily basis," says Morgan. "When you look at the phone records, you're finding phone calls where Ann has called Derril at 4:30 in the morning. You gotta ask yourself, 'Who calls a casual acquaintance, a co-worker at 4:30 in the morning?'"

Also, just days before the bowling alley incident, Ann and Derril took a trip to Chicago together. Ann says it's a company business trip. But when police investigate, there was no company trip.

"They check in to the Ritz Carlton and spend a weekend up there ordering a whole lot of room service," Morgan explains.

Police also retrieved e-mail from Ann's computer:

"I never want to stop making you feel," Ann wrote to Derril. "I want to show you new things. I want to touch places in you that you knew not existed."

Just hours after Ann sent that e-mail, Derril poured Eric a beer at the bowling alley. When asked if he thinks Derril tried to kill Eric that night, Morgan says, "No doubt in my mind."

But Morgan suspected something more complicated was going on. When Eric came home after bowling, Ann rushed him to the emergency room where doctors ran a battery of tests.

Eric's sister, Leeane, was there when Eric began to hallucinate.

"He was thrashing and he started to cry. And he's like, 'Why are they doing this to me?' I remember laying on top of him physically 'cause he was thrashing so much. And I was so afraid he was gonna hurt himself. I laid top of him and I just got in his face. And I said, 'Eric you need to calm down. It's gonna be OK.'"

After that horrible night, Eric did begin to slowly improve and days later, was discharged. While recuperating at home, his parents, Verus and Doris, stayed by his side. One night, they decided to give Ann and Eric some time alone.

"Some friends of theirs had brought in some food. So Ann was going to serve that and they were gonna have just the quiet time," Doris explains.

But after Ann says she and Eric ate a chicken dinner, Eric became violently ill again and went back to the hospital. Doctors poured over the tests from his previous stay and discovered the arsenic in Eric's blood.

Lieutenant Morgan had many questions for Eric's wife. But now, he says, Ann was refusing to cooperate. "We tried to contact Ann. She never came in, she never called."

Instead, within days of Eric's death, Ann hired attorneys, effectively cutting off police.

"She retained one of the most high profile, most experienced lawyers that, well, as I put it, money can buy," says Morgan.

Ann retained Wade Smith and Joe Cheshire - the lawyers who later successfully defended the young Duke lacrosse players accused of rape. And while Morgan thought it suspicious, Eric's family was more forgiving.

"I just dismissed it. I'm like, OK. Well I guess that happened lots of times. The spouse gets, you know, blamed for things," says Eric's sister Pam.

The Miller family embraced their grieving daughter-in-law. After Eric's death, Ann asked to spend Christmas with them in Indiana. But they would soon learn a horrible truth about Ann.

On Jan. 21, 2001, a month and a half after Eric's death, the Millers came to Ann's house for Clare's first birthday.

Police wanted to confront Ann about her affair. "We went, knocked on the door," says Det. Deborah Regentin. "They had no idea we were coming. Mr. Miller opened the door. I said, 'We need to talk to you about Derril Willard.' I said, 'We have reason to believe that Ann and Derril Willard have engaged in a relationship."

But when Ann saw the detectives, Verus and Doris say she ran upstairs and hid in a closet.

"I was devastated," says Doris. "I was just so hurt and I felt Eric was so betrayed."

"I got mad as hell," Verus says. "She has been talking to this Willard… numerous times on the telephone. And the one that really put a dagger in my heart - that she talked to him for 24 minutes - two hours before Eric died. Don't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Something's wrong big time."

While Ann wept in the closet, Morgan was nine miles away in front of Derril Willard's house. "He came right to the door... And Derril, I mean, he just had the look of a man who was experiencing total defeat."

Morgan wondered aloud to Derril whether Ann had set him up

"I said, 'Derril, I think you’ve been used by a woman.' And he looked up, with resignation on his face, and he said, 'Yeah. And she’s done a very good job of it.' And then he said, 'I can’t talk to you anymore. I need to call my attorney.'"

As Derril sat in the back of Morgan's car and phoned his lawyer, Morgan stood outside wishing he could overhear the conversation. He was certain Derril knew who killed Eric Miller - that he was the key to unlocking the mystery.

But 24 hours later, news broke that changed everything.

[csi-lover]

sassalin31,

Thanks for the kind words. Besides CSI, I do enjoy watching 48 hours, NCIS, Dateline, etc.

Do read the book.

CSI-Lover

[sassalin31]

csi-lover,

Good points. I may have to read the book. You should watch all the other crime shows on TV. CSI is so inacurate but sometimes does have good plots.

[csi-lover]

For anyone interested in knowing what my 5 star word is which was deleted, it starts with a "W" and refers to a profession for women in Las Vegas who perform sex for money.

[csi-lover]

I read Amanda Lambs book 'Deadly Doses' cover to cover in one day. My eyes were tired and seeing stars, but it really was worth it. I saw the 48 hours special on this, so I could relate to the story. Here's the deal; Ann Miller is basically a ***** and an extremely sel-centered, selfish person. Of course she took the plea bargain, what a deal for someone who has no remorse, or a psycopath as referred to by Morgan. Any one who hasn't read the book will find more details about this case and Ann Miller than 48 hours had in its broadcast. Here's what struck me the most; prior to being with Eric, a former boyfriend went parachuting in front of her and hit the ground without his parachute opening. Yes, he died. And what about her neighbor who died from an alledged poisoning? Since we know she was a serial adulterer, how about a serial killer too? Even worse (this is why I call her a *****), she was having sex with a man in San Francisco when she was pregnant with Clare from Eric in her first trimester. Eric even asked her to stop seeing this guy and she said "We are just friends. Don't worry, I just love you". Heard that line before? And yes, she was having sex with Derril as well after Clare was born. Couldn't get enough Ann? Or is she a sexual predator? But the best part of all is seeing her without her makeup on, so you can see who she really is; quite plain to be nice to her. And the evil in her is more evident to see, especially in her eyes. The makeup helped to create a mirage, or a fake persona, making her someone she really wasn't. But certainly something to hide behind. The only redeeming quality for this woman is she did ask for forgiveness when she was sentenced by way of her attorney. However, we will never know why she did it. Morgan tells us this unfortunate fact in the book; it's up to her to do that. From what I hear, Ann Miller is still denying she had anything to do with Eric's murder accept pleading guilty to the crime so she could save her ass from the death penalty. Did Derril have more to do with this than just putting arsenic in his beer once at the bowling alley? According to Morgan, this isn't the case. Therefore, until she comes clean and out of denial, we'll probably never know. For true crime lovers, see the movie Fractured starring Anthony Hopkins. If there's anyway to keep this psycopath, Ann Miller, away from society, this might be our only chance.

[geena5]

especially the New Testament

[geena5]

lostreef, she could have believed being a widow was more respectful than being a divorcee. that's the main connection I was making with the catholic church, it is one of their teachings and ann miller was even teaching a class with them so she probably was thoroughly indoctrinated. it is too bad she used her talent as a scientist for such evil. and it is better to read the bible than go to church, especially bad ones, I highly recommend

[problem09]

im glad this has ended in this woman going to jail. she has no right to be free in this world. i think that she has no respect for her religon or any concept of the 10 commandments which the cathloc religion holds so high. even when she gets out of prison she will have nothing, her daughter will be brought up knowing what happened and most likely not want anything to do with her. i hope that she rots in her cell while thinking about why she is in there.

[cliffps]

She is ONE.... SCARY..... WOMAN!

[48hrzfanz]

Has anyone ever watched those 1940's classic NOIR movies? The women in those films are cold and heartless, yet come on nice and sweet. Ann Miller is those women. Evil to the core. I'd call her a Black Widow. Ann poisoned her husband long before he drank that glass of beer.
I guess the Mystery here is why? I don't believe the Perfect Life scenario. I don't believe her Catholic belief had anything to do with it either. She had no Faith what so ever. I think she was just a cold blooded killer who thought she could get a way with murder. Ann Miller almost did.

[desertpro]

rnbwprsm01:

It's time to take your meds dear. As to the article it is well done. Hopefully this evil person will never get out to darken the lives of those she betrayed so.