Bryan Patrick Miller, infamous for his macabre “zombie hunter” persona, received the death penalty this year for two brutal murders that shook Phoenix in the early 1990s. Despite this, there is lingering suspicion that he may have another victim.
In the 1992 disappearance of 13-year-old Brandy Myers, prosecutors in Maricopa County, AZ refrained from charging Miller, even though retired detectives from the cold case unit, responsible for solving the murders of Angela Brosso and Melanie Bernas, believe he might be linked to Brandy’s death.
Known for his steampunk aesthetic and the elaborate “zombie hunter” costume, Miller has a history of violence, including three nonfatal stabbings spanning over a decade. One of these incidents occurred when he was 15, resulting in a guilty plea for second-degree attempted murder.
Despite the lack of physical evidence connecting Miller, now 51, to Brandy’s disappearance, authorities point to an apparent confession from his ex-wife eight years ago as a potential indicator of his involvement. In the confession, Miller allegedly admitted to killing a teenager matching Brandy’s description.
Retired head of the Phoenix Police Department’s cold case unit, Troy Hillman, expressed a belief in Miller’s guilt, stating, “He was our guy.” However, Miller, currently on death row, denied involvement in the killings of Brosso and Bernas, disagreeing with his trial’s defense of insanity.
Miller’s criminal history includes a 1989 attempted murder charge, where he stabbed a woman in a Phoenix mall parking lot. Released in 1990, he faced assault charges in 2002 in Everett, Washington, for allegedly stabbing a woman multiple times. Despite a trial and acquittal, Miller was later charged with the 2015 murders of Brosso and Bernas, using genetic genealogy and DNA evidence to link him to the crimes.
The suspicion regarding Brandy Myers arises from an ex-wife’s account, detailing Miller’s alleged confession to killing a mentally challenged teenage Girl Scout after his release from juvenile detention. Although Brandy wasn’t explicitly named, her developmental delay and the timing of her disappearance align with the account.
In 2015, detectives submitted the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, but it was declined due to insufficient evidence. The alleged confession lacked specific details, and Miller didn’t mention Brandy by name, leaving doubts about its credibility.
Despite the lack of closure, Brandy Myers’ missing person case remains open, and Miller is still considered a suspect. Detectives would revisit the case with new evidence but remain open to the possibility of other suspects.