Warren J. Miller
November 24, 2006
Akron, Ohio
October 23, 2007
My brother, Warren J. Miller, 37, was a welder moonlighting as a cab driver. He loved driving cab because he got to talk to people. He was moonlighting in order to make both ends meet in order to support himself and his son.
He was shot and killed the day after Thanksgiving in his cab, the third cab to be called to the same address, that evening. He was shot in the back of the head by a 17 year old male from Cleveland, Ohio, who had been staying with relatives. The teen plead guilty and was given life in prison with the possibility of parole in 36 years for his crime. Warren however was sentenced to death at age 37 and his family was sentenced to a life sentence without him.
During my brother's funeral service, his son (age 11), said " My father's life was like a chandelier, some crystals bright and shiny and others dusty." How true it is for us all, that our lives have bright spots and others dusty. I can only speak for myself when I say, Warren was a bright spot in my life and I will miss him forever!
If you are a cab driver and are reading this, please be careful out there!
Respectfully submitted,
Stephanie Miller
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Plain Dealer
Cleveland, Ohio
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Cab driver found shot to death in his taxi on street in Akron
Akron- A cab driver was shot and killed Friday on Akron's east side.
Police were notified of the shooting by a man who said he noticed a City Yellow Cab idling near Pondview and Elinor avenues shortly before 9 p.m. He went closer to investigate because it appeared no one was inside, said Lt. Rick Edwards, police information officer.
When the man looked into the cab, he saw the driver slumped onto the passenger seat and bleeding from the head, Edwards said.
Police did not release the victim's name, because his family had not been contacted. Edwards said it appeared the driver had been responding to a call in the neighborhood, but it was not clear whether he had picked up a passenger.
Neighbors told police that they heard shots but did not see the crime, Edwards said. The motive for the shooting remained unknown.
Edward said the body was taken to the Summit County medical examiner's office for an autopsy.
A man identifying himself as a manager at City Yellow Cab declined to comment.
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Akron Beacon Journal
Sat, Nov. 25, 2006
Cabdriver shot, killed in Akron
AKRON: Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a cabdriver Friday night near Pondview Avenue and Elinor Avenue.
The name of the man was not released, pending notification of family.
Akron Police Department spokesman Rick Edwards said the cabdriver was found inside his vehicle about 9 p.m.
``The body was inside the cab and it's all being taken directly to the coroner's office,'' he said.
The driver worked for City Yellow Cab.
A spokesman for the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau said the motive for the shooting is unknown. The case is being treated as a homicide.
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Akron Beacon Journal
Mon, Nov. 27, 2006
Teen held in shooting of cabbie appears in court
Beacon Journal staff report
The teen suspect in the slaying of an Akron taxi driver made his first court appearance Monday.
Darnail Carlisle, 17, of Cleveland appeared before Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio Monday morning in a preliminary hearing where the four separate charges in connection to the shooting death of Warren J. Miller, 37, were explained to the defendant.
Carlisle, who was charged with delinquency by reason of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, complicity to commit murder, and tampering with evidence, entered a denial plea to the charges.
Judge Teodosio set a pretrial hearing for Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m.
A probable cause hearing to determine if Carlisle will be tried as an adult will be held at 9 a.m., Dec. 21.
The cabdriver, Miller, 37, of Brittain Road, was found shot in the head in his City Yellow Cab about 9 p.m. Friday in what police said appears to have been a robbery attempt in the 1400 block of Pondview Avenue in East Akron.
Carlisle was arrested a short time later at an address on Sara Avenue in Akron. A weapon was recovered when he was arrested, police said.
Carlisle is being held at the Summit County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Ohio.com
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The Plain Dealer
(Cleveland, Ohio)
November 26, 2006
Local boy held in Akron cabbie's slaying
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Donna J. Miller
Plain Dealer Reporter
Akron- A Cleveland teen who was visiting his aunt in Akron is accused of killing a cab driver.
Darnail Carlisle, 17, of East 156th Street in Cleveland, was arrested Saturday morning at his aunt's house on Sara Avenue, Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said.
Carlisle is accused of shooting City Yellow Cab driver Warren J. Miller, 37, in the head. Miller died in the driver's seat of his car. A passer-by found him near the intersection of Pondview and Elinor avenues about 8:50 p.m. Friday.
The passenger door was open and Carlisle was slumped over, with a bullet wound to the right side of his head, Edwards said.
Miller had been called to Akron's east side to pick up someone.
The cab company received three calls Friday for cabs to go to a specific Pondview address, but residents at the address did not place the calls, Edwards said.
Officers arrested Carlisle after talking with neighbors and gathering descriptions of a suspect seen running from the area of the car after residents heard a gunshot, Edwards said.
The cab was "a stone's throw away" from Carlisle's aunt's house, Edwards said.
Carlisle is charged with delinquency by reason of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence, for hiding a gun in his aunt's stairwell, police said.
He is at the Summit County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Miller's funeral is being handled by Allmon Dugger Cotton Funeral Home in Carrollton, Ohio.
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The Akron Beacon Journal
(Akron, Ohio)
November 27, 2006
Teen held in shooting of cabbie appears in court
Beacon Journal staff report
The teen suspect in the slaying of an Akron taxi driver made his first court appearance Monday.
Darnail Carlisle, 17, of Cleveland appeared before Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio Monday morning in a preliminary hearing where the four separate charges in connection to the shooting death of Warren J. Miller, 37, were explained to the defendant.
Carlisle, who was charged with delinquency by reason of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, complicity to commit murder, and tampering with evidence, entered a denial plea to the charges.
Judge Teodosio set a pretrial hearing for Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m.
A probable cause hearing to determine if Carlisle will be tried as an adult will be held at 9 a.m., Dec. 21.
The cabdriver, Miller, 37, of Brittain Road, was found shot in the head in his City Yellow Cab about 9 p.m. Friday in what police said appears to have been a robbery attempt in the 1400 block of Pondview Avenue in East Akron.
Carlisle was arrested a short time later at an address on Sara Avenue in Akron. A weapon was recovered when he was arrested, police said.
Carlisle is being held at the Summit County Juvenile Detention Facility.
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The Plain Dealer
(Cleveland, Ohio)
November 28, 2006
Two drivers went to Akron home before part-time cabbie who died
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Karen Farkas
Plain Dealer Reporter
Akron -- A welder on weekdays, Warren Miller drove a cab nearly every Saturday for five years to make a few extra bucks.
Last Friday, with his company closed for the holiday, he showed up at 6 p.m. at the City Yellow Cab Co. for a shift. He was killed several hours later in an apparent robbery.
It was likely the robber got less than $50, said the cab company's president.
Darnail Carlisle, 17, of Cleveland, arrested while hiding in bushes near where Miller died, appeared in Summit County Juvenile Court on Monday. He denied charges of delinquency by reason of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence. A ruling will be made at a hearing on Dec. 21 on whether he will be tried as an adult.
Miller, who lived alone and had an 11-year-old son in Michigan, worked as a welder at JBR Attachments in Akron for the past two years, said his friend and co-worker Glen Lane.
"He loved life to the fullest and was a good guy," Lane said on Monday.
Miller worked at JBR from 3:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m..
As a cab driver, Miller worked as a subcontractor, paying for the use of the cab and miles driven and keeping the fares, said Derek McClenathen, president of the cab company.
Lane said Miller told him he made several hundred dollars on Saturday nights driving a cab and invited Lane to ride along on Friday to see if he was interested. Lane said Miller called at 7:30 p.m. Friday and he begged off. When he called Miller's cell phone at 8:15 p.m., there was no answer.
Lt. Rick Edwards said calls were made to the cab company at 6, 7 and 8:10 p.m. for a cab to go to the same address on Pondview Avenue.
The first two drivers parked outside the home, honked their horns, then left when no one came out, McClenathen said. Miller, 37, responded to the third call.
Matthew Stout, 19, was walking on Pondview around 8:40 p.m. when he saw a cab with its lights on stopped in the intersection at Elinor Avenue, Edwards said. He saw the front passenger door open and a man slumped over. He ran to a nearby pay phone and called police at 8:53 p.m.
Miller was shot in the head. About 20 officers canvassed the neighborhood. Carlisle's aunt, who lived in an apartment in a nearby home and was not identified by police, gave information that led officers to look for Carlisle, Edwards said.
Several hours later, with police still at the scene, Carlisle returned to his aunt's home and was found in bushes. A gun was found on a back stairwell leading to another apartment in the home, Edwards said. He said Carlisle has a prior juvenile conviction of receiving stolen property.
Edwards said police are reviewing phone and cab company records to see if the three calls came from the same phone. He said it is not known if any money was taken.
Lane said Miller told him he only carried about $40, enough to make change, and hid the rest in his car.
McClenathen said drivers have been robbed, but the last time one was killed was in the 1970s.
Services for Miller will be in Carrollton, where he grew up. His family could not be reached for comment.
Lane said Miller, who enjoyed skydiving, lived life on the edge.
"Fear was not a factor for him," he said. "This was a total shock."
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The Beacon Journal
(Akron, Ohio)
November 28, 2006
Teenager denies slaying
17-year-old in Summit Juvenile Court in shooting of cabbie; gunman never got in vehicle, police say
By Carl Chancellor
Beacon Journal staff writer
The Cleveland teenager charged in the slaying of an Akron cabdriver made his first appearance in court Monday.
Darnail Carlisle, 17, appeared before Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio in a preliminary hearing where the four charges in the shooting death of Warren J. Miller, 37, were explained to the teen.
Carlisle, who is charged with delinquency by reason of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, complicity to commit murder and tampering with evidence, entered a plea denying guilt.
Teodosio set a pretrial hearing for 3:30 p.m. Dec. 13. A probable cause hearing to determine whether Carlisle will be tried as an adult is to be held at 9 a.m. Dec. 21.
Miller, 37, of Brittain Road, was found shot in the head in his City Yellow Cab in the 1400 block of Pondview Avenue in East Akron about 9 p.m. Friday in what police said appears to have been a robbery attempt.
The mood at City Yellow Cab was subdued Monday, according to company owner Derek McClenathen.
``The first thing you think is `It could have been me.'... We are a close family here, no different than the police. We are one big fraternity,'' McClenathen said.
``Our dispatcher is really shaken up.''
McClenathen said Miller was a part-time driver, working mainly on Saturdays.
``He had been working here off and on for about five years,'' McClenathen said.
He speculated that Miller was working Friday night ``to make an extra little money.''
At least one former City Yellow cabbie who didn't want to be named called the Beacon Journal to express his sympathy to Miller's family and to point out that City Yellow Cab taxis are not equipped with safety-glass partitions.
But McClenathen said most of his drivers don't like the partitions because they cut them off from passengers. ``They like the friendliness of talking to passengers.... We have looked at it at different times, but unless you put bulletproof glass in all the windows, it won't do much good.''
Speaking of the shooter, McClenathen said, ``It was my understanding that he never got in the cab.''
According to police, Miller was found slumped on the front seat toward the passenger compartment. The passenger's-side front door was open, Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said.
Edwards said the shooter ``was never inside the cab.''
A passer-by called police after noticing the cab with its lights on and the driver slumped inside.
Carlisle was arrested a short time later at a residence on Sara Avenue in Akron. Police said a weapon was recovered during the arrest.
Carlisle is being held in the Summit County Juvenile Detention Facility.
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The Beacon Journal
(Akron, Ohio)
December 21, 2006
Boy to be tried as adult in death of cabdriver
The 17-year-old Cleveland boy charged in the shooting death of an Akron cabdriver will be tried as an adult, Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio ruled today.
Darnail Carlisle, who will turn 18 in February, waived the right to a probable cause hearing.
Carlisle was arrested Nov. 24 shortly after police found Warren J. Miller, 37, of Brittain Road, dead of a gunshot wound to the head in his City Yellow Cab. He was found in the 1400 block of Pondview Avenue in East Akron at about 9 p.m.
Carlisle will be held at the Juvenile Justice Center until his 18th birthday, when he will be transferred to the Summit County Jail, said Don Ursetti, director of community outreach for the juvenile court.
His bail was set at $1 million cash.
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The Akron Beacon Journal
(Akron, Ohio)
May 3, 2007
Man pleads guilty in cabdriver slaying
AKRON: An 18-year-old Cleveland man pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and aggravated robbery on Wednesday in the November shooting of Akron cabdriver Warren J. Miller.
Darnail Carlisle, who was 17 at the time of the offense, could receive life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced Wednesday by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer.
Miller, 37, who drove a City Yellow Cab as a second job to make extra money, was found shot in the head in the 1800 block of Pondview Avenue in East Akron on Nov. 24.
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Akron Beacon Journal
(Akron, Ohio)
May 10, 2007
Judge cries at sentencing, gives less than maximum
Associated Press
AKRON, Ohio - A judge cried as the family of a dead taxicab driver asked that his killer spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance for parole, but the judge refused, saying state law required her to impose less than the maximum.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer cried Wednesday while listening to statements by relatives of the victim, Warren J. Miller, 37, of Akron. He was shot in the back of his head in his taxicab by Darnail Carlisle, 18, of Cleveland, on the day after Thanksgiving.
The judge said the defendant's difficult childhood meant she was required by law to give him life with a chance at parole in 36 years.
Carlisle's lawyers highlighted social-services reports that said he had bounced between foster homes and had been physically and sexually abused as a child.
Miller's mother, Gayle, was unmoved. "There are people who have had harder lives and didn't kill no one," she said after the sentencing.
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