Crime
Missing 48-year-old Harold Miller Jr Murdered and Dismembered in Camden
CAMDEN, N.J. — Authorities have arrested a Camden man and two members of his family in connection with the murder of a man whose body has not been recovered, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez announced on Thursday, September 11, 2025.
Everton Thomas, 41, of Camden, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 48-year-old Harold “Hal” Miller Jr.
Thomas also faces charges of second-degree desecration of human remains and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.
Sherrie Parker, 41, the defendant’s wife, and Deshawn Thomas, 22, his son, are each charged with second-degree desecration of human remains and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.
On June 14, 2025, Harold Miller Jr. was reported missing to the Deptford Township Police Department. Investigators learned that Miller had been playing cards with friends in Camden in the early morning hours of June 12, 2025.
His vehicle was later located abandoned in Pennsauken on the same day he was reported missing.
Detectives obtained surveillance footage and cell phone records showing that Miller entered a residence on the 2600 block of Baird Boulevard in Camden at approximately 11:30 a.m. on June 12, 2025.
Moments later, the footage recorded the sound of what appeared to be a single gunshot. Miller was never seen leaving the property. Surveillance also captured a man, later identified as Everton Thomas, moving Miller’s vehicle and parking it in the location where it was eventually discovered.
Further investigation revealed that Sherrie Parker and Deshawn Thomas purchased a chainsaw, containers, trash bags, and cleaning supplies shortly after Miller entered the residence.
Additional video evidence showed Everton and Deshawn Thomas making several trips to dumpsters at the Tamarack Apartments, loading containers and trash bags into a vehicle before leaving Camden.
On June 20, 2025, detectives executed a search warrant at the Baird Boulevard residence. During the search, investigators recovered suspected bloodstains and found Everton Thomas in possession of a loaded firearm with one round in the chamber and nine rounds in a ten-round magazine.
Forensic testing later confirmed that the blood recovered inside the residence matched the DNA profile of Harold Miller Jr.
The following day, before charges were filed, Everton Thomas fled the United States and crossed into Canada.
On September 5, 2025, following an extensive investigation conducted by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and the Camden County Police Department, with assistance from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the Deptford Township Police Department, all three defendants were formally charged.
On September 8, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force – Camden Division arrested Sherrie Parker and Deshawn Thomas in Camden. Both remain in custody at the Camden County Correctional Facility.
That same day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Everton Thomas at the Port of Buffalo, New York, after he reentered the United States from Canada aboard a commercial bus. He is being held at a New York correctional facility pending extradition to New Jersey.
Authorities continue to seek information regarding the whereabouts of Miller’s remains. Anyone with knowledge relevant to the investigation is urged to contact Detective Jake Siegfried of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit at (856) 225-5086 or Detective Andrew Mogck of the Camden County Police Department at (609) 519-8588.
Orlando, Fla. — Family and friends of 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz are seeking answers and accountability following his fatal shooting outside a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub early Sunday morning.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers responded at approximately 2:31 a.m. on February 22, 2026, to the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue, just north of Lake Ivanhoe, in reference to a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located Cruz suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities confirmed Cruz was born May 18, 1992.
Detectives determined that prior to the shooting, Cruz and the suspect were involved in a verbal and physical altercation on the sidewalk outside the nightclub district. Investigators say that during the dispute, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and shot Cruz.
The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which patrol officers later located in the 200 block of East New Hampshire Avenue, approximately two blocks from where the shooting occurred.
Police subsequently arrested 37-year-old Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr (DOB: October 29, 1988). He has been charged with Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Authorities confirmed this case marks the third homicide in Orlando in 2026.
Cruz’s father, Anthony Cruz, said his son and his partner had been at Savoy Orlando enjoying the evening before the violence unfolded.
According to the family, as the couple exited the club after closing time, a vehicle sped past them. Cruz’s partner allegedly yelled toward the occupants of the vehicle, prompting the car to stop. A physical altercation then reportedly began between Cruz’s partner and one of the individuals from the vehicle.
“When they fought, my son saw that was happening. My son went to intervene, and when he intervened, another guy got out of the car, and he got shot,” Anthony Cruz said. “My son didn’t deserve what happened. All I have left is a shirt — a shirt with a bullet hole.”
While police have charged Borja Gil De La Madr, Cruz’s family maintains that another individual may have been directly responsible for pulling the trigger. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether additional suspects are being sought.
A small memorial has formed across from the nightclub, where members of the community have gathered to honor Cruz’s memory.
Joshua Cooper, owner of Savoy Orlando, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community, even though the shooting occurred off the club’s property.
“I didn’t know the victim, but from everything I’ve been told, I wish I had,” Cooper said. “He seemed like a great kid. Seeing a family that is so heartbroken and so supportive of this community says so much.”
The Orlando Police Department has not released additional information regarding potential additional suspects. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation and shooting.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline.
The investigation remains active.