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Bruce Miller was murdered in November 1999 in his Flint, Michigan, body shop. He had been shot one time in the chest with a .410-gauge shotgun. Initially, there were no suspects or motives. However, within weeks, police followed a digital trail that led to a man named Jerry Cassaday, who resided in a different state and had never met Bruce face-to-face.
What united them was a woman, Sharee Miller, Bruce's wife, and the internet. Sharee and Jerry had begun an online relationship earlier in the year. They talked to each other via emails, chats, and phone calls. Sharee lied to Jerry about Bruce, telling him stories of abuse and threats.
Police records indicate that these falsehoods made Jerry think that Bruce was a threat to Sharee and her children. On this basis of manipulation, Cassaday drove from Missouri to Michigan and shot Bruce Miller.
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This was the first such case in American history in which evidence of communication via the internet served as pivotal in a murder case. The trail of bits—the emails, chats, and suicide note—provided the thrust behind the prosecution. It indicated the way the internet pretence created a trail of physical violence and marked a judicial precedent for bringing web-based evidence before the court.
The murder was revisited in the latest episode of Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20, titled Love at First Click, aired on May 13, 2025. It focuses on a married mother's secret online relationship that escalates into a deadly plot. The series continues to deliver gripping, headline-inspired stories of romance gone wrong, with new episodes airing weekly on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
The online affair that sparked the case
Sharee Miller and Jerry Cassaday met online in a chat room in 1999, according to court records. Jerry was a retired police officer residing in Missouri. Sharee was married to Bruce Miller and resided in Michigan. Their relationship blossomed online over a brief period. They corresponded via email, exchanged photos, and talked on the phone regularly.
Sharee informed Jerry that Bruce was abusive. She also said that he was a member of the mob and had subjected her to unwanted activities. Sharee informed Jerry that she was pregnant with his baby. According to prosecutors, all these statements were untrue.
These internet postings generated a connection between Sharee and Jerry. Jerry felt Sharee was in danger, and Bruce Miller should be stopped.
Bruce Miller's death and the initial investigation
On November 8, 1999, Bruce Miller was found dead in his Flint auto shop. He had been shot in the chest. The scene showed no signs of forced entry or robbery. Police began investigating possible motives, but they had no immediate suspects.
Later in the month, in Missouri, Jerry Cassaday took his own life. He left a binder full of printed emails and chat transcripts between himself and Sharee. He also left a suicide note. In the note, he confessed to having murdered Bruce Miller. He said he had done it because Sharee said Bruce was hurting her.
These records formed the basis of the case. In accordance with the police, the binder held blow-by-blow accounts of the online chat and emotional manipulation that resulted in the death of Bruce Miller.
The role of internet evidence in court
Sharee Miller was arrested in 2000 and charged with conspiracy to murder and first-degree murder. The trial was a turning point regarding how courts manage digital evidence.
Based on [court records], the emails, chat transcripts, and the suicide note of Cassaday were shown as the prime evidence of Sharee's involvement in the murder. The prosecutors claimed that she did not have a direct connection with the crime, but planned it through the internet.
The defense had contested that the suicide note was hearsay. According to them, Cassaday did it alone. The court accepted the evidence despite this, and they pointed out that it was detailed, was in time, and supported by other communication records.
It was the first instance in which internet chat was adopted as direct proof in a case of murder. The trial made a precedent about how courts evaluate online relationships and digital deception within criminal law.
Legal challenges and appeals
In 2008, a federal judge threw out Sharee Miller's conviction. Under legal papers, the judge declared the suicide note and electronic communications as hearsay and infringed Sharee's Sixth Amendment rights. She was released on bond in 2009.
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated her conviction in 2012. The court determined that Cassaday's written statements satisfied exceptions to the rule of hearsay. They declared the evidence reliable and pertinent.
Sharee was re-sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2016. The court reinstated the original sentence based on the same internet communications that were originally used during her 2000 trial.
The case has appeared on several true crime shows, such as Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20, which covered the way online relationships can translate to real-life consequences.
