JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says it’s been 28 years since someone shot and killed JSO Detective Lonnie Miller in May of 1995. Adding that solving this murder is personal for the agency and those working the case since Miller was killed all those years ago at the intersection of Basswood and North Pearl Street.
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“We need physical evidence and witnesses. We have leads but still need public assistance,” Detective Oliver said.
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Recent assistance from a tip on a 28-year-old cold case is what JSO Cold Case Detective Travis Oliver is hoping will help solve the murder of one of JSO’s own, Detective Lonnie Miller.
Detective Oliver is the lead detective on this case.
Oliver was not specific about what the tip was, just that it was brand new information.
“It’s been a personal case to the Sheriff’s Office since the day that it happened,” Detective Oliver said.
Miller was shot and killed on May 6th, 1995, in front of this local car lot which today is abandoned.
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That night there was a call over JSO’s radio frequency that a burglar alarm went off inside the building. Miller was off duty at the time but responded to the call because he knew the owner. Miller and the owner were also friends which in his off time, Miller had served as security protecting the lot to his business.
“Once the on-duty units got there, Detective Miller told them that he would take care of the call, it was a false alarm and that the owner of the business was confident that the business had not been burglarized because he had guard dogs,” Detective Oliver said.
JSO thought it was a false alarm, so they left 10 to 15 minutes later. Someone came up to Miller and the owner, tried to rob them, then shot them and left. The owner, Mr. Shaw, survived after he was able to drive himself to a local hospital. He receiving medical attention. Miller died at the scene.
Detective Oliver says he will be visiting Mr. Shaw to interview him once more now that this new tip has surfaced.
To this date, JSO says there have been leads and suspects but none of them led to an arrest.
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A spokeswoman for JSO says at one time someone did confess to killing Miller. During JSO’s investigation, it was uncovered that the person was lying. JSO thinks that person may have been looking for “street cred.”