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And remember, don't be scared.

Episode 95. Miller revisited.

War baby here with another episode of murderous minors.

April 2021 is shaping up to be a memorable time for juvenile justice reform.

Like we covered in the last episode, the April 22nd U.S. Supreme Court decision in Jones V. Mississippi said a new precedent of judges not being required to declare a juvenile offender is incapable of rehabilitation to sentence them to life without parole.

Just five days after that, another decision was made in Alabama that juvenile justice reform advocates also view as a blow.

This week on murderous minors, we look back at the 2003 murder of Cole Cannon by 14-year-old Evan Miller and his 16-year-old accomplice, Cole B. Smith, in molten Alabama.

Miller's case would end up at the Supreme Court in 2012, resulting in the precedent-setting decision in Miller V. Alabama.

At the end of episode 73, Super Predators, where we covered some of the most recent and high-profile juvenile cases to make it to the highest court, I mentioned that a final decision in Miller's case had yet to be made, though he was listed by the Department of Corrections as serving life without parole.

As juvenile offenders from across the country have been resentenced and some paroled, Miller himself has waited a total of nine years since the landmark decision bearing his name came down.

But now, more than four years after his 2017 hearing, a decision has finally been made in his case.

Let's go over what's been reported about the case. Please be advised that this episode contains mentions of child abuse, attempted suicide and domestic violence, in addition to senseless murder.

Miller and Smith admitted to killing Cole Cannon, a 52-year-old father of three who had just moved into the trailer park where 14-year-old Evan Miller lived with his mom in siblings.

She had substance abuse issues and their dad was violent. According to court testimony, he kicked his sons with steel-toed boots and Miller's sister would later state that he wore a heavy belt buckle, mostly to keep it handy as a disciplinary weapon.

She said that for a time, Miller had a semi-permanent imprint of that buckle on one of his buttocks.

He worked as a truck driver, Miller's sister said and she herself had been tasked with housekeeping duties when she'd just started school.

Finding herself ill-equipped for the responsibilities, she and her family lived in a nightmare environment, teaming with roaches and filth.

Driving truck all week, their dad would return angry and impossible to please. He'd made the children watch him kill a kitten once for having an accident on the floor.

The family often went without food and electricity. All nearly died once, after using a grill indoors for heat exposed them to toxic carbon monoxide fumes.

Other shocking incidents included their mother being held at gunpoint on more than one occasion as well as Miller's brother being protected at gunpoint by a neighbor after fleeing the family home in fear.

Evan Miller first attempted suicide at six years old and would attempt three more times by the time he became a convicted murderer at the age of 14.

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