Bio

Shon D. Miller Sr. was born in 1977 in the United States. He was a former welder who was homeless by March 1999. Before the murders, Miller had a violent relationship with his estranged wife, Carla Vessel Miller. He had previously been accused of beating her, and Carla had received a restraining order against him in 1998. Miller was also jailed after violating that order.

Carla was separating from Miller and had reportedly told him she wanted a divorce. Reports described the case as connected to domestic violence and Miller’s anger toward Carla and her family.

By March 1999, Miller was no longer living with Carla. She and their 2-year-old son were attending Bible study at New St. John Fellowship Baptist Church in Gonzales, Louisiana. Miller knew where they were and went there after first going to the home where Carla had been staying.

Murder Story

On March 10, 1999, Shon D. Miller Sr. went to the home of his mother-in-law, Mildred Vessel, in Gonzales, Louisiana. His estranged wife, Carla, was not there, but Mildred was sitting in a van outside the home. Miller shot and killed her.

After that, Miller forced two acquaintances to drive him to New St. John Fellowship Baptist Church, where Carla and their 2-year-old son were attending Bible study. Miller entered the church with a 9mm pistol. He fired shots into the ceiling and ordered people to get down. He then began shooting inside the church.

Carla Vessel Miller was killed. Their son, Shon Miller Jr., was also killed. A 19-year-old church deacon, Vaniaro Jackson, was killed as well. Several other people were wounded. After the shooting, Miller ran from the church. Police later found him hiding in a nearby shed. During the arrest, he was shot and wounded by police, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Miller was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and several counts of attempted murder. In 2000, he was convicted and sentenced to death. In 2007, the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned his convictions and death sentence because he had not been allowed to present an insanity defense. The case was sent back for a new trial. In 2008, Miller pleaded guilty to the four murders. He received life imprisonment instead of another death sentence.