“People have forgotten who Don Miller is. People have forgotten what Don Miller did. And people need to know that Don Miller is getting out of prison”
Angela Solomon
Author Rod Sadler, a former mid-Michigan police officer, is on a mission to inform the community about Don Miller before his release from prison, scheduled for 2031.This proclamation came from Rod Sadler in his recent return to the Mason area Historical Society in a presentation about his newest publication, “Killing Women”
Sadler, author and former mid-Michigan police officer of 25 years, was delighted with the audience for the event. He sad, “They’re so welcoming and because all these crimes are local. It fuels their interest.”
While his previous visits focused on mid-Michigan crimes, his most recent book hits particularly close to East Lansing and surrounding communities. “Killing Women” features years of research and interviews about Donald Miller, a killer who victimized at least five Michigan women in the late 1970s.
Mike Prelesnik, who came to listen, had a small personal connection to the case. “My dad worked in the corrections department and had mentioned years ago that he had gotten to know Don Miller … I didn’t know all the details until tonight.”
Sadler explored the killing spree committed by Miller. Even the police investigation tactics were dissected, which according to Sadler, included hypnosis of witnesses during the interview process.
As the event concluded, many residents expressed concerns about Miller’s upcoming release in 2031, as he will have served his time. His sentence can be attributed to a plea deal, in which he agreed to lead investigators to the unknown location of some of his victims’ bodies.
Morgan Wagner, a high school student in the Mason area, said, “I already have concerns as a young women today.”
Nikki Gailey, a Mason resident expressed similar shock and sentiments about Miller’s release. “I think it’s a scary thought, but I mean if he served his time, what can we do?”