Charges Issued In Columbia Heights Murder, Suspect Sought
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Charges have been issued in a Columbia Heights shooting that left a 31-year-old man dead early Thursday morning.
Forty-one-year-old Phillip Leron Miller, of Brooklyn Park, has been charged with murder in the second degree in the death of a Philip Borer Nelson.
According to the criminal complaint, just after 4:30 a.m. police responded to a call of a possible burglary in progress in an apartment on the 1000 block of 41st Avenue NE.
Upon arrival, police found Nelson lying on the floor in the apartment, appearing to have suffered several gunshot wounds.
The complaint states, the caller, who lived in the apartment, told police she had arrived home at 11 p.m. the night before and gone to bed. A few hours later her buzzer rang, waking her up.
She told police it was Nelson, who she said was an ex-boyfriend.
According to the criminal complaint, she said Nelson asked to come up but she denied him entrance. However, he later ended up inside her apartment for a short period of time.
Roughly 15 minutes after he left, the resident called her friend she said she only knew as "OX," later identified as Miller.
The complaint states, Miller arrived just before 4 a.m. and the two went into her bedroom. A short time later, she said the apartment felt cold.
The resident left her bedroom to check the windows. While checking the apartment, she said she saw a "dark, unknown figure" hiding near her couch.
She returned to the bedroom, and asked Miller to investigate. Shortly after Miller exited her bedroom, she heard two male voices screaming and gunshots.
According to the criminal complaint, that is when she ran out of the apartment called 911.
Police noted that the resident told them her roommate was also in the apartment, but asleep in her bedroom, and her child was asleep in the living room.
Police later spoke with Nelson's fiancé, who confirmed that around 3 a.m. on April 20 he received a call and told her he had to go.
Nelson's fiancé told police that he had previously had concerns about being set up by the resident, his former girlfriend, as he used to help her with her "sensual massage" business.
The fiancé believed that since the two were no longer together, Nelson no longer helped her with it.
Six fired .40 caliber cartridges were found in various locations around the living room. Additionally, at least one .40 caliber bullet was recovered from Nelson's body.
According to the criminal complaint, employees of a Holiday Store reported finding a black handgun in their garbage cans outside shortly before 5 a.m.
The handgun was identified as a Glock .40 caliber with a 15 round magazine.
The gas station was determined to be less than .5 miles from Miller's Brooklyn Park apartment. Security footage also puts Miller leaving the Columbia Heights resident just before 5 a.m. and leaving the Brooklyn Park apartment five minutes after 5 a.m.
Miller is seen leaving with a woman in a yellow Chevy Camaro convertible. Around 1 p.m., two other women are seen entering the same apartment and leaving roughly 20 minutes later with two duffel bags.
If found guilty, Miller could face up to 40 years in prison.
A warrant is currently out for Miller's arrest. He is thought to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who spots him should call 911 immediately.
Anyone with any other information should call the Columbia Heights Police Department at 763-706-8100, or the Anoka County Sheriff's Office at 763-427-1212.