PA - Helen Miller, 19, stabbed to death by sister, 14, Manheim Twp., Feb 2021

[Jsizzle]

I haven’t viewed her social media, but I’m disinclined to equate gory posts with homicidal ideations or as indicative of mental health concerns. Life can be hard and harsh and cold - just pick up a newspaper! Her generation does active shooter drills. Explicit, sick, and violent videos are a click away - and even pop up uninvited. It’s unreasonable to expect just puppies & rainbows in kids’ art/social media. JMO.

That said, quarantine seems to be behind increased reports of teen mental health crises. See, e.g. Study: Suicidal behavior in youths higher during COVID-19 closures than in 2019.

My heart just goes out to the entire family.
JMO.

We have had an alarming amount of teen suicides in my county alone over the last year. It’s incredibly sad.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Every year on March 1st, the disability community comes together to remember the victims of filicide – people with disabilities killed by their family members.

With great sadness, Helen Miller will now also be memorialized on March 1st's Disability Day of Mourning.

Helen's name deserves to be added to this memorial, a memorial which should've never had names. Disability Day of Mourning – Remembering the Disabled Murdered by Caregivers

This is a great sleuthing site for information. Thank you. This is the first time I’ve seen it. You’re right. It should be an empty list. I had no idea there are so many. This is a problem!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Claire Miller, 14, told the unnamed witness about these thoughts in a phone call, according to Lancaster Onlineand PennLive, citing the Manheim Township Police Department's application for a search warrant of Miller's home. The warrant application does not say when that phone call took place, The Daily Beast reported.

The crime caused a frenzy on TikTok, where users believed Miller ran the account @spiritsandsuchconsulting. The page had 32,000 followers and her last videos had millions of views on the app. Comments reviewed by Insider showed that some users discovered what appeared to be Miller's videos through the platform's For You Page.

After the videos went viral last week, TikTok removed the account for violating the platform's Community Guidelines, which do not allow users who "promote or are engaged in violence." TikTok did not confirm that the account belonged to Miller, but Insider verified that one video on the account appeared to show Miller's older sister, Helen.
The teen accused of killing her older sister had reportedly described 'suicidal and homicidal' thoughts to a witness

 

[MsBetsy]

Claire Miller, 14, told the unnamed witness about these thoughts in a phone call, according to Lancaster Onlineand PennLive, citing the Manheim Township Police Department's application for a search warrant of Miller's home. The warrant application does not say when that phone call took place, The Daily Beast reported.

The crime caused a frenzy on TikTok, where users believed Miller ran the account @spiritsandsuchconsulting. The page had 32,000 followers and her last videos had millions of views on the app. Comments reviewed by Insider showed that some users discovered what appeared to be Miller's videos through the platform's For You Page.

After the videos went viral last week, TikTok removed the account for violating the platform's Community Guidelines, which do not allow users who "promote or are engaged in violence." TikTok did not confirm that the account belonged to Miller, but Insider verified that one video on the account appeared to show Miller's older sister, Helen.
The teen accused of killing her older sister had reportedly described 'suicidal and homicidal' thoughts to a witness

The witness contacted them at 1:42 am, just minutes after LE arrived at the home. It sounds as if he or she believed Claire was truly capable of harming someone that night and tried to warn police before she had a chance to act. Whatever she said must have been pretty specific. It's too bad that person wasn't able to reach the parents.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The witness contacted them at 1:42 am, just minutes after LE arrived at the home. It sounds as if he or she believed Claire was truly capable of harming someone that night and tried to warn police before she had a chance to act. Whatever she said must have been pretty specific. It's too bad that person wasn't able to reach the parents.

I do understand the suicidal ideation and the effect on the mind. I do not understand the homicidal thoughts. I understand anger, rage, wrath and resentment. If she was indeed suicidal, I do wonder what made her choose the homicidal route instead of suicide. Was she planning on also killing herself? Then she couldn’t do it? Who knows? Omg the poor parents. All the time, energy, work, money, patience, love and compassion they gave their Helen. Gone in the blink of an eye. Forever. She’s not coming back. Does Claire now get it? What she did? Is she falling apart? Is she scheming? What kind of personality does she have on her tik tocks?

 

[K9Enzo]

Some members noticed CM's mug shot showed scratches on the side of her neck. They look superficial to me. Are those marks unrelated, from her sister during the attack or from CM herself? We don't know but I do wonder.

It's now 8 days later. That's a lot of time to think about the events that occurred. Can a 14 year old even grasp the time that will pass while she most likely stays behind bars? Year after year?

I watched her TikTok videos and they are strange. If I watched them today, with no knowledge of what she did, I don't think they would scream this girls needs help now. Of course knowing what she did, murder her own sister, they look disturbing.

IMO

Claire Miller, who was charged with criminal homicide, is being held without bail in the Lancaster County Prison as she awaits court proceedings. She had a preliminary hearing set for Friday but it was continued. She is being held in prison in a cell by herself in the female unit of the facility under constant observation, officials sad.

Teen had ‘suicidal and homicidal thoughts’ the night her older sister was stabbed to death: records

 

[MsBetsy]

I do understand the suicidal ideation and the effect on the mind. I do not understand the homicidal thoughts. I understand anger, rage, wrath and resentment. If she was indeed suicidal, I do wonder what made her choose the homicidal route instead of suicide. Was she planning on also killing herself? Then she couldn’t do it? Who knows? Omg the poor parents. All the time, energy, work, money, patience, love and compassion they gave their Helen. Gone in the blink of an eye. Forever. She’s not coming back. Does Claire now get it? What she did? Is she falling apart? Is she scheming? What kind of personality does she have on her tik tocks?

I think she definitely gets it. That she called 911, was hysterical and repeating "I stabbed my sister," over and over again points to her understanding the depth of her actions.

From her self made videos she seems to be intelligent with a quirky sense of humor. She seems very preoccupied with the comics and games she posts about.

I looked them up and the most mild seems to be Mango Comic Deathnote. It's a murder mystery with killing scenes but it's not graphic.

Danganrompa is described as having lots of blood from the murder scenes and executions The series has a lot of dark humor involving death and pain.

The worst is Killing Slalking Korean. It contains stories with heavy themes such as abuse, rape, torture, violence, gore and death. It's extremely graphic and disturbing. It's rated for adults 18 or older.

And yes, that she was having thoughts of harming herself or others is a big red flag. That's one of the first questions a psychiatrist asks a patient when determining whether or not they should be hospitalized.

We don't know how often or how long she was having these thoughts, but unfortunately that night she lost control.

Imo

 

[MsBetsy]

Would you mind pointing me towards the source that states the time of the call?

It does not state the time of the call between Claire and the witness. It says, "Police said they heard from a witness at 1:42 am that the witness previously had been communicating with Claire Miller on the phone and the teen was having suicidal and homicidal thoughts."

The source is Pennlive.com, from Feb. 25th. I think it's the sixth paragraph down.

 

[Lusitana]

I wonder if Claire should be in a mental institution rather than a prison cell? If there’s a need to constantly monitor her, maybe she shouldn’t be there at all?

 

[MsBetsy]

I wonder if Claire should be in a mental institution rather than a prison cell? If there’s a need to constantly monitor her, maybe she shouldn’t be there at all?

A fourteen year old would be better off in a juvenile detention center, but they don't necessarily provide adequate mental health care either.

I think there should be more juvenile forensic psychiatric facilities in the US. The goal should be aimed at rehabilitation, at least until they turn 18. Putting them in a cell alone in an adult prison is only going to increase the risk of mental health problems.

Imo

 

[Shamrock1]

I wonder if Claire should be in a mental institution rather than a prison cell? If there’s a need to constantly monitor her, maybe she shouldn’t be there at all?

There’s a few things, IMO. First, there’s often a waiting list for a pediatric bed in a psych ward - and that’s before covid and the removal of beds to comply with social distancing measures. And second, one of the articles stated that Lancaster County doesn’t have a dedicated jail for female juveniles. IMO, where she is now is the best the county to do on short notice. In general, jails usually have policies to protect inmates w additional needs, like anti-suicide clothing/bedding, high-visibly uniforms for those inmates, and various levels of supervision. I’m no jail expert and I don’t know what Lancaster’s policies are.

I’m inclined to agree that CM should be receiving in-patient psych services.

All MOO.

 

[MsBetsy]

There’s a few things, IMO. First, there’s often a waiting list for a pediatric bed in a psych ward - and that’s before covid and the removal of beds to comply with social distancing measures. And second, one of the articles stated that Lancaster County doesn’t have a dedicated jail for female juveniles. IMO, where she is now is the best the county to do on short notice. In general, jails usually have policies to protect inmates w additional needs, like anti-suicide clothing/bedding, high-visibly uniforms for those inmates, and various levels of supervision. I’m no jail expert and I don’t know what Lancaster’s policies are.

I’m inclined to agree that CM should be receiving in-patient psych services.

All MOO.

Yeah, I don't think there is any way they would place her in a regular Psychiatic Children's Hospital with a felony murder charge. It would be a danger to other patients.

If she is a suicide risk they would monitor her at any jail, I would think.

Imo

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Videos that had sat at a few thousand views rocketed up to reach millions, with one of her videos reaching 4.9-million views.
TikTok removes account of girl accused of sister's murder

Models for Change is an effort to create successful and replicable models of juvenile justice reform through targeted investments in key states, with core support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Models for Change seeks to accelerate progress toward a more effective, fair, and developmentally sound juvenile justice system that holds young people accountable for their actions, provides for their rehabilitation, protects them from harm, increases their life chances, and manages the risk they pose to themselves and to the public
https://www.pccd.pa.gov/Juvenile-Ju...uvenile_Collateral_Consequences_Checklist.pdf


Related:
Lawmakers passed Act 33 in 1995, amid the myth that juveniles were turning into “super predators,” making it so juveniles 15 and up who are accused of committing, or attempting or conspiring to commit, one of eight violent crimes automatically are processed in the adult criminal system.

The burden is then on the juveniles to make a strong case to be “decertified” and processed in juvenile court, where the focus is on rehabilitation instead of punishment.

A separate law that predates Act 33 also sends juveniles as young as 10 directly to adult court when accused of murder.

Pa. is one of 20 states that exclude certain serious crimes from the jurisdiction of the juvenile system, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Such systems force young defendants into adult prisons where they can languish for months or years.

In most cases, the juveniles see their charges dropped or are eventually sent to the juvenile system, but not until after harm is inflicted by initially being treated as an adult, advocates say.

A 2019 analysis of juvenile cases in Pennsylvania by The Sentinel newspaper found that the system disproportionately impacts Black youths, who were 10 times more likely to be charged and convicted in adult court than their white counterparts.
Here’s why Dauphin County officials sent a 16-year-old straight to adult prison

 

[proctorelites]

I have a question with limited knowledge of this case- is it possible this girl was dealing with parentification when it came to her sister. I haven't had time to review every thread and apologize if its been discussed. I listened to a podcast yesterday about this- it can be overwhelming if she was being pushed into caring for her sister or thought the task would be hers alone, at some point. I know my eldest sister dealt with a lot of that- as did I. Caregiving can be very taxing emotionally, not that it is an excuse to harm the patient. Just asking opinions- do you all think its possible.
A 14 yr old - is still a baby- they dont have the emotional bandwidth to handle major life events sometimes. Everything feels like it cant be overcome for some of them. This is so heartbreaking to me.

 

[MsBetsy]

I have a question with limited knowledge of this case- is it possible this girl was dealing with parentification when it came to her sister. I haven't had time to review every thread and apologize if its been discussed. I listened to a podcast yesterday about this- it can be overwhelming if she was being pushed into caring for her sister or thought the task would be hers alone, at some point. I know my eldest sister dealt with a lot of that- as did I. Caregiving can be very taxing emotionally, not that it is an excuse to harm the patient. Just asking opinions- do you all think its possible.
A 14 yr old - is still a baby- they dont have the emotional bandwidth to handle major life events sometimes. Everything feels like it cant be overcome for some of them. This is so heartbreaking to me.

Anything is possible but there is no evidence of parentification that we've heard. LE did reportedly include Claire's list of chores in the warrant but it's not clear why. They haven't released very much information in this case.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Statutory Exclusion 42 Pa. C. S. Sec. 6302

The definition of the term "delinquent act" excludes the crime of murder as well as a number of other offenses meeting age/offense/prior record criteria.

Offense Category Minimum Age Offense Detail

Murder None None specified—Murder.

15—Voluntary manslaughter or the attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit murder or voluntary manslaughter, if (1) a deadly weapon was use...

Reverse Waiver 42 Pa. C. S. Sec. 6322

If a child accused of an excluded offense (see Statutory Exclusion) files a petition requesting a transfer from criminal to juvenile court and establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that a transfer will serve the public interest, the court may order such a transfer. The court must make the transfer determination after considering the same factors that bear on a juvenile court's decision to transfer a case for criminal prosecution (see Discretionary Waiver). Any transfer order must be supported by "specific references to the evidence," and is subject to expedited appellate review. Once a case has been transferred from adult criminal court, the juvenile court may not retransfer it to adult court.

Once an Adult, Always 42 Pa. C. S. Sec. 6302

The term "delinquent act" does not include a crime committed by a child who has been found guilty in a criminal proceeding of anything other than a summary offense.
Pennsylvania's Transfer Laws

 

[imstilla.grandma]

I have a question with limited knowledge of this case- is it possible this girl was dealing with parentification when it came to her sister. I haven't had time to review every thread and apologize if its been discussed. I listened to a podcast yesterday about this- it can be overwhelming if she was being pushed into caring for her sister or thought the task would be hers alone, at some point. I know my eldest sister dealt with a lot of that- as did I. Caregiving can be very taxing emotionally, not that it is an excuse to harm the patient. Just asking opinions- do you all think its possible.
A 14 yr old - is still a baby- they dont have the emotional bandwidth to handle major life events sometimes. Everything feels like it cant be overcome for some of them. This is so heartbreaking to me.

Absolutely agree. My now 14 year old plus one day granddaughter is still my baby. She’s a child. If she were charged with murder - I would still state she knows right from wrong but would fight for her to be tried as a juvenile.

 

[Sarahlou]

This is just awful. I feel so bad for the poor girl who was murdered.

 

[MimosaMornings]

I have a question with limited knowledge of this case- is it possible this girl was dealing with parentification when it came to her sister. I haven't had time to review every thread and apologize if its been discussed. I listened to a podcast yesterday about this- it can be overwhelming if she was being pushed into caring for her sister or thought the task would be hers alone, at some point. I know my eldest sister dealt with a lot of that- as did I. Caregiving can be very taxing emotionally, not that it is an excuse to harm the patient. Just asking opinions- do you all think its possible.
A 14 yr old - is still a baby- they dont have the emotional bandwidth to handle major life events sometimes. Everything feels like it cant be overcome for some of them. This is so heartbreaking to me.

Caregiving is emotionally and physically taxing. Just my personal experience, the focus was always first and foremost on the disease/health of the affected family member. The needs of the other faded away.

I don’t know the situation in the household, if there was an aide that assisted the family for a few hours a day or if the family was responsible for full time caregiving for Helen. I hope answers are found soon. I can’t imagine the horror.

Did both parents work outside the home?

 

[MsBetsy]

This is just awful. I feel so bad for the poor girl who was murdered.

It's horrible. She was vulnerable and helpless to fight off her attacker. That may be why Claire targeted her. She was an easy victim. I think she tried to fight back, since her arms were up near her head.