DULUTH – An attempted murder conviction will stand for a Duluth man who shot a woman after being shorted $20 in a meth deal in 2017, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Joshua Leigh Miller, 27, shot a woman "at close range" after breaking into her house in July 2017 the day after a drug deal, according to court records. Miller had paid $80 for 1.75 grams of meth but found it short; the victim said she would give $20 of her own money by the following week.
Miller was convicted of attempted second-degree murder, second-degree assault and third-degree assault in August 2018. He was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison.
In the appeal, Miller's attorneys argued he did not intend to kill the victim, who survived the shooting. In Monday's ruling, the appeals court disagreed.
"We conclude that the state's evidence is sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Miller acted with intent to kill the victim," Judge Matthew E. Johnson wrote.
Brooks Johnson
