Narrator: up next, a young
Man falls ill and no one knows
Why.
Maybe he had been exposed to
Something through his work.
Narrator: despite the best of
Medical intensive care, he dies.
Was it accidental?
Is it su1c1de?
Is it homicide?
Narrator: but investigators
Know there must be a clue
Somewhere.
The more we looked into it,
The more we looked into it, the more bizarre it got.
The more bizarre it got.
The research triangle in
Raleigh-durham,
North carolina -- home to many
High-tech
Research-and-development
Companies.
-Year-old eric miller worked
There, looking for a cure for
Pediatric aids.
His wife, ann, was also a
Scientist working for a large
Pharmaceutical company.
Eric and ann miller were
Living the american dream.
They had good jobs, they had a
Beautiful baby, they lived in a
Nice house, they attended
Church.
Narrator: despite a
Satisfying professional life,
Eric developed health problems
That some suspected might have
Been related to his job.
He exhibited a lot of
Flu-like symptoms -- vomiting,
Fevers, headaches.
And people generally thought
That he had a virus or that he
Had a bacterial infection that
They just couldn't isolate.
Narrator: one night while
Bowling with his friends, his
Symptoms were so severe he had
To be hospitalized.
Ann miller said he was pale
And white and he was holding a
Trash can and said he had eaten
A hot dog at the bowling alley
And felt like he had gotten food
Poisoning.
Narrator: eric was put into
Intensive care, but when his
Condition improved, he was
Released.
Several days later, he was
Hospitalized again.
This time, doctors found a huge
Amount of arsenic in his
System -- well over the lethal
Level.
The urine test from the
Second hospital was really high.
It was sky-high.
It's tasteless, it's
Odorless, it's water-soluble,
Can easily be mixed in with food
Or drink.
Narrator: arsenic is a poison
Used in pesticides, herbicides,
And insecticides.
They asked him if he knew of
Anybody that would have any
Reason to harm him or hurt him
In any way.
And he indicated that he did
Not.
Narrator: within hours,
Eric miller was dead.
It's a very, very painful way
To die.
Arsenic basically eats away at
Your body from the inside out.
It causes you to have
Violent, violent nausea,
Convulsions.
Your system starts shutting down
Organ by organ.
Narrator: but where did the
Arsenic come from?
A check of eric's workplace
Showed he had no exposure to
Arsenic there.
We went to the lab and we
Looked at every chemical in the
Lab and checked for arsenic.
We did not find anything that
Was arsenic or
Arsenic-derivative.
Narrator: they also checked
Eric's home.
We seized every bottle of
Water, every carton of milk --
Everything that was there.
Narrator: again, they found
Nothing.
So investigators focused on that
Night in the bowling alley when
Eric first exhibited the extreme
Symptoms.
A witness said eric had a beer
Shortly before feeling ill.
Eric had commented, during
The time, that the beer tasted
Bitter to him, that there was a
Strange taste to the beer.
And he went to the bathroom a
Number of times, and he became
So ill that, in fact, he brought
The trash can from the bathroom
Over to the lane where they were
Bowling.
Narrator: witnesses said
Eric's friend derril willard had
Given eric the beer.
Investigators tried to speak to
Derril about that, but he
Refused.
Derril said, "I can't talk to
You anymore.
I've got to talk to my lawyer."
Narrator: then, six weeks
After eric's death, derril's
Wife found him on the floor of
The garage in a pool of blood --
The garage in a pool of blood -- a g*n in his hand.
A g*n in his hand.
There was a su1c1de note tacked
There was a su1c1de note tacked to the wall of the garage.
To the wall of the garage.
And I think derril willard
Had to know something about the
Death of eric miller.
In police work, that's what
We call a clue.
Narrator: police in
Raleigh-durham, north carolina,
Had two suspicious deaths.
Eric miller's death was caused
By a massive dose of arsenic.
Six weeks later, eric's friend
Derril willard committed
su1c1de.
The two had been together at the
Bowling alley on the night
Eric miller fell ill.
Derril -- completely out of
Character for him, according to
Everybody we talked to -- buys a
Pitcher of beer while they're
Waiting for a lane to free up.
When eric took his first swallow
Of beer, you know, it doesn't
Taste quite right.
Narrator: and shortly before
Derril willard committed
su1c1de, he had confessed to his
Wife that he had been having an
Affair with ann miller, eric's
Wife.
We don't know whether or not
He told his wife anything else
About his potential involvement
With arsenic or eric miller at
The bowling alley.
Narrator: investigators
Searched willard's work computer
And phone records.
They also searched ann miller's.
They found ample evidence of the
Affair.
From the middle of october
Until eric's death, she's got
Like cellphone calls to
Derril willard's desk, to his
House, or to hiscellphone.
She's called him over times.
Narrator: ann also sent
Narrator: ann also sent derril e-mails.
Derril e-mails.
Ann miller and derril willard
Both worked together at the same
Pharmaceutical company.
Investigators learned they spent
A weekend together at the
Ritz carlton hotel in chicago
Shortly before eric's death.
They registered as mr. And
Mrs. Derril willard.
But hotel employees later
Confirmed that the woman was
Ann miller.
Ann and derril ordered a lot
Of room service.
Narrator: just three days
Later, when eric miller was in
The hospital, investigators
Learned that his wife, ann,
Contacted another man with whom
She was having an affair -- a
Fellow scientist living in
California.
Ann says, "my husband is
Gravely ill, but if I could buy
You a beach house and spend the
Night with you, I would do it in
A heartbeat."
She also said in that e-mail
Communication that he could call
The house and they could speak
By phone, because her in-laws
Wouldn't know any better and
They wouldn't suspect anything.
Narrator: no one knows if
Derril willard knew ann miller
Was involved with other men, but
It was clear to investigators
That derril willard and
Ann miller both had a motive to
k*ll eric.
At the pharmaceutical company
Where both ann miller and
Derril willard were employed,
Police found arsenic.
They were using cacodylic
Acid to clean their glassware.
And at first glance, you might
Not know what cacodylic acid is,
But it actually is arsenic.
Narrator: this was the same
Type of arsenic found in
Eric miller's body, which meant
The poison that k*lled him
Probably came from the lab where
His wife and her lover worked.
There were some controls with
Regard to arsenic and access to
Arsenic in the lab.
Those controls were not
Particularly tight.
Narrator: but a search of
Both the willard and miller
Homes turned up nothing.
We had it all tested for
Arsenic, and it all came up
Negative.
Narrator: although police
Considered ann miller a suspect,
Eric's parents did not.
Eric's parents were very
Adamant that ann was not
Involved.
They had accepted ann into their
Family, she was their
Daughter-in-law, and they had a
Good relationship with ann.
Narrator: but strangely,
Against the wishes of eric's
Family, ann insisted that eric's
Body be cremated.
Everyone that follows any
Type of forensic investigation
Knows that the easiest way to
Get rid of evidence is by
Cremating somebody.
Narrator: eventually,
Ann miller quit her job, sold
Her home, and moved three hours
Away to wilmington,
North carolina, where she
Refused to cooperate further
With investigators.
No comment.
Narrator: but even though
Eric's body was cremated, the
Medical examiner kept samples
From his autopsy.
Investigators hoped something in
These samples would prove a
Homicide.
Narrator: in the search for
Eric miller's k*ller, medical
Detectives hoped to find some
Clues in tissues saved from his
Autopsy.
Scientists knew eric's death was
Caused by arsenic poisoning, but
They needed to find out when and
By whom.
Arsenic stays in your hair,
And obviously your hair grows.
And so the poisonings that
Occurred earlier are going to be
On the end of your hair, and the
Poisonings that are more recent
Are going to be towards the
Scalp.
Narrator: eric miller's hair
Was kept in storage after his
Autopsy.
From the length of eric's hair,
Investigators would have a
Record of the last six months of
His life.
In a process called "neutron
Activation," the hair samples
Were cut into -millimeter
Sections.
Each section represented about
Two weeks in eric miller's life.
You can't take hair and say,
"This person was poisoned on
January th," but you can take
Hair and say, "this person was
Poisoned during this two-week
Period."
Narrator: each clipping was
Put into its own vial, placed in
A nuclear reactor, and bombarded
With radiation.
The resulting graph showed eric
Ingested a hugedose of arsenic
In the two weeks before his
Death.
In that two-week period, eric
Complained of severe symptoms on
Three separate occasions.
Once was at the bowling alley
When eric was with
Derril willard.
It's my opinion, very strong
Opinion, that derril willard had
Actually given eric a lethal
Dose of arsenic in that cup of
Beer that he served to him.
Narrator: interestingly,
Witnesses said derril knocked
Over eric's beer before he could
Finish it.
I think that beer got spilled
Because derril willard did not
Want eric miller to die.
I think derril willard was a
Good man, and I think that he
Got caught up in ann miller's
Web, if you will, and he
Realized what was happening and
Did not want to go through with
That.
Narrator: ann told
Investigators she was at home
With her daughter on the night
Eric went bowling, but a check
Of ann's cellphone records
Showed something very different.
At about :, ann miller's
Cellphone was used in close
Proximity to the bowling alley,
Based on where the tower was
Hit.
Narrator: in fact, cellphone
Records showed ann actually made
A call toher home, to check her
Voicemail.
The call bounced off a cellphone
Tower near the bowling alley.
So it put a little bit of a
Hole in ann miller being at
Home.
Narrator: a couple of days
Later, eric had dinner with his
Wife alone at home, and again,
He got sick.
Ann prepares a meal and
Serves it to eric.
And that night, about two, three
Hours later, eric has a
Recurrence of the same symptoms
That he had the night of the
Bowling alley.
Narrator: again, eric was
Rushed to the hospital, but this
Time, he was dead within
Hours.
We had put enough together to
Say, in all reasonable
Probability, ann miller and
Derril willard conspired to k*ll
Eric.
Narrator: but the other
Shocking piece of information
That came from the analysis of
Eric's hair was that the
Poisonings had been going on for
Months.
The testing showed that
Eric miller had been poisoned
Multiple times.
And they were able to isolate, I
Believe, three times for
Certain, but multiple times over
The six-month period previous to
His death.
Narrator: but if she wanted
Him dead, why take so long to do
It?
There were a lot of theories
About this.
One was that she was torturing
Him.
The most obvious one that I
Think investigators kind of
Settled on was that she wanted
To create a pattern of him
Appearing to be sick so when he
Finally did die, nobody would
Suspect poisoning.
Narrator: but investigators
Had a problem.
They knew what caused eric's
Death and they knew when he was
Poisoned, but proving who was
Responsible would be another
Matter.
Narrator: investigators
Believe that ann miller had
Poisoned her husband and was
Responsible for his death.
It was the motive they had a
Hard time figuring out.
Since eric didn't have a big
Life-insurance policy, money was
Not considered a motive.
The only life insurance was
In the amount of $,.
Narrator: investigators
Believe ann's lover
Derril willard may have been
Involved in putting arsenic in
Eric's beer at the bowling
Alley, but they're convinced it
Was at ann's direction.
I think ann miller was
Driving the train, and
Derril willard was the
Passenger.
He was not making these
Decisions.
And he was a victim, just like
Eric miller.
Narrator: they also believe
That ann put arsenic in eric's
Food -- the last meal he
Consumed before his death.
A massive dose of arsenic was
Given to eric the night before
He finally went to the hospital
For the last time.
Narrator: investigators also
Found evidence that eric miller
Had come very close to finding
Out about ann's affair with
Derril willard.
It happened when ann didn't come
Home from work on time.
Eric got upset and started
Driving around, trying to find
Ann because they didn't know
Where ann was.
At :, she then calls her mom
And she finds out everyone's
Looking for her.
And I think, in my opinion, what
Triggered ann to do something --
It was getting close for
Ann miller.
She had almost got caught by
Eric on november th of
Committing adultery, or having
An affair, and it triggered the
Fatal dose of november th.
I think she didn't want to be
A divorced woman.
She didn't want that stigma.
She didn't want to deal with
Child support, child visitation,
Custody.
As a widow, she got sympathy,
And she didn't have to deal with
All of the messy stuff that
Comes along with divorce.
Narrator: before his death,
Derril willard made an offhand
Comment to investigators that
Made it appear he knew he'd been
Set up.
I said, "derril, I think
You're being used.
I think a woman's using you, and
I think, you know, it would be
In your best interest to
Cooperate with us."
And the only thing he said was,
"Yeah, and she's doing a mighty
Good job of it."
Narrator: the very next day,
Willard committed su1c1de.
I mean, you had the
Scientific evidence, and that
Was hard and fast, but you
Needed a witness.
You needed somebody to say,
"Ann miller did this."
Derril willard -- he was the
Only witness that could testify
Against ann miller and could
Give them the information that
They needed to arrest her.
Narrator: so prosecutors
Asked the north carolina supreme
Court to force derril willard's
Lawyer to reveal what derril
Told him about ann miller's
Involvement.
Client confidentiality is one
Of the most important parts of
Our system.
Narrator: the judge studied
The case and ruled that a small
Portion of what derril willard
Told his lawyer was admissible
In court.
In other words, the attorney
Cantalk about what his client
Told him if it involves a third
Party who might have committed
An egregious crime like m*rder.
Narrator: derril willard told
His lawyer about a conversation
He had with ann miller in a
Parking lot just after eric's
Death.
The attorney stated that his
Client derril willard told him
That ann miller went to the
Hospital on that first hospital
Stay, took a syringe, and
Injected something into
Eric miller's i.v., Which
Presumably was arsenic.
He then stated that he asked
Mrs. Miller why she had done
This, and she replied, "I don't
Know."
K*llers all share one common
Bond, and that is they are
Arrogant.
They are in denial that they're
Doing anything wrong.
This person's in their way,
They're messing up their life,
And they want them out of the
Way.
And that's it.
It's very simple.
Narrator: with a search
Warrant, investigators found a
Love note ann had written to
Eric around the time the
Poisoning started.
Some believe this was the
Beginning of the cover-up.
Others think it's a look into
Others think it's a look into ann's soul.
Ann's soul.
Ann miller's a psychopath.
She suffers from a malignant
Narcissism that, you know -- to
Her, the whole world revolves
Around what she wants, what she
Needs.
Narrator: rather than risk a
Jury trial, ann miller agreed to
Plead guilty to second-degree
m*rder and received a minimum
Sentence of years in prison.
It's one of those cases where
You are left with as many
Questions as answers.
And so that can be very
Difficult, not only for the
Prosecutor, but certainly for
The family members, as you don't
Get the "why?"
Narrator: even though
Ann miller tried to eliminate
The evidence through cremation,
It only took a single strand of
Eric's hair to chart months of
Deception and the final act of
m*rder.
And to think that a record of
This poisoning was just kept in
One single strand of hair is
Pretty unbelievable, pretty
Amazing.
People can think they can get
Away with m*rder, but the
Technology's gonna bite people.
This is my first homicidal
Arsenic poisoning, and I hope
It's my last.
It's just -- you have to look
For truth and justice.
13x31 - Hair Line
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Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.
Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.