WINONA, Minn. – The plea from addicted murderer Steven Edward Miller was guilty. Finally. After months of refusing to cooperate with his court-appointed attorney and sitting mute in court, Miller agreed to plead guilty to second-degree, unintentional murder and first-degree arson. Yes, he said, he had killed a 55-year-old Winona man who had befriended him in March 2019 and let him stay at his du0lex. It was a plea deal arranged by County Attorney Karin Sonneman and Assistant County Attorney Kevin O’Laughlin. They dropped a second-degree intentional murder charge. Under the deal, Miller waived his right to a jury trial. Judge Nancy Buytendorp accepted Miller’s guilty plea but postponed sentencing. The deal could mean 24 years.
Earlier: Plea date set for hammering death, arson
The details
In his latest court appearance Miller said he had been high on street drugs and that David Seaman yelled at him for using drugs in the house. Miller said he struck Seaman with a hammer, then doused the body and the room with fuel and set the place ablaze. Miller said he knew the fire would likely spread to an adjacent apartment in the duplex, Miller said that the victim never threatened him, that he was never afraid of the victim, and that he never tried to aid the victim. The victim was David Seaman, 55, who lived in the 100 block of East Sanborn near Winona State University.
Miller: Guilty to murder, arson