13x31 - Hair Line

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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.