arizona news
Has been updated: April 11, 2023 2:22 PM
Brian Patrick Miller (Photo courtesy of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
PHOENIX — A Maricopa County Superior Court judge on Tuesday found Brian Patrick Miller guilty of murdering two young women who were killed separately near the Metro Phoenix canal system 30 years ago.
Miller was charged with first-degree murder for the murder of Angela Brosso on the eve of her 22nd birthday in November 1992 and 17-year-old Melanie Bernas in September 1993. .
Prosecutors have previously said they would seek the death penalty for Miller if convicted.
Judge Suzanne Cohen also found Miller guilty of two counts of kidnapping and two counts of attempted sexual assault.
Brosso and Bernas went missing while biking along the Arizona Canal north of Phoenix, officials said.
Police believe Miller knocked Brasso off his bike, stabbed him, and dragged him off the trail. Her naked body was found decapitated near a bike path.
Ten months later, police announced that Bernas’ body had been found floating in the canal. Bernas had not been decapitated, but his bicycle was missing.
Authorities said DNA evidence collected in the aftermath of both crimes indicated the attacks were linked to the same suspect, and Miller was arrested for murder in January 2015.
Police said Miller admitted to living near the murders but denied any involvement and said he was biking along the trails in the area.
It took years for Miller to prove he had the mental capacity to stand trial.
He waived his right to a jury trial, leaving a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to decide Miller’s fate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
