ALORTON,
Ill. - A southern Illinois police officer who has been accused of murder twice,
was arrested this week for allegedly attacking his wife.
According
to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, William T. Miller IV, 63, was charged on April
22 with domestic battery for choking his wife, who is identified in court
documents by her initials, "H.M."
Miller
was arrested and released after posting $5,000 bail. The newspaper reports that
he has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
But
this is not the first - or even the second time - Miller has been accused of
harming a woman he was romantically involved with. According to the
Post-Dispatch, Miller was charged with killing his girlfriend, JoAnn Hubbard in
1975. He reportedly claimed self-defense. His first trial ended in a hung jury,
and a second a jury acquitted him, reports the newspaper.
Ten
years later, while working as an Alorton police officer, the paper reports that
Miller was accused of taking $400 from a man while on duty, but that the
charges of felony theft and official misconduct were dismissed.
And
1992, Miller's wife, Ruthie M. Miller, 41, was reportedly shot in the back of
the head at the couple's home in Alorton. Miller was charged with first-degree
murder, but again, the case was dismissed after a St. Clair County grand jury
refused to indict him, reports the Post-Dispatch.
Prior
to this week, Miller had also reportedly been charged three times with battery.
Those charges, too, were dismissed, reported the Post-Dispatch. However, per a
statement from St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly, it looks like
he may not get off so easy this time.
"The
Alorton police received a report of domestic battery, arrested the defendant
and turned the investigation over to an outside agency, the Illinois State
Police, in accordance with the appropriate policy and procedure," said
Kelly, as reported in the Post-Dispatch.