Donald Miller (1941 – October 14, 2005) was an American serial killer who committed eight attacks on gay men in Los Angeles, California, from 1980 to 1981, four of which resulted in fatalities.
He cooperated with police and accepted a plea deal, and because Grodman had previously been involved in prostitution, the rape charge was dropped and replaced with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Harman claimed that after their shift had ended, Miller chased him in his automobile and threatened to kill him by waving a piece of steel pipe, but the case never went to trial.
[1] In August, Miller brutally beat Linda Lee in the freight elevator of a downtown Los Angeles hotel where she was staying.
During the attack, Lee suffered a broken jaw in two places, a fractured ankle, and lacerations above her ear and eye that required twelve stitches.
Several of his acquaintances and co-workers stated after his arrest that he never showed signs of antisocial behavior, but also noted that he had no close friends, did not maintain trusting relationships with them, and liked to keep to himself.
To this end, they reviewed existing crime reports, sent inquiries to law enforcement agencies across California, published information in the media and distributed flyers in gay bars across Hollywood and other areas of Los Angeles.
[1] Despite this, prosecutors contended that Miller was guilty, due to the aforementioned steel pipe; the victims being injured on the head and the fact that a car similar to his was seen by at least three of the survivors and near the crime scenes of at least two of the murders.
[8] After the verdict was announced, Miller's lawyer, Jay Jaffe, told the media that for some reason his client stopped protesting his innocence and said that he preferred to be executed rather than spend the rest of his life in jail.