On October 29, 2017, Lawton police responded after a 911 caller, Bret Kevin Splawn, said he had accidentally shot his wife’s uncle, Donald Miller, while trying to dislodge a stuck round from a .380 caliber handgun. Splawn told dispatchers and officers the gun was pointed at the ground when it discharged.

Forensic evidence at the scene did not support that account. The medical examiner concluded Miller was killed by a .45 caliber hollow-point round fired at close range; the wound showed a muzzle imprint and soot. A .45 casing was recovered and a .45 handgun concealed behind books contained the victim’s blood, hair, and tissue. Firearms testimony and blood-spatter analysis were presented at trial as inconsistent with an accidental discharge.

A jury convicted Bret Kevin Splawn of first-degree murder for Donald Miller’s death; Splawn also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession-related charges and received a life sentence. Does anyone have information about Miller’s life or knew him in Lawton that could add context to this case?