The family of 17-year-old Michelle Miller, a victim in a murder-suicide, is planning to sue the U.S. Army for $10 million.
Police say Army Sgt. Adam Arndt, 31, shot Miller inside his Germantown home in April, then took his own life. The two are believed to have had a romantic relationship.
The family claims Army supervisors missed the warning signs about Arndt's mental state.
Miller met Arndt after she signed up to enter the Army Reserves after graduation from Rockville High School this year. Kevin Miller, Michelle's father, said that he had not met Arndt, but that his daughter had seemed “a little smitten with this guy,” the Associated Press reported.
The night she died, Kevin Miller said Michelle received a call or text from someone whom she said was suicidal. Michelle left their Rockville home to help that person. Miller said he was opposed to her leaving, but his daughter said she would be fine and promised to text him the address when she arrived.
Kevin Miller said he got a “vague” text from her about the location, but she then stopped responding to his texts and calls.
One of Michelle's friends said she received some texts from Michelle's phone. One text said Michelle loved her friend. The final one said, "Goodbye."
Family members believe the texts were sent by Arndt.
Michelle's friend gave Kevin Miller details about where she might be, and he soon found her car outside of the Germantown townhouse. He called police after no one answered the door.
After failing to communicate with anyone inside, police broke into the home after 10 a.m. and found the bodies of Arndt and Michelle, police said.
“Her whole ambition was to be a psychotherapist in the Army, and she wanted to help wounded warriors and the men with PTSD and the women,” her grandmother said. “That's what I thought she was doing when she answered that phone call. He called and said he was suicidal, and so she went to save him, and instead, he put a bullet in her head."
Police are currently investigating whether Ardnt may have victimized other teenage girls.
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Photo Credit: The Miller Family