Picture it - a long, straight path that runs for miles in the city of Phoenix, AZ. It's 1992 and lots of people were biking or walking with friends or by themselves as they try and exercise or just get outside to enjoy their day.
A girl by the name of Melanie Bernas was a 21-year-old who was loved by her boyfriend and worked out a lot. She didn't realize it would be her last time.
A man by the name of Bryan Patrick Miller happens to cross paths with Bernas. Miller claims he wasn't out to murder anyone but he was on the prowl with a knife in his hand. Miller also had lived in a Mennonite outreach program center at one time, divorced, and had a daughter. Miller allegedly kidnapped Bernas on the Arizona canal and sexually assaulted her when she was dead after he stabbed and dragged her on the asphalt. He had cut across her neck and carved a cross in her chest. Then, he dressed her and threw her body in the canal. Her body was found on September 21, 1993, near Castles and Coasters.
The following year, a girl by the name of Angela Brosso was also biking on the Arizona Canal. She was 17 years old and she wanted to be a high school teacher. Brosso was a very strong girl, who usually stood up to bullies in school. Miller allegedly kidnapped Brosso and ended up stabbing her in the back. Then, he sexually assaulted her after she was deceased and decapitated her. Her body was found the next day and almost cut in half. Her head was found 11 days later near the Arizona Canal.
Miller had been free for almost 20 years, and he was detained in the year of 2015. His case was actually a bench trial that had gone on for six months. Miller had pleaded not guilty due to insanity and his attorneys fought that he had been abused as a child. However, the judge that was presiding over this case, ended up giving him the death penalty.
With the help of genetic genealogy and DNA testing, Brosso and Bernas' families will be able to rest in peace knowing that their daughter's killer will never be able to walk on the streets again. Thankfully, there was enough evidence to convict Miller of these heinous crimes. Hopefully, in the near future, and with all of these new ways of detecting evidence of murder scenes, more victims will be able to rest in peace.
Written By:
Heidi Reilly
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