Bryan Patrick Miller is a convicted serial killer who murdered two young women in Phoenix, Arizona, in the early 1990s. He was nicknamed “The Zombie Hunter” by the media because of his obsession with zombie-themed costumes and weapons.

He evaded justice for more than two decades until DNA evidence linked him to the crimes in 2015. He is currently on death row for his crimes.

Early Life and Background

Bryan Patrick Miller was born on October 24, 1972, in Trenton, Michigan. He had a troubled childhood, as his father died when he was four years old and his mother remarried several times. He also suffered from mental health issues and attempted suicide multiple times.

He was bullied at school and had a history of violence and aggression. When he was 16 years old, he stabbed a woman who rejected his advances and was arrested for attempted murder. He spent four years in a juvenile detention center and was released in 1992.

The Canal Murders

In November 1992, Miller moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he lived with his mother and stepfather. He worked as a pizza delivery driver and frequented the Arizona Canal, a popular recreational area for cyclists and joggers. On November 8, 1992, he encountered Angela Brosso, a 22-year-old hairdresser who was riding her bike along the canal. He attacked her with a knife, decapitated her, and dumped her body in the canal. Her head was found 11 days later in a nearby lake.

A year later, on September 22, 1993, Miller struck again. He targeted Melanie Bernas, a 17-year-old high school student who was also riding her bike along the canal. He stabbed her multiple times, sexually assaulted her, and left her body in the canal. Her bike was found nearby with blood stains.

The police launched a massive investigation into the canal murders, but they had no suspects or leads. They collected DNA samples from the crime scenes, but they did not match anyone in their database. The cases went cold and remained unsolved for over two decades.

Bryan Patrick Miller’s Married Life, Wife & Kids

Bryan Patrick Miller married Amy Miller in 2000, after meeting her at a comic convention where he was dressed as a zombie hunter. They had a daughter named Sarah, who was born in 2001.

Amy Miller said that Bryan was a loving husband and father at first, but he became abusive and controlling over time. He also had a collection of knives and swords, which he used to cut her during sex. She said that he once told her that he had killed someone before.

They divorced in 2006, and Bryan got custody of Sarah. Amy said that she tried to get her daughter back, but she was afraid of Bryan and his violent tendencies.

Sarah Miller testified at Bryan’s trial in 2021 and said that he was a good father who protected her from their abusive mother. She also said that he loved his daughter and was a devoted father. She said that she did not believe that he was the canal killer and that he was innocent.

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The Zombie Hunter

Meanwhile, Miller continued his life in Phoenix, where he married Amy Miller in 2000 and had a daughter with her. They divorced in 2006, and Miller got custody of their daughter. He worked as a warehouse worker for Amazon and became a local celebrity for his hobby of dressing up as a zombie hunter.

He drove a customized car with zombie-themed decals and weapons, such as knives, swords, axes, and machetes. He attended comic conventions and charity events as “The Zombie Hunter” and posed for photos with fans.

He also had a YouTube channel where he posted videos of himself hunting zombies in abandoned buildings and cemeteries. He claimed that he was preparing for a zombie apocalypse and that he wanted to protect people from the undead. He said that he was inspired by movies like “Dawn of the Dead” and “Zombieland”. He also said that he had a fascination with serial killers and that he admired Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

Family Details

  • Bryan Patrick Miller’s father was Paul Miller, who died in 1977 when Bryan was only four years old. He was a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcoholism. He died of a heart attack at the age of 32.
  • His mother was Donna Grimmer, who remarried several times after Paul’s death. She worked as a detention officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. She allegedly abused Bryan physically, emotionally, and psychologically during his childhood, which may have contributed to his mental health issues and violent tendencies.
  • He had a brother named David Miller, who was arrested for a minor offense in 2014. His DNA sample was used by the police to find a partial match with the DNA from the canal murder scenes, which led them to Bryan as the suspect.
  • He also had a sister named Jennifer Miller, who testified at his trial in 2021. She said that Bryan was a good brother who protected her from their abusive mother. She also said that he loved his daughter and was a devoted father.

The Arrest and Trial

In 2014, Detective William Andersen of the Phoenix Police Department reopened the canal murder cases as part of a cold case unit. He used a new forensic technique called familial DNA testing, which compares DNA samples to relatives of potential suspects. He found a partial match between the DNA from the crime scenes and Miller’s brother, who had been arrested for a minor offense. He then obtained a DNA sample from Miller himself by following him to a restaurant and collecting his discarded utensils.

The DNA test confirmed that Bryan Patrick Miller was the canal killer. He was arrested on January 13, 2015, at his home in Phoenix. He initially denied any involvement in the murders but later confessed to killing Brosso and Bernas. He also claimed that he had killed another woman named Brandy Myers, who disappeared in 1992 after going door-to-door for a school fundraiser. However, her body has never been found and Miller has not been charged with her murder.

Miller pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at his trial, which began in April 2021. His defense team argued that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to his abusive childhood and that he had dissociative identity disorder (DID), which caused him to have multiple personalities. They said that one of his personalities, named “Jason”, was responsible for the murders and that Miller had no memory of them.

However, the prosecution disputed his insanity claim and presented evidence that Miller was sane and aware of his actions. They showed videos of him hunting zombies and talking about serial killers, which demonstrated his preoccupation with violence and death. They also showed testimony from his ex-wife, who said that he was abusive and controlling during their marriage. She also said that he had a collection of knives and swords and that he had once cut her with a knife during sex.

On June 7, 2021, Judge Suzanne Cohen, who presided over the bench trial without a jury, found Miller guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault. She rejected his insanity defense and ruled that he was eligible for the death penalty. She said that he “did not just murder them. He brutalized them and he evaded capture for over 20 years.”

On June 8, 2021, Judge Cohen sentenced Miller to death for his crimes. She also sentenced him to seven years in prison for kidnapping and five years for attempted sexual assault in relation to each victim. She said that she hoped that her sentence would bring closure to the families of the victims and justice to the community.

The Chili’s Sting

Schwartzkopf contacted Fitzpatrick in January 2015 and told her that he had identified Miller as their prime suspect. He asked Fitzpatrick to arrange a meeting with Miller under the pretext of interviewing him for a book she was writing about genetic genealogy.

Fitzpatrick agreed and contacted Miller through his Facebook page. She told him that she was interested in his Zombie Hunter persona and wanted to talk to him about his family history. Miller agreed to meet her at a Chili’s restaurant in Phoenix on January 2, 2015.

Schwartzkopf planned an undercover operation to collect Bryan Patrick Miller’s DNA during the meeting and compare it with the DNA from the crime scenes. He arranged for undercover detectives to pose as Chili’s employees and place clean silverware and plates on Miller’s table before he arrived.

He also instructed Fitzpatrick to try to get Miller to drink from a straw or leave behind some saliva or skin cells on his utensils. Schwartzkopf and other detectives monitored the meeting from a nearby surveillance van.

Fitzpatrick met Miller at Chili’s around 6 p.m. He arrived with his daughter, who often accompanied him on his errands. He was wearing a Zombie Hunter T-shirt and had driven his Zombie Hunter car to the restaurant.

Fitzpatrick and Miller chatted for about an hour, mostly about his Zombie Hunter character and his interest in zombies. Fitzpatrick also asked him some questions about his family background, but Miller did not reveal much.

Miller was friendly and polite, but Fitzpatrick noticed that he seemed nervous and fidgety. He also avoided eye contact and kept looking around the restaurant. Fitzpatrick wondered if he sensed something was wrong.

During the conversation, Miller drank from a straw and ate some chips and salsa. He also touched his silverware and napkin. Fitzpatrick hoped that he had left enough DNA for the detectives to collect.

After the meeting, Fitzpatrick thanked Miller for his time and left the restaurant. She signaled to Schwartzkopf that the operation was over. Schwartzkopf and his team quickly moved in and retrieved Miller’s straw, napkin, silverware, and plates. They sent them to the crime lab for analysis.

Bryan Patrick Miller is one of the most notorious serial killers in Arizona history. He killed two young women in a brutal and sadistic manner and escaped detection for more than two decades. He lived a double life as a zombie hunter and a serial killer, hiding his dark secrets behind a mask of normalcy. He is now facing the ultimate punishment for his crimes: death by lethal injection.

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