*** MEDIA ADVISORY***May 1, 2013MARK MILLER WAS SHOT, STUFFED IN A BARRELL AND DUMPED IN THE RIVER – BUSINESS PARTNER CHARGED WITH MURDER Media Contact: Curtis T. Hill, Jr.  296-1888*** On the 10th day of September, 2012, Dawn Miller reported that her brother, Mark A. Miller, 44, of Elkhart, was missing, and that all individuals that had planned to see him over the weekend preceding claimed to have no knowledge of his whereabouts.  The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department began an initial investigation; however, Mark Miller was not located.  On the 20th day of September, 2012, the lifeless body of Mark Miller was found in a barrel in the St. Joseph River near Six Span Bridge, in Elkhart County, Indiana.  An autopsy was performed by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Joseph Prahlow, M.D., who determined that Miller died as a result of a gunshot wound. The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department’s initial investigation documented that Mr. Miller owned and operated a tattoo business on the southeastern side of Elkhart and was last reported seen around 11:00 p.m. on the 7th day of September, 2012.  Mr. Miller’s business partner, Todd A. Stewart, 35, of Bristol, originally advised he had been working with Mr. Miller on the evening of September 7, but left the shop between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, at which time Mr. Miller was on his cellular phone.  Stewart further provided information regarding what vehicle he had been driving, what he did, where he was located, and other facts and circumstances of his activities of that night. As the investigation progressed, several other individuals reported they had observed Todd Stewart driving a red Dodge pickup truck on the 7th day of September, 2012, and that it had been at the tattoo shop on the evening Miller disappeared.  One witness specifically remembered having to remove an empty 55 gallon barrel from the bed of the truck before borrowing it on the evening of the 7th.  That same witness reported that he borrowed the red Dodge truck again on the morning of the 8th day of September, 2012, from Stewart’s home, and observed that there was damage to the truck, the bed appeared to have been cleaned, and there was a new “barrel cart” now in the back of the truck, but no 55 gallon barrel.             Investigators utilized detailed cellular phone records of Todd Stewart to determine the geographic locations of the cellular towers which were relaying cellular service to Stewart’s cellular phone on the night of September 7 – 8, 2012.  In addition, investigators obtained a video surveillance recording from the Meijer store approximately 1 mile from the tattoo shop which shows Todd Stewart at Meijer at approximately 1:45 a.m. purchasing several items, including a dolly hand truck.  While comparing those records with Todd Stewart’s original documented statement, investigators found that Mr. Stewart’s reported whereabouts and activities on the night of September 7-8, 2012, were inconsistent with those records.            Investigators interviewed a business associate of Todd Stewart and Mark Miller, who advised that he was also at the shop the night of September 7, 2012, during which time he personally observed Todd Stewart shoot Mark Miller with a specific silver and black handgun outside the back door of the tattoo shop at approximately 11:20 p.m.  Thereafter, the business associate admitted that he helped Todd Stewart load a barrel containing the deceased body of Mark Miller into the back of Stewart’s truck.              Upon completion of the investigation, the Sheriff’s Department forwarded their findings to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of Elkhart County.  The prosecuting attorney has charged Todd A. Stewart with the murder of Mark A. Miller and a warrant was issued for Stewart’s arrest.  Stewart was taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Department this afternoon and an initial hearing will be scheduled for Thursday morning, May 2, 2013, in the Elkhart Circuit Court.             Murder is punishable by up to 65 years imprisonment.                                                                          ***  Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.