Mom called 'snitch' on son in murder case
By Art Barnum
Tribune staff reporter
Published November 29, 2006, 1:36 PM CST
The mother of a Bellwood man on trial for a slaying in the west suburbs was described today as a "snitch, informant'' who cut a deal with prosecutors and wore a wire to set up her son on murder charges.
Paulyn Miller, 57, of Bellwood is the mother of Terrance Miller, 30, charged with murder in the April 3, 2001, death of Ezra Harvey. His jury trial, which began today in DuPage Circuit Court in Wheaton, is expected to end by Friday, authorities said.
Terrance Miller's girlfriend, Nicole Bowden, 24, who also was charged with murder in the case, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and will testify against the defendant.
Prosecutors allege that Terrance Miller fatally shot Harvey, 25, in the head in his Maple Lakes Apartment in Woodridge during an apparent armed robbery involving cash from illegal drug trafficking. Harvey had numerous arrests in Cook and DuPage Counties and had been acquitted on a Will County drug charge.
In opening arguments today, Assistant Public Defender Joan Pantsios disputed that allegation, saying Terrance Miller went to Harvey's home to get back money he paid Harvey for heroin. The defendant believed the heroin was making his customers sick.
During an ensuing struggle, Terrance Miller shot Harvey in the head, Pantsios said. But "Miller never intended to kill or rob Harvey. It was a tragic accident,'' Pantsios said.
Woodridge police had worked the case for four years when Paulyn Miller told police in 2005 that she had information about her son's involvement in the murder, according to Assistant State's Atty. Joseph Ruggiero. He referred to the mother as a "snitch, informant who set up her son.''
She had been arrested in Elmhurst on charges of forgery and was looking to ease her potential penalty, defense attorneys allege. After negotiating a deal on her charge, she agreed to wear the wire and engage her son in a conversation about the crime, authorities said.
After police and prosecutors listened to several recorded conversations between Terrance Miller and Bowden of Bolingbrook, both were charged in January 2005 with the murder.
The recordings led police to look for the victim's cell phone, pager and other possible property along the Eisenhower Expressway, but nothing were found.
That same month, Paulyn Miller pleaded guilty to the forgery charge and was placed on two years' probation. Bowden pleaded guilty in October to the reduced charge of conspiracy to commit murder in exchange for her testimony against Terrance Miller at his trial. Her potential 85-year sentence for murder was reduced to a sentence of 4 to 15 years, to be imposed after Terrance Miller's trial.
If convicted, Terrance Miller faces up to 60 years in prison. He had been released from prison earlier in 2001 after serving part of a seven-year sentence for armed robbery.
abarnum@tribune.com
Copyright ? 2006, Chicago Tribune
By Art Barnum
Tribune staff reporter
Published November 29, 2006, 1:36 PM CST
The mother of a Bellwood man on trial for a slaying in the west suburbs was described today as a "snitch, informant'' who cut a deal with prosecutors and wore a wire to set up her son on murder charges.
Paulyn Miller, 57, of Bellwood is the mother of Terrance Miller, 30, charged with murder in the April 3, 2001, death of Ezra Harvey. His jury trial, which began today in DuPage Circuit Court in Wheaton, is expected to end by Friday, authorities said.
Terrance Miller's girlfriend, Nicole Bowden, 24, who also was charged with murder in the case, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and will testify against the defendant.
Prosecutors allege that Terrance Miller fatally shot Harvey, 25, in the head in his Maple Lakes Apartment in Woodridge during an apparent armed robbery involving cash from illegal drug trafficking. Harvey had numerous arrests in Cook and DuPage Counties and had been acquitted on a Will County drug charge.
In opening arguments today, Assistant Public Defender Joan Pantsios disputed that allegation, saying Terrance Miller went to Harvey's home to get back money he paid Harvey for heroin. The defendant believed the heroin was making his customers sick.
During an ensuing struggle, Terrance Miller shot Harvey in the head, Pantsios said. But "Miller never intended to kill or rob Harvey. It was a tragic accident,'' Pantsios said.
Woodridge police had worked the case for four years when Paulyn Miller told police in 2005 that she had information about her son's involvement in the murder, according to Assistant State's Atty. Joseph Ruggiero. He referred to the mother as a "snitch, informant who set up her son.''
She had been arrested in Elmhurst on charges of forgery and was looking to ease her potential penalty, defense attorneys allege. After negotiating a deal on her charge, she agreed to wear the wire and engage her son in a conversation about the crime, authorities said.
After police and prosecutors listened to several recorded conversations between Terrance Miller and Bowden of Bolingbrook, both were charged in January 2005 with the murder.
The recordings led police to look for the victim's cell phone, pager and other possible property along the Eisenhower Expressway, but nothing were found.
That same month, Paulyn Miller pleaded guilty to the forgery charge and was placed on two years' probation. Bowden pleaded guilty in October to the reduced charge of conspiracy to commit murder in exchange for her testimony against Terrance Miller at his trial. Her potential 85-year sentence for murder was reduced to a sentence of 4 to 15 years, to be imposed after Terrance Miller's trial.
If convicted, Terrance Miller faces up to 60 years in prison. He had been released from prison earlier in 2001 after serving part of a seven-year sentence for armed robbery.
abarnum@tribune.com
Copyright ? 2006, Chicago Tribune
