The mother of a man accused of killing his sister's boyfriend said her son has suffered mental health problems for years.
"He just snapped," she said, standing outside the courtroom Friday where 29-year-old Jarrod Miller had just appeared before a judge.
Miller is accused of shooting to death Tim Neuer, a man considered to be part of the Miller family, leaving both families grief-stricken and trying to understand what led to the violence.
"My daughter didn't deserve this and Tim didn't deserve this. He was the sweetest man," Barbi Evans said. She is trying to console a daughter who has lost a beloved mate and a son facing murder charges.
"The whole family is broken," Evans said. "My heart is breaking. We loved Tim."
Evans was joined by other family members Friday at a brief hearing for Miller, who pleaded not guilty before Superior Court Judge Ken Gnoss. Miller remained in custody without bail and will appear in court again Wednesday.
Neuer's girlfriend, Mandy Miller, and the Neuer family were too distraught to attend the hearing, said Evans, indicating she was there for both families.
In a blurring of the case, Evans spoke after the hearing with District Attorney Jill Ravitch for explanations of what occurred in court. Typically, the family of the accused seeks guidance from defense attorneys.
"This is the dynamic of this case, it's very unusual," Ravitch said. She declined to discuss a possible motive, saying the investigation remained ongoing.
"It's important for the investigation to continue and ultimately we determine what occurred and why," she said.
Evans pointed to her son's mental problems. Jarrod Miller grew up in Rio Nido and was a good student with a promising future. But a car crash at age 17 followed by the death of a beloved uncle sent him into a tailspin, she said.
"I tried to get help for him for years," she said, adding that she sought help from county agencies and her health care provider.
Evans said when Miller returned to Sonoma County from Las Vegas late last year, her daughter and Neuer wanted to help him and gave him a place to live for a few months.
But her son was a troubled man and they found it difficult to have him at their home, she said. The couple recently found him another place to live and asked him to move out.
On the night of March 8, Miller showed up at the couple's Alexander Valley Road. After a brief confrontation, Neuer told him to leave.
With his sister and another friend watching, Miller is accused of pulling out a handgun he'd brought with him and repeatedly shooting Neuer.
As Neuer lay wounded in the head and torso and witnesses called 911, Miller took off.
He was quickly stopped by officers who found the gun they believe he tossed out the window of his car.
Mandy Miller, who served in the U.S. military in the Mideast, is grieving the death of the man she thought she would spend her life with, Evans said.
"I'm trying to keep it together for my daughter," said Evans, who cried as she talked of her daughter's loss and heartbreak.
Evans said she still is mother to the man accused of pulling the trigger and that means she must support him, too.
After hours talking to a detective Thursday, Evans went to the county jail, hoping to see her son. She found she'd missed his visiting time by minutes, she said.
"I just want to hug him," she said.
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