MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A jury on Thursday convicted Karl Hess in the killings of father and daughter Richard and Jocelyn Miller in Manitowoc.
Hess, 37, was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide for the Sept. 7, 2018 incident.
His trial started Monday.
Hess took the stand Thursday afternoon. He testified he shot and killed Richard Miller, but claimed it was only after being shot at and discovering Miller had killed his daughter.
Hess said he and Miller were friends. Hess was upset about what he described as an illegal business proposition by Miller a few days before, so he went Miller’s house, armed with a gun, to talk about it.
Miller let him in, and they talked. Hess stashed the gun in a bathroom. Hess went outside for a few moments, and when came back in, Miller wasn’t in the living room. Hess went to the bathroom, and couldn’t find the gun. After hearing arguing and two gunshots, Hess said he laid on the bathroom floor for an unspecified amount of time.
“I thought ‘I’m going to get shot here and I’m going to die on this bathroom floor.’ I don’t know what I just had gotten myself into.”
After it was quiet for a while, Hess left the bathroom and saw Miller sitting on the couch, with Hess’ gun laying on the floor at Miller’s feet. Hess grabbed his gun. He walked into other rooms of the house, and found Miller’s daughter, Jocelyn, unresponsive on a bed. Hess said he was angry with Miller for apparently killing his daughter, so he then shot Miller.
Hess then became worried he would be blamed for Jocelyn Miller’s murder, so he grabbed the gloves Richard Miller had been wearing, Miller’s wallet, a safe, and left the scene without calling police.
Hess testified Thursday that he lied to police when he confessed to killing both Millers when being questioned. Hess believed the police would figure out what actually happened, he said.
In his confession, Hess told police he needed money, and believed Miller had cash in his home. Hess said he shot Richard twice before finding Jocelyn hiding in a bedroom and killing her, according to police documents.
On cross-examination, Hess denied going to the home to rob Miller, and denied that his actions were to cover up the shootings.
Sentencing in the case is set for August 13th.
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