Murder Suspect Accused of Burying Wife's Body at Racetrack Begs for PR Bond

SAN ANGELO, TX — Accused murderers Robert Lamar Miller and LuDonna Gail Yoder joined dozens of other felony defendants in court for pretrial hearings Tuesday afternoon in Court Room A at the Tom Green County Courthouse.  

Miller, 45, and Yoder, 42, are accused of killing Miller’s wife, Naomi Michelle Miller, in 2005 in Grape Creek and then moving her body a year later to the former San Angelo Speedway property on FM 2105 and burying her body there.  

LIVE! Broke the news that Naomi Michelle Miller’s body was found earlier this year.  

Both Miller and Yoder are charged with first-degree murder and remain in custody in the Tom Green County Jail.

According to court documents, Miller sent a letter to District Judge Jay Weatherby on Aug. 19 requesting a personal recognizance bond or a drastically reduced bond.  This is the letter Robert Miller wrote to Judge Weatherby: 

Your Honor

Mr. Weatherby sir. I’m sure you have read and received my other letter that I sent you already.  I assume your answer to reissuing my PR bonds is a No since I have not heard anything from you sir.  

I would just like to ask you sir to please reconsider giving me my PR bonds again sir or lowering my bonds substantially so I can have a chance to bond out and help my family as they are struggling very very hard sir.  

I will not embarres (sic) or let you down sir if you please give me this chance. I am working very hard with authorities to make things right sir.

Thank you very much. Sincerely

Robert Miller

About a month ago, Judge Weatherby was forced to issue a PR bond for Miller because the DA hadn't indicted Miller within 90 days of his arrest. Of the conditions for the PR bond, Miller was not allowed to have contact with his common law wife and co-defendent. While out of jail on bail, Miller wrote her anyway, and Weatherby revoked his bond and put him back in jail. Miller is requesting a new PR bond after the first one was revoked.

Meanwhile, Tuesday, in the crowded courtroom after two-and-a-half hours of pre-trial motions, clanging chains of jailed defendants shackled in orange jumpsuits were sitting in the back of the courtroom. One-by-one the accused stood up when they were called by the judge to approach the front of the courtroom. You could hear occasional admonishments from the bailiff for those in the courtroom to be quiet as defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys took turns with the accused before the judge.

Then, Miller’s name was called.  

Judge Walther was presiding over pretrial motions by attorneys in alphabetical order according to the attorney’s last names.  Defense attorney Brian Raymond represents Robert Miller.

District Judge Barbara Walther added Miller’s jury trial to the February 2018 docket.  His request for a new PR bond wasn't discussed. His common law wife Yoder’s jury trial is expected to follow in April. 

One other notable defendant in that courtroom Tuesday was Ricky Miller.  Ricky Miller is charged with third degree felony possession of child pornography.  He has another pretrial hearing October 11 and has a jury trial scheduled for November 13.  

Tuesday afternoon’s packed felony docket including murder defendants Miller and Yoder followed Tuesday morning’s County Commissioner’s meeting in which commissioners and the County Judge anguished over adopting a budget and property tax rate for fiscal year 2018.

Tom Green County Judge Steve Floyd said the Court’s tax increase is nothing more than a ‘crime tax,’ an increase in property tax to fund the criminal justice system.

That $42 million budget required a 2-cent per $100 dollar value property tax increase primarily to pay for the county's criminal justice, including 12 capital murder trials, four of which are death penalty cases.

This revolving door of misery in the county courthouse is fueled by an unprecedented number of capital murder trials and drug related cases has strained both indigent defense attorneys and both District Attorneys offices more than ever before.  And Tom Green County property owners pay for each and every trial through property taxes.