The Wacky World Of Murder: Alan Eugene Miller




Alan Eugene Miller	VICTIMS: 3
When Alan Eugene Miller left for work in Alabama no knew predicted what was about to happen. The unmarried Miller lived with his mother, Barbara Miller, in Billingsley. She said her son "went off to work just as he always does this morning. He left here like he always does, with a 7-Up and a couple of things of biscuits and sausage." But when he got to the office early Thursday, August 5, 1999, Miller had more than his lunch on his mind. Miller worked at Ferguson Enterprises, a heating and air-conditioning firm. It was here that he struck first deviated from his normal daily routine. Miller had entered the unlocked Ferguson building with his gun drawn that morning. The first person he encountered was Lee Holdbrooks. "As a result of whatever was said, shots were fired,'' the D.A. assigned to the case said. Holdbrooks, 32, was killed by numerous shots to the chest and then one final shot to the head. Miller then went down a hall and shot Christopher Yancy, 28, to death, then ran out of the building after another employee entered, saw the gun and bravely yelled, "Don't shoot me. I haven't done anything." Officers arrived only minutes after being summoned at 7:04 a.m. but Miller had already moved on. While officers secured the crime scene, the towns 911 dispatcher got a second emergency call concerning a shooting at Post Airgas Inc., a gas firm five miles from Ferguson Enterprises. A third victim was found there. Miller had driven five miles south on U.S. 31 to Post Airgas, where he had worked until January, and shot the assistant manager, 39-year-old Terry Jarvis. Miller was apprehended after a high-speed chase on a nearby highway, shortly after police arrived at the shooting scenes after 7 a.m. Police found a handgun on the seat of his car. "They ... were able to take the suspect into custody after a brief scuffle," a spokesman for the police said. So what made Alan go off? According to one former workmate, and friend of one of the victims, Alan was very jealous of the two victims at Ferguson. Chad Ingram (the workmate) said Miller thought Holdbrooks was getting the preferred longer driving assignments at Ferguson. Ingram told The Birmingham News he knew that Miller was angry with Holdbrooks over the routes before the shooting happened. "I guess (Miller) felt Scott and Lee were in cahoots about getting a better route,'' Ingram said. But what about the other victim? Christopher Yancy was a dispatcher at Ferguson. And why did he drive all the way to the other building? Miller and Jarvis had repeated shouting matches in the five years Miller worked there. Jarvis, as assistant manager, was responsible for making sure deliveries were made and gave Miller orders. "Alan would refuse to deliver it," A former colleague said. "Alan didn't like to take orders from Terry." Is that all? Oh, yeah, he was laid off earlier this year by Post Airgas because of "economic downsizing." Any other reason? Well, a witness to this murder said that Miller yelled at Jarvis, "I'm tired of your rumours about me." The police would still haven't told anyone what these 'rumours' may be, or if it was just paranoia on Millers behalf. Where their any signs he'd go off? I guess their were. A few years ago he got into a fight at work when two guys started to make fun of Miller, calling him a redneck, his old boss commented in a local paper. "He didn't start it, but he sure finished it," he said. "He took care of both of them." What about his childhood? Any clues there? Ahh. This is where we see what was going on. Miller was born in Chicago, the middle child of seven, two of whom have died. He had a couple of head injuries from falls as a child and suffered continual headaches, which he treated with Goody's powders (what the hell are they?), said his mother. When he was 7, Miller's family moved from Chicago to the Birmingham area. He attended elementary schools in Birmingham's West End, attended Midfield High School and graduated from Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. "He never brought a girl home and never talked about any girls," Mrs. Miller said. "I heard him tell his brother one time that all women are interested in is money and cars." After high school, Miller considered joining the military, his mother said, "but they wanted him to lose weight, and he didn't want to lose weight." What about history of mental problems in the family? The former owner of Enterprise Grocery, Patricia Cooedy, said that Miller would only answer direct questions. He never initiated conversations - unlike his father, Ivan Miller, who often came in quoting the Bible and predicting doom for sinners. So how has Alan been since he was arrested? His mother who has visited him said he was only concerned about missing his favourite television shows. So al least the thought of a murder trial isn't bothering him. And what about the trial? All I know is that he has pleaded innocent by reason of mental disease or defect This has been a pretty cool page, what about something really cliché to bring it down? Sherrie Williams, a neighbour of the Millers, was surprised at his arrest and said the suspect had always been "real nice." "We leave for work about the same time. He always speaks," she said. "He doesn't strike you as a fellow who would do something like they say he has done." And you don't get any more cliché than that. Anything else of interest? The shootings took place one week after, and about 144 miles down the road from the Atlanta office that Mark Barton left covered in blood when he murdered nine people.
MY OPINION Stupid, fat American redneck goes crazy. Why does this one do it for me? I don't know but for some reason I liked it. Even more than Bartons effort. I have no idea why this is. I wish I did. Maybe it was the whole revenge thing. Maybe it was 'cos I like pathetic guys that snap and wipe out their main antagonists. Maybe it's just because I'm really boring and I need to read about guys like Alan to make my life look a little better than it is. Yeah, I think that's it.