Poisoned Coffee: Union County Woman Found Guilty in Husbands Death

Union County resident Myrle Miller, 78, was found guilty of first-degree murder for poisoning her husband, John Nichols, in 2018. A Union County jury convicted Miller of the murder charge along with five additional felonies: theft by deception, forgery, insurance fraud, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, and perjury. Miller now faces mandatory lifetime imprisonment and has been remanded to Union County Prison pending her sentencing.

Attorney General Michelle Henry spoke on the case, stating, "The defendant was systematically emptying her husband's bank accounts, and upon being found out, made the deliberate and intentional decision to kill him. It is hard to fathom acts more cold, calculated, and self-serving, and while we cannot bring back the life of Mr. Nichols, we hope today's verdict offers a measure of justice to his family and friends."

A Grand Jury investigation uncovered that Miller had drained all of her husband's bank accounts in the months preceding Nichols' death. She forged his signature on checks, fraudulently made herself the sole beneficiary on two of his life insurance policies, and fraudulently obtained loans against those policies. When her deception was on the verge of being exposed, Miller killed her husband by mixing large amounts of her medications and his medications with his coffee.

The investigation also revealed that a representative from the Union-Snyder Agency on Aging visited the couple's home shortly before Nichols' death to address a report of financial exploitation. Miller, fearing that Nichols would discover her theft, told her son she would "handle it."

In another twist, it was discovered that Miller had been engaging in romantic conversations with multiple men through Facebook in the months leading up to Nichols' death. A former friend testified that Miller confessed her love for at least one of these men.

This case was referred to the Office of Attorney General by the Union County District Attorney's Office. The Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of Attorney General led the investigation, with Special Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Buck and Union County District Attorney Peter Johnson prosecuting the case.