October 26, 1999
Jury views videos of interviews with accused in murder trial
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
In three videotaped interviews with police, a Tiffin man accused of murder denied killing an 18-year-old Sycamore woman.
Matthew A. Miller, 23, charged with aggravated murder, abduction and tampering with evidence, is accused of killing Taah Cooper. Her body was found behind Fourth Street along the Sandusky River Nov. 25, 1998.
The three interviews were shown in court Monday, as Miller's trial entered its second week. Tiffin Police Det. Ron Green, who conducted the interviews, had been called to the stand by Seneca County Prosecutor Friday,and he remained on the stand all day Monday.
In the first interview, conducted in the early-morning hours of Nov. 26, Miller described Cooper as cocky. Miller said he did not know who killed her.
Green told Miller about 45 minutes through the interview that Cooper's body had been found.
Miller asked how she died, and Green told him police did not know.
Det. Dave Pauley asked Miller how he felt about being questioned. Miller said, "It makes me wonder ... I'm just as curious as anybody else."
When asked if he killed Cooper, Miller said no.
During the second interview, conducted Dec. 13, Miller again denied killing Cooper.
"I didn't even know she was dead," Miller said in the tape. "I knew she was missing."
He said during the interview he had come to the police station because he had heard there was a warrant for his arrest. He said he thought he would be arrested when he got to the police station.
As to why, he said, "I didn't have the slightest clue."
Green began asking Miller about rumors he had given Cooper a sexually transmitted disease.
Egbert said in his opening argument that Miller had become angry before Cooper's death when he heard Cooper was spreading a rumor Miller had given her a sexually transmitted disease.
In the second interview, Miller said he did not remember having a conversation with any of his friends about Cooper spreading that rumor.
He said the last day he had seen her was Nov. 11, 1998, at The Pryzm Hotel in Tiffin.
Green asked Miller if he knew why Dustin Hinckley, one of Miller's friends, had told police he believe Miller killed Cooper.
Miller said perhaps Hinckley had something to hide. He said it was a possibility that Hinckley could have killed Cooper, but that he didn't know why Hinckley would have done that.
During cross-examination by defense attorney Gene Murray, Green said Miller had seen about five seconds of the tape of Hinckley's interview. Green said what Miller saw was Hinckley saying he felt like he was giving up Miller and he believed Miller killed Cooper.
Hinckley described how the body was found, saying he got the information from Miller, Green said. The interview with Hinckley was three hours long and became heated several times.
Hinckley never was charged in connection with Cooper's murder.
The third interview occurred March 16, after Miller had been picked up by police heading south out of Tiffin on SR 100. Miller told police he was going on an adventure, Green said. Police took some hair samples for forensic comparison from Miller and Miller agreed to a third interview.
Miller said he had not been in the area where Cooper's body was found for three or four years.
"I never go down there," he said.
Green also testified that DeVonna Rice, with whom Miller had lived at the time of Cooper's death, turned over to police a white tank-top shirt, similar to the one found about 250 feet from Cooper's body.
Examiners linked a pubic hair found on the shirt to Miller. Green said Rice told him Miller had several of the shirts during the time the two lived together.
During cross-examination, Green testified that there was no forensic evidence linking the two shirts.
The trial is to resume today at 8:30 a.m. to the courthouse, with Judge Steve Shuff presiding.