On February 12, 2024, at about 3:09 p.m., deputies in Inyo County found 57-year-old David William Miller on Shepard Lane in Bishop, California, bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Miller had worked 17 years for the Inyo County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and was described as well regarded in the community.

Investigators say Miller had endured a series of prior harassment incidents, including tire slashings and vandalism at his home, that escalated tensions before the killing. On February 22, 2024, law enforcement arrested 52-year-old Bishop resident Brian Russell Stange and charged him with first-degree murder, with special circumstances alleging a firearm and lying in wait. Testimony at a preliminary hearing on April 12, 2024, linked Stange to prior vandalism, placed him near the scene by surveillance and witnesses, and described jealousy after a romantic relationship with Samantha Rottner ended and she later became involved with Miller.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Miller’s three daughters with funeral expenses.