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Town's heart broken

Loss of 5-year-old girl shatters innocence and security in Floyd
Published: 10/04/2005 3:46 PM

By: Orlan Love - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette July 8, 2005.

FLOYD, IA - More than the innocent life of a young girl has been lost in the presumed abduction and murder of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller.

The innocence of the small town she lived in also has been shattered, said Floyd Mayor Trevis O'Connell, 55, a lifelong resident of the town he said could have served as a subject of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Although the State Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released its preliminary autopsy results, the body of a young girl found Wednesday evening in the Cedar River between Floyd and Charles City is likely that of Evelyn Miller, Floyd County Attorney Marilyn Dettmer said Thursday morning at a press conference at the courthouse in Charles City.

Dettmer said no arrests have been made and no suspects have been named in the case, which began a week ago when the girl disappeared from her family's apartment 1.5 miles south of Floyd.

"Kids today won't know the peace and contentment that we had growing up," said O'Connell, who likened the impact of the Miller case on Floyd to the impact of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. "Everything has changed," he said.

O'Connell said he has discussed the new order with his 10-year-old daughter, Holly.

"I'm not really scared," she said, "but I know I have to be careful what I do."

To many of Floyd's 362 residents, their children's safety and security are as obsolete as a sign on a downtown storefront, which reads: "Floyd where the sun shines on kids."

The town's youths "don't have freedom and security anymore," said Floyd resident Melissa Bucknell, 32, the mother of four children between the ages of 8 months and 13 years.

Since Evelyn Miller's disappearance, "the girls go in pairs and call when they get there," she said.

Her husband, Tom Bucknell, 33, said he thinks a little fear will be healthy for the children. "There is a lot to be scared of out there," he said.

The Miller family's ordeal "threw a scare into us," said Floyd resident Bob Hocking, 74, whose grandchildren live across town from him. "They used to ride their bikes over to see us but not anymore."

Acknowledging safety concerns, County Attorney Dettmer said the girl's disappearance and apparent death have put community members in greater danger.

"This case is a grave reminder to everyone to be careful for themselves and their families," Dettmer said.

Miller was last seen by two acquaintances of her mother's fiance about 2 a.m. on July 1, asleep on a love seat in the family's apartment.

Authorities have interviewed the men, Randy Patrie and Dan Slick, both of Charles City, and searched their residence. The results of the interviews and search were not disclosed. Patrie has an extensive arrest record; none of the charges involve children.

Noel Miller, Evelyn's mother, has said she left her three small children, including Evelyn, with her fiance, Casey Fredericksen, 26, at their apartment.

She found the apartment door ajar and her daughter missing when she returned home from her overnight job that morning.

Authorities said Fredericksen passed a lie-detector test.

A Cedar Rapids police helicopter was sent to Floyd on Thursday afternoon to take aerial photos of the crime scene, said David Zahn, public safety commissioner. Such photos are useful in trying to show a path that events may have followed, he said.

At Thursday's press conference, Miller family spokeswoman Mary Neubauer of Urbandale said the discovery of the body Wednesday devastated the girl's family.

"Everyone still believed in a positive outcome and hoped that we would bring Evelyn home safely," she said.

[Admin]

'Evey' remembered for smile

By: Associated Press - Associated Press
WINDSOR HEIGHTS, IA -
Originally published in The Gazette July 10, 2005.

During a vigil in central Iowa, about 150 mourners remembered 5-year-old Evelyn Miller as a girl with flair and a disarming smile.

The body of the Floyd girl, who went missing from her mother's apartment a week ago, was found Wednesday in the Cedar River near Charles City in northern Iowa. Authorities have not released a cause of death and said no suspects are in custody.

A light rain fell on the crowd that gathered in this Des Moines suburb Friday night to pray and talk about the girl.

"Right now we feel droplets of water," said Pastor Terry Amann. "Those are tears from heaven coming down upon us."

The vigil was held at the church attended by Evelyn's grandparents, Richard and Linda Christie.

Evelyn, known as Evey to her family, was remembered for her flair, her pigtails and her disarming smile. Her grandmother recalled a life too short.

"I truly believe that you, God, are more saddened by Evey's untimely death than we are," said Linda Christie. "We have failed to provide the protection and care she needed to become a beautiful, caring woman. Through our collective negligence, we are sorrowful."

She said her granddaughter was supposed to have spent the Fourth of July holiday weekend with her. Instead, the family waited while volunteers frantically searched for the young girl, who disappeared early July 1.

Richard Christie said the child's body was found in a place of picnics and good times.

"It just washes over you, an unbelievable amount of pain and sorrow," he said.

Evelyn's uncle, Jeremiah Christie, 24, said he helped search for the girl. Despite his frustration for his niece's fate, he said the vigil provided some solace.

"It warms my heart," he said. "But it's sad that there has to be a vigil, or anything like this."

Jeremiah Christie said he believes that he knows who is responsible for Evelyn's death and urged that person to turn himself in.

"Right now, I'd say turn yourself in and pray for mercy, not only from God, but from the entire state," he said.

Barb Wilson, of Urbandale, who attends church with the Christies, was at the vigil. As she left, she wiped away tears as she remembered the child.

"She was a beautiful little girl, so full of life, so pretty, such a nice personality," she said. "We watched her interact with her grandfather. It was so special."

[Admin]

Floyd area prays for healing

By: Orlan Love - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette July 11, 2005.

FLOYD, IA - Satan was blamed here Sunday at the Gospel Lighthouse Church for his role in the death of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller.

"Whoever took this little girl is an evil person" under the influence of the Devil, "who comes to steal, kill and destroy," the Rev. Paul Phillips told his congregation, which meets at a church about 1.5 miles north of the home from which Evelyn disappeared July 1.

"This has been a very hard week, with an abduction and murder in our backyard" and a terrorist attack in London - events demonstrating that the Devil "is at work in the world today," Phillips said.

Down the road five miles in Charles City, other pastors in other pulpits addressed the grief and confusion wrought by the little girl's death.

"People don't understand why this happened, and they are turning to the churches for comfort and answers," said Liz Dawson, 57, moderator at First Congregational Church in Charles City, where Evelyn's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday.

"We come to you in pain, grieving a dear one. We come to you for healing," Pastor Phil Corr said in his opening prayer Sunday at the First Congregational Church.

In his message, Corr attempted to answer some of the questions troubling his congregation, such as why God would allow a 5-year-old girl to be killed.

"Death is not God's wish, especially for one so young," but His will is not carried out perfectly on Earth, Corr said.

Evelyn's death occurred, he said, because someone abused the free will that God gave people.

In his closing prayer, Corr said, "We bring the Miller family before you and ask that you will be with them this week" as they prepare for and endure her funeral.

Rev. Mike Mcabee, pastor at New Life Community Church on the north edge of Charles City, said Evelyn's death raises "the age-old question - why do bad things happen to good people?"

When a victim is "as innocent as the driven snow, it becomes a real challenge to people's faith," he said.

On Thursday - the day after Evelyn's body was found in a remote area along the Cedar River two miles north of Charles City - the New Life church posted a message on its illuminated sign reading: "You are in our prayers Evelyn and family."

"They don't belong to our church, but the family drives by on the way to town, and we felt it was important to let them know they are not alone," Mcabee said.

At Sunday's service at Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City, Pastor Paul Wilcox said Evelyn's death and the London terrorist attacks have "shown us how vulnerable and temporary our lives really are."

In a prayer during the service, Wilcox asked for "a day of justice without revenge."

Evelyn's mother, Noel Miller, discovered her daughter was missing when she came home from her overnight job July 1.

An autopsy was performed but authorities have not revealed its findings and remain tight-lipped about their investigation.

Phillips asked his congregation to pray for the law enforcement officers working on the case and reminded the congregation to steer clear of Satan.

"Thank God there is help from the Lord Jesus, who came to destroy the works of the Devil," he said.

[Admin]

Autopsy shows girl murdered
Cause of Evelyn Miller's death not disclosed

By: Steve Gravelle - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette July 12, 2005.

An autopsy has confirmed the body found along the Cedar River last week near Charles City was that of 5-year-old Evelyn Miller and that the girl was murdered.

"Foul play has been confirmed, and we are treating this as a homicide investigation," Floyd County Attorney Marilyn Dettmer said Monday.

Dettmer had no further comment beyond the official confirmation of the state medical examiner's findings. The cause of the girl's death was not disclosed.

Evelyn was reported missing early July 1 by her mother, Noel Miller, who called police after returning to her apartment near Floyd after working the night shift at a nursing home to discover her daughter missing. More than 1,200 volunteers searched ditches, roads and fields around Floyd until Evelyn's body was found Wednesday night in a remote spot along the Cedar River two miles north of Charles City.

Noel Miller's fiance, Casey Fredericksen, spent the night with Evelyn and her two other small children. Fredericksen said he slept through the night and didn't hear anyone enter or leave the apartment.

Two friends of Fredericksen, Randy Patrie and Dan Slick of Charles City, said they saw Evelyn alive about 2:30 a.m., when they stopped in at the apartment. They said they left after learning Fredericksen was asleep.

Police searched the pair's rented home in Charles City and seized Patrie's car, but have not named any suspects in the case.

[Admin]

Vilsack to review girl's file
Inquiry involves DHS handling of abuse, neglect allegations

By: Orlan Love - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette July 13, 2005.

Gov. Tom Vilsack will review Department of Human Services files documenting the agency's handling of allegations that 5-year-old Evelyn Miller may have been neglected or abused before the Floyd County child's murder earlier this month.

"We're happy to have him looking over our shoulder," said DHS spokesman Roger Munns, who confirmed the agency had contact with Evelyn's family before she was murdered.

Evelyn's body was found July 6 in the Cedar River about two miles north of Charles City. She had been missing since July 1 from the rural Floyd home she shared with two younger brothers, Noel Miller, and her mother's fiance, Casey Fredericksen. No one has been charged.

Vilsack's inquiry was not prompted by press reports Tuesday that Evelyn's grandparents, Linda and Richard Christie of Windsor Heights, had criticized the thoroughness of the DHS response, according to Matt Paul, the governor's spokesman.

The Christies, who could not be reached Tuesday, were quoted as saying they had feared for Evelyn's safety and that relatives, friends and school officials on more than a dozen occasions had reported concerns about Evelyn's home life to the DHS.

Munns said he could not comment on the nature, source or number of reports except to say the agency was not "besieged with calls" about the girl's treatment.

Before the governor's request, DHS Director Kevin Concannon had already ordered an internal review to determine if agency procedures had been followed, Munns said.

Vilsack's request for the DHS file is part of his efforts to ensure the state is doing all it can to protect children, Paul said.

That effort, he said, includes making sure the Department of Public Safety provides all the assistance local investigators need to solve the case.Paul said Vilsack is acting in accordance with a law - enacted after the 2000 beating death of 2-year-old Shelby Duis of Spirit Lake - that gives the governor access to the privileged information contained in DHS files.

"This is not an indictment of the DHS handling of the case. It is an opportunity to ensure that all the protocols have been followed," Paul said.

The file should be in Vilsack's hands in a day or two, according to Munns, who said he expected the governor to issue a statement after his review.

Munns said this is the second case in which Vilsack has exercised his prerogative to review DHS files. In the first, involving a Winterset couple accused of locking a 10-year-old girl in her room for extended periods, Vilsack concluded that DHS workers had responded appropriately, Munns said.

[Admin]

Awash in grief
Emotions overwhelm mourners at service for murdered girl
Published: 10/04/2005 5:30 PM

By: Orlan Love - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette July 15, 2005.

CHARLES CITY, IA - Remembrances of a laughing, loving child could not leaven the inconsolable grief wrought Thursday by a memorial service at which the flower arrangements were adorned with teddy bears.

Nor could promises of eternal life dispel the gloom of a ceremony whose centerpiece was an empty urn still awaiting the ashes of 5-year-old murder victim Evelyn Miller.

Hundreds of friends and relatives gathered at the First Congregational Church for an extremely personal service marked by words from Evelyn's closest relatives.

"She was so precious and bright, and I don't understand how someone could be so selfish and cruel to do this to so many who loved and cared for Evelyn," said her mother, Noel Miller of rural Floyd.

Her father, Andrew Christie of Waterloo, said he takes comfort in knowing Evelyn is free of the pain and suffering she endured. Reading a letter to Evelyn, in which he apologized for being unable to protect her in her time of need, Christie said, "I feel like I failed as your father." Christie said he prays that his daughter will forgive him and that they will one day be together again.

Linda Christie of Windsor Heights described her granddaughter as "a pure, innocent, beautiful girl" who was "full of life and could light up a room with her smile."

The program for the service records that Evelyn was born Aug. 22, 1999, and died in July 2005 - the less specific date a reminder that her family knows not when or where she died, only that she was last seen on July 1 and that her body was found in the Cedar River on July 6.

Funeral director James Fullerton said Evelyn's body had not yet been released by authorities. The Floyd County Recorder's Office said her death certificate has not yet been filed. Law enforcement officers have released few details of their investigation.

Midway through Evelyn's mother's remarks, a tearful Noel Miller stepped away from the lectern, overcome with emotion. Her sister, Irene Miller of Weed, Calif., finished reading Noel's prepared text and read several passages from the Bible intended to comfort the mourners.

Irene Miller also read the following prayer written by Noel Miller:

"May my God wrap his arms around Evelyn and give us the comfort and peace he can provide. There is nothing to do to ease our pain, but I know through our experiences that only God can provide healing and comfort."

Tissues and handkerchiefs fluttered throughout the service, and ushers replenished soaked tissues as a recording of "Tears in Heaven," written by Eric Clapton after the death of his own young son, played over the church's speakers.

"Waves of grief crash over us as we miss this dear, young life," said the Rev. Phil Corr, the pastor at First Congregational Church, as he asked God to comfort the mourners.

After the service, many of the more than 300 mourners shared lunch with Evelyn's family at the Floyd Community Center, which served as headquarters for the intensive five-day search that preceded the discovery of Evelyn's body.

"I just hope they catch whoever did it and justice is served," said Teri Mannetter of Charles City, whose daughter, Angel, was a "recess buddy" of Evelyn's in the kindergarten class at Washington Elementary School in Charles City.

[Admin]

Adults in Evelyn Miller's life criticized

By: Associated Press - Associated Press
Originally published in The Gazette Aug. 7, 2005.

DES MOINES, IA - A Des Moines lawyer with ties to Evelyn Miller's family said the lifestyle of the girl's mother and boyfriend may have contributed to the 5-year-old's disappearance and death.

Brandi Hoffman said Evelyn's mother, Noel Miller, and Casey Frederiksen, Miller's live-in boyfriend, led a chaotic life with little stability with "people who wind up in prison or who just got out of prison."

Hoffman is Frederiksen's sister.

She criticized Miller and Frederiksen for saying investigators haven't been doing a good job on the case.

"It's easy for Casey and Noel, who in general have had a problem with authority and who have a long history with the police, to question what they're doing," Hoffman said. "I think (investigators) are doing a great job, even though there are some things they can't tell us to protect the integrity of the investigation."

Miller and Frederiksen have criticized authorities, complaining they've been told nothing about Evelyn's death.

Records show Charles City police and Floyd County sheriff's deputies have had dozens of contacts with the couple over the last four years. Several calls were for domestic violence. The couple also phoned in disturbances that involved friends and relatives and reported they'd been the victim of thefts.

Frederiksen pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia in 2001, records show.

"But I don't think any of those officers worked any less hard on solving Evelyn's case because of their past history with Casey and Noel," Hoffman said.

Miller returned home from her overnight job July 1 to find the door of her Floyd apartment unlocked, Evelyn missing, and Frederiksen and her two other children, 2-year-old Gabriel and 1-year-old Damian, asleep.

Two men who were among the last to see Evelyn alive - friends who stopped by at 2 a.m. to see Frederiksen - have repeatedly stated they left the child unhurt.

Hoffman agrees with Miller that the killer is probably someone who knew the apartment and knew Evelyn.

Hoffman said she doesn't doubt both Miller and Frederiksen loved Evelyn.

"Evelyn grew up with Casey in the house," she said. "He's really always been her custodial father. She was the apple of his eye. He loved her so much, and I think this whole thing's killing him."

When law enforcement officers notified the family July 6 that searchers had found Evelyn's body in the Cedar River, Hoffman said, "I think that was the hardest moment of my entire life, watching my brother go through that. He blamed himself. Anybody would blame himself, because he was home with her."

Hoffman said she hopes Miller and Frederiksen choose to improve their parenting skills so that they can regain custody of Gabriel and Damian, who have been in foster care since July 12.

"We're not picking on them," she said. "We're trying to keep the other two kids safe."

[Admin]

Grand jury hears questioning of uncle

By: Associated Press - Associated Press
Originally published in The Gazette Sept. 10, 2005.

FLOYD, IA - The uncle of a slain Floyd County girl said he was questioned about a computer for more than two hours Thursday in front of a federal grand jury in Cedar Rapids.

The computer was in the rural Floyd apartment the child's mother shared with her fiance.

Five-year-old Evelyn Miller disappeared from the apartment July 1. Her body was found July 6 in the Cedar River, about two miles from her home.

Her death has been ruled a homicide, but details have not been released. Police have not announced any arrests.

Jeremiah Christie, 24, of Waterloo, told the Des Moines Register that he was called to testify about a five-day period in which he stayed in the apartment.

"Most of the questions they asked me were about the computer, the hard drive and software on the computer," Christie said after his testimony concluded.

Christie - whose brother, Andy Christie, of Waterloo, is Evelyn's father - said he also was interviewed last week by agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

He said their questions focused on the lifestyles of Evelyn's mother, Noel, and her fiance, Casey Fredericksen, around the time the child vanished.

Authorities refused to comment Thursday on whether the computer is central to the case. Grand jury proceedings are secret.

Federal prosecutors would not comment on whether they've taken over the case or whether Floyd County Attorney Marilyn Dettmer had asked them to step in.

State and federal agents on Sept. 2 searched the Charles City home where Miller and Fredericksen moved after the girl's funeral. Dettmer said the search was part of the investigation but would not comment on what, if anything, was taken from the home.

Court documents that pertain to earlier searches have been sealed by a judge. A state Department of Human Services file on the child has also been kept secret.

Christie said that police "tore apart" the computer in a search of the Floyd apartment shortly after Evelyn vanished but that they left without the hard drive.

Miller's former neighbor, Tanya Martinez, told sheriff's deputies that Miller gave her a computer hard drive for safekeeping after Evelyn's death. Miller "freaked out" when she learned Martinez had turned over the hard drive to authorities in August, according to an investigative report.

[Admin]

Complex searched in Floyd

By: Associated Press - Associated Press
Originally published in The Gazette Sept. 16, 2005.

FLOYD, IA - Investigators have returned to Evelyn Miller's apartment complex to conduct additional searches in the child's disappearance and death.

The 5-year-old rural Floyd girl disappeared July 1 from the apartment where she lived with her mother, Noel Miller, her mother's fiance, Casey Frederiksen, and two younger brothers.

Her body was found July 6 in the Cedar River, about two miles from her home. Her death has been ruled a homicide, but details have not been released. No arrests have been made.Miller and Frederiksen have since moved from the rural Floyd apartment to one in Charles City.

On Wednesday, investigators with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Floyd County Sheriff's Office spent more than three hours at the complex, the Charles City Press reported Thursday.

Officers searched a double garage, examining clothing, blankets, pillows and a tent stored inside. An area carpet was rolled out in the driveway, and several swabs were taken by agents with the DCI's crime scene investigation unit. The carpet was rolled up and placed back inside the garage.

Investigators also looked in a garage near the back of the complex. Investigators photographed a car inside and examined several pieces of what appeared to be hunting clothing.

They also opened the doors of another car parked outside the garage and photographed the interior.

Investigators then went into the apartment complex.

Floyd County Sheriff Rick Lynch, who arrived at the complex at about 1:30 p.m., stayed until all investigators left around 3 p.m. Miller returned home from her overnight job July 1 to find the door of her apartment unlocked, Evelyn missing and Frederiksen and the two boys asleep.

Two men who were among the last to see Evelyn alive - friends who stopped by at 2 a.m. to see Frederiksen - have repeatedly stated they left the child unhurt.

[Admin]

Miller fiance cuts wrist
Behavior of murdered girl's family worries new neighbors

By: Orlan Love - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette Sept. 23, 2005.

CHARLES CITY, IA - Noel Miller, whose 5-year-old daughter Evelyn was murdered in July, said last night that her fiance, Casey Frederiksen, cut his own wrist with a knife Wednesday out of frustration with pressure from law enforcement officers and their failure to find Evelyn's killer.

"When he is hurting, he hurts himself," Miller said.

Frederiksen had been reading a newspaper article in which Evelyn's father, Andy Christie of Waterloo, had been critical of her and Frederiksen's parenting, just before he cut his wrist, Miller said.

She said it took six stitches to close the cut. Frederiksen is recovering in a Mason City hospital and should be released by Monday, Miller said.

Evelyn disappeared July 1 from the apartment in rural Floyd where she lived with her mother, Frederiksen and two young brothers. Her body was found July 6 in the Cedar River, about two miles from her home. Details about how and when she was killed have not been released. No arrests have been made.

Miller and her fiance subsequently moved to Charles City, where Miller said her neighbors on E Street have treated her and Frederiksen with suspicion and hostility.

"They stand outside and watch us all the time," she said.

Miller said she and Frederiksen will move if and when they regain custody of their two young sons, who were removed from their home by the Department of Human Services.

That won't be too soon for neighbor Teresa Krueze, 35, who said living next door to Miller and Frederiksen is "crazy, scary and intense. You never know what's going to happen next."

Since the couple moved in two months ago, Krueze said, she fears for the safety of her sons, ages 4 and 10.

"My children don't walk out the door without me," she said.

Blair Bridges, who lives with Krueze, said he put up a fence to protect the two boys and his dog from Miller and Frederiksen.

Lance Miemi, 25, said his new neighbor's behavior prompted him to install a security light on his garage.

Miemi said he heard screaming and bickering at the Miller and Frederiksen home about 7 p.m. Wednesday. After police and medics arrived, Miemi said he saw a police officer throw a knife into the front yard. Then, he said, he saw Frederiksen run out the back door. "Two cops took him down and handcuffed him," he said.

Frederiksen, with a bandage on his wrist, then was put on a stretcher and taken to a hospital, Miemi said.

He said he has often heard Miller and Frederiksen engaged in loud arguments. "She swears at us and flips us off," he said.

Miemi said his neighbor's alleged erratic behavior worries him.

"I'm way scared for my children's safety," he said.

Tabitha Miemi, 23, said she gets up once or twice a night to make sure the doors are locked.

"We don't let our kids out to play much because of the whole thing," Tabitha Miemi said.

[Admin]

Inquiry leads to child porn charge
Fiance of slain girl's mother pleads not guilty

By: Dorothy de Souza Guedes - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette Oct. 1, 2005.

CHICAGO, IA - Casey Frederiksen, whose fiance's 5-year-old daughter, Evelyn Miller, was murdered in July, pleaded not guilty Friday to a federal child pornography charge.

Frederiksen, 26, of Charles City, was arrested about 10 p.m. Thursday in New Hampton and transported to the Linn County Jail.

In a courtroom packed with U.S. District Court personnel and reporters, but none of his family and friends, Frederiksen made a brief initial appearance wearing shackles and chains. U.S. Magistrate Paul Zoss appointed the federal defender's office to represent him.

Frederiksen was charged with possession of child pornography for having images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a computer hard drive manufactured outside Iowa.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Teig said additional details could not be released, including how old the minors shown are and what activity is depicted. Child pornography is evaluated case by case and no hard and fast guidelines exist for filing federal versus state charges, but prosecuting the cases is a high federal priority, Teig said.

Floyd County Attorney Marilyn Dettmer said in a statement released Friday that the investigation into Evelyn's death continues to be a high priority. "Even though the cases are separate, it is obvious that the facts of each have an impact on the other," Dettmer said.

No one has been charged in Evelyn's murder.

Frederiksen, who is engaged to Evelyn's mother, Noel Miller, was home baby-sitting Evelyn and her two younger brothers on July 1 when Evelyn disappeared from their rural Floyd County apartment. (Miller and Frederiksen have since moved to Charles City.) Evelyn's body was found five days later along the Cedar River about two miles north of Charles City.

During the investigation into Evelyn's disappearance and death, Frederiksen's computer hard drive was turned over to investigators. Two weeks ago, Frederiksen told KCRG-TV9 reporter Mark Geary that there wasn't any "kiddie porn" on the computer, just four years' worth of digital family pictures.

Last week, Frederiksen was taken to the hospital after he cut his wrists at his Charles City home.

Noel Miller said the following day that Frederiksen cut his wrists out of frustration with police and their failure to find her daughter's killer. Though absent from the courtroom Friday, Frederiksen's family but offered support.

Sandy Kuykendall, Frederiksen's mother, told KCRG-TV9: "He's my son and I still love him. If he did ... if he did anything wrong, I am backing him because mothers don't give up on their son."

Brandi Hoffman, Frederiksen's sister, issued a written statement on behalf of his family. It said:

"Our family is saddened by this turn of events. However, we do urge the public to remember that an indictment is simply an allegation, not proof of wrongdoing. Casey is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"We also urge the public to keep in mind that this is an indictment for possession of child pornography and not an indictment for homicide. We remind everyone that Casey passed a polygraph examination on July 2 and was cleared by authorities. We have no reason to believe that Casey is responsible for Evelyn's death or that Evelyn was the subject of the

pornography in question ...

"We remain confident that investigators will solve Evelyn's homicide and that Casey will not be charged with that crime."

Frederiksen is scheduled to be in court Monday for a bail hearing.

If convicted on the federal child pornography charge, Frederiksen could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

[Admin]

1,000 images of porn found
Fiance of dead girl's mom admits that he molested girl at 13

By: Dorothy de Souza Guedes - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette Oct. 4, 2005.

CHICAGO, IA -Casey Frederiksen, whose fiance's 5-year-old daughter, Evelyn Miller, was murdered in July, is accused of hiding his computer hard drive with more than 1,000 images of child pornography in a box of garbage bags and giving it to a neighbor during the investigation into Evelyn's disappearance and death.

Frederiksen, 26, of Charles City, was ordered to stay in jail pending a December trial date on a federal child pornography charge because of the number and types of images he is accused of possessing and because Frederiksen had admitted that he had molested a girl at age 13.

Before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge John Jarvey entered the courtroom Monday afternoon, Frederiksen chatted with Evelyn's mother, Noel Miller, who pleaded with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Berry to release Frederiksen and called out in the courtroom, "Let him go, Sean," then later, "Let him go."

But Berry asked the magistrate to detain Frederiksen. The evidence that Frederiksen is guilty of possessing child pornography is strong, Berry said, calling him "a danger to children."

In 1992, Frederiksen admitted to Charles City police that he had repeatedly molested a girl, Berry said, but didn't say how old the girl was or what her relationship was to Frederiksen.

Federal public defender Jane Kelly asked the magistrate to consider Frederiksen's young age then and "look at the way he has lived his adult life and take that more seriously." Berry said a woman with whom Frederiksen lived saw him watching a clip of naked teens and found at least one image of child pornography on the computer. She moved out, then moved back in after Frederiksen assured her that the pictures resulted from a computer virus and he had gotten rid of them.

Miller has lived with Frederiksen at least four years.

No evidence of a computer virus was found on the hard drive after the neighbor turned it over to investigators in August, Berry said. The hard drive, which Frederiksen said was his, had more movies depicting sexual abuse of minors than Berry has seen in any other case, he said. Included were stills of prepubescent minors having intercourse with adults, which a federal appeals court categorizes as "sadistic and violent," Berry said.

After investigators obtained the computer hard drive, Frederiksen cut his left forearm. Frederiksen has been seeing a psychologist, who said he was not a risk to society, Kelly said. He has complied with Iowa Department of Human Services' rules since the two sons he has with Miller were placed in foster care after Evelyn's death in July, Kelly said.

This is not a situation where Frederiksen is dodging his mental health issues, Kelly said. "He has them and he's trying to address them," she said.

Kelly pointed out that Frederiksen's mother, sister and father were in the courtroom, in addition to Miller. Frederiksen's father, Dennis King, offered to let his son live with him in Charles City upon his release.

As Frederiksen walked down a hallway outside the courtroom in shackles after Jarvey ordered him back to jail, Miller called out, "I love you."

Frederiksen's child pornography trial date has been set for Dec. 5. He is being held in the Linn County Jail.

No one had been charged in Evelyn's death.

Last week Floyd County Attorney Marilyn Dettmer said the murder and child pornography cases are separate, but the facts of each affect the other.

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New jury explores familiar ground

By: Dorothy de Souza Guedes - The Gazette
Originally published in The Gazette Oct. 28, 2005.

CHICAGO, IA - A new grand jury questioned members of Evelyn Miller's extended family Thursday in what is seemingly an ongoing probe into child pornography found on a computer hard drive used in the murdered 5-year-old girl's Floyd County home.

Casey Frederiksen, of Charles City, who is engaged to Evelyn's mother, Noel Miller, was charged in U.S. District Court last month with possession of child pornography.Investigators found more than 1,000 images of child pornography on the computer hard drive that Frederiksen gave to a neighbor for safekeeping the morning Evelyn was reported missing.

The neighbor turned over the hard drive to police. Frederiksen is in jail awaiting a Dec. 5 trial.

Grand jury proceedings are not open to the public.

But Jeremiah Christie, whose brother, Andy Christie of Waterloo, is Evelyn's father, said he was again asked about Frederiksen's drug use and computer and very little about Miller.

The grand jurors who heard him testify Thursday afternoon were different from the ones he appeared before last month and who returned the indictment against Frederiksen. However, the questions were similar in both his appearances, he said.

Andy Christie, Evelyn's father, and Frederiksen's parents also went before the grand jury but did not speak with reporters.

Evelyn's grandparents, Richard and Linda Christie of Des Moines, did not testify but were at the federal courthouse to lend support to their sons, Andy and Jeremiah. They believe the investigations into Evelyn's death and the child pornography are separate but intertwined.

Evelyn's body was discovered July 6 along the Cedar River about two miles from home. No one has been charged in her death.

Miller reported her daughter missing July 1 when she returned to their Floyd apartment after an overnight shift. Frederiksen had been home with Evelyn and the two younger sons he has with Miller.

Floyd County Attorney Marilyn Dettmer and the Division of Criminal Investigation have released few details about the nearly four-month investigation. But the family believes someone will be arrested in the murder "within a fairly short period of time, and that's what we're looking forward to," Richard Christie said.

The family is upset about how the Department of Human Services handled four years of abuse reports on Evelyn.

"Floyd County DHS has Evelyn's blood on their hands as much as the person who killed her," Linda Christie said. "And I can say that because I've seen some of their reports. They did the minimum."

She also faults Gov. Tom Vilsack for his "outrageous" statement that he found no signs that Evelyn was in danger after he reviewed the DHS case files after her murder.

"I'm still waiting for an apology from the governor," she said.

She said she feels guilty for not realizing how unsafe her granddaughter's home was: "If I had known that she was living in such an unsafe environment, I would have taken her myself and suffered the consequences. But we had no idea."

Family members said they would continue to talk about Evelyn and her murder because they don't want her to be forgotten.

Linda Christie said it's very difficult to see Halloween costumes and realize her oldest grandchild, who would have turned 6 on Aug. 22, won't be alive to trick or treat.

"She probably would be a princess," Linda Christie said. "She loved to be a princess or a dancer or a ballerina."

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Frederiksen pleads not guilty to porn charges

Originally published November 23, 2005.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Casey Frederiksen pleaded not guilty to 14 child pornography charges
Tuesday in federal court in Cedar Rapids and asked for an April trial date because of the complexity of the case.

Frederiksen, 26, of Charles City, was indicted in September on one count of possession of child pornography for having more than 1,000 sexually explicit images of minors. Last week, 13 additional charges - one for possession and 12 for receiving child pornography - were filed.

In court on Tuesday, Federal Public Defender Jane Kelly asked Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge John Jarvey to reschedule Frederiksen's trial, set for Jan. 3, for no sooner than April because the forensic analysis will take a significant amount of time.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Berry, who is prosecuting the case, did not object to the trial being reset. Jarvey said he will look at the trial schedule and set an appropriate date for Frederiksen's case.

Frederiksen is accused of having the sexually explicit images of minors on a computer hard drive and computer disk. The hard drive was given to a neighbor for safekeeping the morning his fiance's daughter was reported missing, then later turned over to investigators, according
to court records.

Evelyn Miller, 5, disappeared on July 1 from the rural Floyd apartment Frederiksen shared with the girl's mother, Noel Miller, and the two sons they had together, while Frederiksen was baby-sitting. Evelyn's body was found in the Cedar River about two miles from her home on July 6. No one has been charged in her disappearance or death.

Frederiksen has been in federal custody at the Linn County Jail since his September arrest.

If convicted on all 14 charges, he faces five to 260 years in prison and up to life on supervised release following his release.

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Angel statue tribute to slain girl

Originally published December 20, 2005.

FLOYD, IA -Miller disappeared from her home July 1. Her body was found five days later along the Cedar River near Floyd, less than two miles from her home.

The statue, unveiled Sunday during a dedication ceremony, carries a medallion bearing the face of Evelyn Miller.

Pamela Hill, 32, of Clear Lake, said she was moved to memorialize Miller after following her story in the news.

"It was heart-wrenching, I couldn't stop thinking about her," said Hill, a
mother of four. "I had nightmare after nightmare. If it was one of my children ... what a wonderful gift to have her immortalized like that." Hill said Sunday's ceremony was kept private out of respect for Miller's family.

Floyd Mayor Trevis O'Connell said he was contacted by Hill the day after Miller's body was found.

"I think it's a good idea," he said of the statue. "If anything, it will be a reminder to parents to be more careful."

Hill said several people donated to the project, but she is still about $1,200 short of the total cost. The rest, she said, is charged to her personal credit card.

She said she received about 15 cards and letters with donations. More money was collected in donation cans that were set up around the area, Hill said.

Miller's death was ruled a homicide, but few details of her death have been released, and no arrests have been made.

Casey Frederiksen, 26, who was the live-in fiance of Miller's mother, Noel Miller, is facing 14 counts of child pornography in federal court.

Trial is scheduled for April 3 in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.