Killer Miller

27 years ago while riding the school bus, Chris Knittel at the age of 14, witnessed one boy kill another with a single punch. This fateful moment ignited trauma, anger, a media firestorm, political legislation and a boy sentenced to life in prison; where he remains to this day.

On November 2nd 1998, it was an ordinary day as my school bus made its periodic stops in my neighborhood. While sitting in one of the middle rows, I could hear a verbal argument brewing between Jonathan Miller and Josh Belluardo. The boys agreed to fight once they got off the bus. The excitement and tension in the air had us standing up. As Josh stepped off the bus he walked a few paces but before he could turn around, Miller threw a quick punch to the back of his skull. An artery burst in the back of Josh's head, a freak occurrence, 1 in a million shot; he was dead within seconds as blood flowed into his brain.

As a 14 year old boy, I believed Jonathan Miller committed murder. Myself and other kids were pushed to testify in court for the prosecution, the victims family, the surrounding community and a legislative movement. As a 39 year old man, I question my ability to make that critical judgment. I question how media coverage, juvenile violence discourse and the 1999 Columbine Highschool Massacre, which occurred just days before the trial, impacted the jury and judges decision. I question the abilities of the Judge who suffered through brain cancer, dying just weeks after he declared Jonathan guilty of murder. I question a system that prosecutes juveniles as adults. To this day, Jonathan Miller remains in prison for a murder conviction, forgotten, still serving life in prison for a childhood accident.

Director | Chris Knittel
Website | Killermillerfilm.com