Woman sentenced to prison
10/2/2009The 2003 murder of Jolie Calvin Miller remains unsolved.
But recently, the second of two people who hindered the investigation of the 48-year-old Toledo man's shooting death was sentenced to prison.
Patrice Arnold, 51, of 280 Dearborn Ave. was sentenced to two years in prison Wednesday after pleading no contest the week before to obstructing justice.
She was charged with making a false 911 call on Feb. 9, 2003, the day Mr. Miller was shot.
Also charged was her nephew, Paul Williams, who disposed of the gun used in the shooting. Williams of 1513 Nevada St. was sentenced in July to two years in prison after entering a plea of tampering with evidence.
"The only people who really know what happened in that house that day are you and Mr. Williams," Judge Stacy Cook told Arnold at her sentencing. "Somebody died and somebody covered it up. I don't know who did what that day but I do know you worked in concert."
Mr. Miller of 1147 Clark died of multiple gunshot wounds.
He died about four hours after what was reported to police as an apparent home invasion.
According to information police released at the time, two masked men broke through a back door and chased Mr. Miller up the stairs before shooting him. Arnold, who was Mr. Miller's girlfriend, was assaulted during the incident as well.
Assistant County Prosecutor Bruce Sorg said the charge against Arnold was a result of the police investigation revealing that her call to 911 reporting the two intruders was false.
He said recently that the two "made up a story" to tell police at the time.
However, after the investigation focused on both Arnold and Williams, they began "pointing the finger at each other."
"Last year, Paul Williams says [Arnold] shot him and told him to cover it up," Mr. Sorg said.
"She says her boyfriend and nephew had a fight earlier and that he came in and shot [Mr. Miller] to protect her."
Arnold's attorney, Don Cameron, told Judge Cook at her sentencing Arnold was scared at the time and so went along with the plot to make a false call to emergency crews.
He said she just wanted to make sure Mr. Miller received medical attention.
"She had enough time to correct that [since the incident]. She didn't and that's why we're here," Mr. Cameron said of the obstructing charge. "It's a very serious crime, obstructing justice in a homicide. But from Arnold's perspective, she lost her boyfriend and she's lived with the result of what happened."
Mr. Sorg noted there is no statute of limitations on murder charges and that police are still looking at the case.
"Like any homicide, if any potential leads come forward, I'm sure they would move forward with charges," he said.
Contact Erica Blake at:
eblake@theblade.com
or 419-213-2134.