Columbia Heights murder suspect caught in Chicago

The suspect in a violent murder of a man in a Columbia Heights apartment was arrested Friday by the FBI in Chicago, authorities confirmed.

Phillip Leron Miller, 41, had been on the run since Philip Charles Borer Nelson was killed in the early morning hours of April 20 at the LaBelle Park Condos on 41st Avenue NE. Miller was charged with second-degree murder in Anoka County District Court five days later and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The FBI's Chicago Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force arrested Miller in Lake County, Ill., without incident. He was turned over to local authorities for processing, said spokesman Garrett Croon.

Miller had a Brooklyn Park address but also has ties to the Black Disciples gang on the South Side of Chicago, according to the FBI.

"We appreciate the collaborative law enforcement effort put into this case and are glad that the suspect has been arrested," said Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart. "It gives us peace of mind to know that he is off the streets and will not be able to harm anyone else."

Miller also faces a federal charges for traveling from Minnesota to Chicago to avoid prosecution.

A day after Borer Nelson's death, his mother, Bridget Borer, said her son had gone to his ex-girlfriend's apartment around 3:30 a.m. April 20 to "take care of a few things." Shortly after he arrived, there was a confrontation with Miller. Police found Borer Nelson's body with multiple gunshot wounds behind a couch covered in blood.

"This was a senseless crime that shocked our community," Columbia Heights Police Chief Scott Nadeau said.

Borer Nelson, 31, had been a student adviser for the past three years at his alma mater, the High School for the Recording Arts in St. Paul. He also had started a company called 11 Entertainment and was working on creating videos and becoming a hip-hop producer. He was the father of four children ages 3 to 13.