An Oregon landlord has been charged with murder after his tenant’s body was found in a barrel on his property.
Court documents said that Ricky Dean Miller allegedly confessed to his sister that he had killed someone and stashed the body on his property, KGW reported.
The sister contacted the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, and deputies responded to Miller’s home on December 17. The court documents said Miller admitted killing Dennis Eugene Schmitt, 71. Deputies noted a “large orange barrel” on the property, and that’s where they found Schmitt’s body when they executed a search warrant.
The court documents say that Miller, 67, allowed Schmitt to move onto the property about 24 years ago. They lived in separate residences, the documents say, but Miller said their relationship became strained over the past year.
Miller said Schmitt was “mean” to him and that he planned to evict him. On November 28, Miller said he went to Schmitt’s home to see if they could talk, but Schmitt told him to leave, grabbing his shoulder while he told him to get out.
Miller said he stumbled and got scared, grabbing a wooden walking stick and striking his tenant “at least one time and possibly several times.”
“Miller explained the next thing he remembered was his right foot being on Schmitt’s neck and his hand being over Schmitt’s mouth,” the court documents said. “Schmitt was on his back on the ground and Miller knew he was likely dead.”
The court documents say Miller told detectives he propped Schmitt up against a chair and left him there. Two days later, he went back, dragged him outside, and put a tarp over him. Several days later he purchased the 55-gallon from a feed store and put the body inside.
A forensic examination said that Schmitt suffered multiple blunt force injuries and evidence of strangulation. Miller has been charged with second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains.
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