AUGUSTA COUNTY (WVIR) - Just days before his 85th birthday, an Augusta County man is locked up - accused of murdering Richard Miller, Jr., of Swoope more than three decades ago.
In 2013 the sheriff's office in reopened the cold case of 20-year-old Richard Miller Jr.'s disappearance. Prosecutors say new witnesses came forward in the 1983 case. Monday a multi-jurisditional grand jury indicted 84-year-old Charles Almond on a charge of first-degree murder. The grand jury was impaneled by the Virginia Attorney General's Office's chief prosecutor, Phil Figura, to investigate the disappearance of Miller.
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Miller's father says the last place he saw him was looking back in his rear view mirror along Parkersburg Turnpike. He was last seen November 17, 1983 pulled over along Route 254 west of Staunton. His truck was found on Dec. 14, 1983, in Richmond. Nearly 32 years later, his father-in-law-to-be is behind bars accused of his murder.
Prosecutors and investigators announced the indictment Tuesday outside the Augusta County Courthouse. Commonwealth's Attorney A. Lee Ervin says the special grand jury's powers compelled new witnesses to testify in the case. He also credited investigators for not giving up.
"I would like to commend investigator Leveck and all the other officers at the Augusta County Sheriff's Department who have worked on the case throughout the years. Many of the original officers have retired but they provided valuable information that helped lead to this indictment," he stated.
Prosecutors would not say how many witnesses came forward or what evidence led to this charge after 32 years. Miller has never been found.
Miller was an employee of The News Leader in Staunton. Miller was engaged to Almond's step-daughter.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.