Son testifies against mother in homicide case

LEWISBURG — A son took the witness stand Wednesday and testified against his mother on day two of a Union County homicide trial.

Ron Rovenolt took the stand and admitted to imitating his stepfather — while his mother was by his side — in phone calls to insurance companies. The testimony came in the case of his mother Meryl Miller, 77, of Winfield.

She was charged in May 2021 with the alleged poisoning death of John W. Nichols, in 2018. She is also accused of fraud, and insurance theft amid allegations that she took thousands of dollars from his bank accounts and life insurance policies.

Both the first degree murder and insurance-related felonies are being heard at the same trial.

Rovenolt answered questions from the prosecution on his role in the alleged defrauding an insurance company. He admitted to pretending to be Nichols in a phone call to an insurance company in which he — as Nichols — granted permission to have Miller take over Nichols' insurance dealings.

On the day in which Nichols died, on April 14, 2018, Rovenolt said he found his mother looking over her late husband's insurance papers and will. He claimed this occurred as medics were still trying to revive Nichols.

Jessica Potilla, an insurance fraud investigator with Prudential Financial who received a call to investigate a suspected fraudulent call, also testified Wednesday.

Potilla said Nichols had three insurance policies with the company. Two recorded calls were played in the courtroom, in which a man claiming to be Nichols gave permission to have Miller be the authorized representative to have two loans drawn against Nichols' policy — one for $19,000 the other for $8,000.

On the recording, Miller could allegedly be heard stating they needed the money to travel to Colorado so Nichols could be treated for cancer.

Miller allegedly stated in the call that Nichols' children "didn't want much to do with im."

Tpr. Brian Watson testified that drugs found in the home were being taken by both Nichols and Miller.

Camille Hess, an LPN with the family Practice Center of Mifflinburg, testified about a mini-mental health evaluation which had been administered to Nichols.

Hess said Nichols would not cooperate in answering one of the questions, and scored 20 out of 30 questions on the exam.

Dr. Dominick Ronco, of the Family Practice Center, testified that Nichols was his patient since 2013.

Ronco testified that in August 2015 Nichols and his wife paid a visit, where Miller complained of Nichols' memory loss. Ronco said he referred Nichols to a neurologist. However, to his knowledge Nichols never attended the appointment.

Defense Attorney Brian Ulmer asked Ronco if it was unusual to have a spouse attend a doctor's consultation, to which Ronco said "no."

Ronco also testified to placing Nichols on medication for dementia.

Dr. Christopher Brancato, a cardiologist with Evangelical Community Hospital, testified that he first saw Nichols in April 2015. At that time, Nichols blood pressure was difficult to control, and he was prescribed three different medications.

Brancato testified that in 2014 Nichols had surgery to clear an artery in his neck, which had a blockage.

According to Brancato, Nichols only had mild symptoms of heart disease, and was "in very good shape."

During a November 2017 visit, Brancato said Miller asked if Nichols had signs of dementia, to which he said none were being exhibited.

The trial is expected to continue into next week.