Lake County man charged in fatal shooting of 20-year-old daughter

A man accused of killing his daughter was arraigned Friday afternoon in Lake County Superior Court on suspicion of murder and using a firearm to commit the crime.

Bail for Steven Miller, 39, was set at $2 million, Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said.

Sheriff’s authorities say Miller shot and killed Hannah Welch on Tuesday night at the family’s home on Spyglass Drive in the Hidden Valley Lake subdivision. A motive for the shooting has not been disclosed.

Miller is a former Sonoma County resident who worked as a landscaper, according to his booking information.

Welch attended Middletown High School from her freshman year through her junior year, according to Principal Bill Roderick. He said she then took the California High School Proficiency exam. Information about her earlier education was not available through the school district offices.

Welch was active in the Future Farmers of America and the school choir, Roderick said.

Her instructor in the FFA program declined to comment this week. Welch’s family also has declined to be interviewed.

Welch’s publicly shared Facebook page said only that she took a home health aide course from the American Red Cross in Minneapolis in 2015.

Roderick described Welch as quiet and reserved. “She was a great kid, a real sweetheart. It’s very sad for us.”