Trial scheduled for man accused of abusing, and marrying, adopted daughter

By John P Tretbar

A 43-year-old Alaska man accused of sexually abusing his adopted daughter over many years and in many locations is being held in Buchanan County pending trial on charges of rape, sodomy, child molestation and incest.

The trial of Owen Melvin Miller was moved here from Andrew County on a change of venue.

Miller and his wife have seven adopted children, and several of them were allegedly sexually abused.

According to court documents, Mr Miller married one of the adopted children in a ceremony in Savannah, Missouri in August, 2002.

The children told investigators here and in Wasilla, Alaska about years of physical abuse and neglect. According to court documents, the children recounted several incidents of being locked ino the basement, the attic, or outside. They say they were forced to go two days or more without food if they got into trouble. The two victims said they would unhinge a padlocked bedroom door and then crawl through a hole in the wall to sneak food out of a deep freeze in the garage. The children said they warmed that food on a furnace.

Miller is charged with one count each of statutory rape, statutory sodomy, and incest, and two counts of child molestation.

He is being held under $250,000 bond. A judge in Buchanan County scheduled a pre-trial conference in August and a jury trial is set for September 14.