How Cops and Queers Caught a Serial Killer in 1981

Tell Me, David

Relations between law enforcement and the LGBTQ community were hostile in the decades after Stonewall. Queers breaking out of the closet were often unlucky enough to find themselves handcuffed in the back seat of a police cruiser — picked up in police raids on bars and baths. So, you may be surprised to learn that cops and queers set aside their differences in Los Angeles in 1981, at least long enough to bring a killer to justice.

In this true-crime feature, journalist David Hunt has the story of a West Hollywood manhunt with a Hollywood ending.

Hear retired LAPD Detective Mike Thies recount his relentless efforts to solve a random assault case, ultimately uncovering a sinister pattern: a serial killer targeting gay men in local bars. The episode explores how Thies, in an unprecedented move, sought the help of the gay community to crack the case, marking a profound shift in police-community collaboration.
Despite legal setbacks that saw the suspected killer released twice, Thies and the gay community refused to give up, tracking down witnesses who provided enough evidence to charge the prime suspect, Donald Miller, with multiple murders on Christmas Eve, 1981.
In a deeply personal narrative, Madeline Brancel shares her poignant discovery about the life and death of her uncle, Robert Sanderson, one of Miller's victims. Her journey uncovers not only the tragedy of his untimely death but also the broader societal shifts since then.
David Hunt, who covered the murders as a reporter for Pacifica Radio in the 1980s, brings the story to life through court documents, interviews, archival sound recordings and personal recollections. This feature originally aired on This Way Out: The International LGBTQ Radio Magazine.

Send us a text

David Hunt is an Emmy-winning journalist and documentary producer who has reported on America's culture wars since the 1970s. Explore his blog, Tell Me, David.

פרקים

1. How Cops and Queers Caught a Serial Killer in 1981 (00:00:00)

2. Introduction (00:00:04)

3. Detective Mike Thies investigates an assault case (00:03:03)

4. Thies finds a pattern (00:05:43)

5. Thies reaches out to the gay community (00:08:20)

6. Catching a killer — the first time (00:11:09)

7. Stakeout (00:15:13)

8. Thies goes public (00:18:34)

9. Donald Miller charged with murder (00:21:35)

10. Jury finds Miller guilty (00:24:35)

11. LAPD relations with the gay community (00:27:22)

12. Family ties: the legacy of the case (00:30:24)