1898 - 1933
Summary
Name:
Ray Elmer MillerYears Active:
1932Birth:
November 03, 1898Status:
ExecutedClass:
MurdererVictims:
1Method:
ShootingDeath:
May 08, 1933Nationality:
USA1898 - 1933
Summary: Murderer
Name:
Ray Elmer MillerStatus:
ExecutedVictims:
1Method:
ShootingNationality:
USABirth:
November 03, 1898Death:
May 08, 1933Years Active:
1932Date Convicted:
February 16, 1933“If my wife could be brought back to life, I’d do the same thing over under the same circumstances.”
— Ray Elmer Miller
Ray Elmer Miller was born on November 3, 1898 in Nebraska. He later worked as a truck driver and lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. Miller married Evelyn Potter, who was from Mesquite, Nevada. Reports state that they married around 1928 and had a daughter named Peggy in 1929. Their marriage later became troubled.
By 1932, Evelyn was trying to divorce Miller. She was also seeking legal protection because he had reportedly threatened her life.
Miller knew about the divorce and was angry about it. He later admitted that he had thought about killing Evelyn before the shooting. His statements after the crime showed that he blamed her and did not fully accept responsibility for what he had done.
On December 1, 1932, Evelyn Potter Miller was going to her lawyers’ office in Las Vegas. She was filing for divorce from Ray Elmer Miller and was also seeking legal protection because he had threatened her. As Evelyn climbed the stairs to the law office, Miller approached and shot her twice. His gun jammed when he tried to fire again, and bystanders restrained him at the scene.
Evelyn was taken for medical treatment but died from her injuries. Miller was arrested and charged with murder. Miller pleaded not guilty and used an insanity defense, but the court found him competent to stand trial. His trial began on February 14, 1933.
On February 16, 1933, the jury found Miller guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to death. On May 8, 1933, Ray Elmer Miller was executed by gas at Nevada State Prison in Carson City. He was 34 years old.
