August 26, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Reward fund established as search for Miller homicide suspect continues
Reward fund established as search for Miller homicide suspect continues
"Sheriff (Grady) Hartman has launched a reward fund for the person who provides information that leads to the arrest of Anderson," sheriff's captain Terri Hook announced Tuesday. "Sheriff Hartman requests community organizations and the public assist by contributing to the reward fund."
"The sheriff's office will be starting the fund with $20,000. The Rhinelander Police Department is pledging $5,000. I am asking the community to pass the hat and help us get the reward large enough that someone will turn Anderson in to the authorities," Hartman said. "We have a goal of raising at least $100,000."
Anyone interested in contributing to this fund should send their donations to the Oneida County Sheriff's Office, Attention: Hannah Miller Fund, 2000 E. Winnebago Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501. Please include your name and contact information with the donation.
A complaint charging Anderson with first-degree intentional homicide was filed July 1 and there is an open warrant for his arrest. The complaint states that police responded to River Bend Road in the Town of Pelican on the morning of June 30 after receiving a 911 call reporting a female, later identified as 26-year-old Hannah Miller, lying on the side of the road.
"It was apparent that she was deceased from a gunshot wound or wounds," sheriff Hartman later reported.
According to the complaint, a couple traveling on River Bend Road discovered Miller's body.
The couple was headed from the Town of Pelican toward the City of Rhinelander when they realized they forgot something at their residence and decided to turn around, the complaint states. While traveling back toward their residence, the couple saw a black male and a white female "standing in or near the ditch line" on River Bend Road near a small white SUV. After retrieving the forgotten item, the couple headed back toward Rhinelander at which point they passed the same location where they saw the man and woman. However, "the small white SUV and black male were gone and the female was lying in the ditch line," the complaint states.
In an interview with police, Miller's mother reported that Miller and Anderson had been in a dating relationship for approximately four years and were the parents of a young child. She indicated that the couple moved to the Rhinelander area in the spring of 2020 and broke up in early June. She also reported that her daughter had expressed concern for her safety but offered few details about the relationship.
Anderson is described as a black male, 5'10", 245 pounds. Police say he is sometimes called "DJ Bravo" or just "Bravo" and is known to have distinctive tattoos including an owl on his chest, the letters G.M.F.B. on his right hand and a Celtic skull with a halo on his left hand.
Following the Fourth of July weekend, Seth Wakefield, 24, of Rhinelander, was charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide (as party to the crime) in connection with Miller's death.
According to the criminal complaint in his case, Wakefield "assisted in some of the planning" of the homicides, including renting a U-Haul to conduct surveillance of Miller and her relatives. When asked why he did not contact law enforcement to report Anderson's plans and activities, Wakefield allegedly told investigators he didn't think it was any of his business and that he was expecting some sort of compensation in exchange for providing assistance.
"Seth stated that on the night prior to the murder, Christopher stayed overnight at Seth's apartment (he had been staying there intermittently, according to the complaint) and the following morning when Christopher left, Seth was aware Christopher was leaving with the intent to commit a homicide," the complaint states. "Seth stated Seth simply waited to hear news of a homicide occurring."
Wakefield is being held in the county jail in lieu of $250,000 cash bail. A competency hearing in his case is scheduled for Sept. 3.
Both Anderson and Wakefield are facing the possibility of life in prison, if convicted.
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