Still no public release of video

Two days after questions were posed here about whether a second man in a Crime Stoppers video is a high-ranking law enforcement officer in Iredell County, the video still has not been publicly released.

Suspicions continue that a man in the video of suspected thief Jamie Miller – recently aired on WSOC-TV – bears resemblance to Capt. Harold Miller (Jamie Miller’s dad) who supervises the criminal warrant service unit and patrol division of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department. Jamie Miller is being sought by Lincoln and Iredell County police. In Lincoln, he is accused of stealing gift cards from a woman in church; the Crime Stoppers video, according to police, captures Miller in a restaurant, using a stolen gift card for his purchase.

Asked in e-mails over the past two days to confirm or deny whether it is him in the video, Harold Miller wrote in an e-mail to the Report today: “A simple answer to your simple question is NO it's not me."

As of today, a second video has apparently surfaced, which according to Donna Swicegood of the Statesville Record & Landmark “shows Harold Miller was in Mooresville 2 minutes after his son used the card at the Zaxby's in Lincolnton.” This new video was apparently captured at the courthouse in Mooresville (the Iredell County Government Center).

Swicegood said the sheriff’s department showed the new video to the Record & Landmark and WSOC-TV. After viewing both videos, Swicegood concluded: “Harold is clearly shown in the one from the government center. And the one from Lincolnton doesn't look anything like him.”

Asked if the Record & Landmark plans to post both original videos – time-stamped and dated – to its website, Swicegood said she didn’t know.

She said “Harold is in the video at the (Mooresville) government center at 3:12 p.m.”

But the time-stamp on the Lincoln County restaurant surveillance video offered little help in determining where Miller was at the time, because apparently, the time stamp was inaccurate. “The restaurant video is time stamped but it's clearly the wrong time because it is stamped early in the morning, like 3 a.m or something when Zaxby's is not open,” Swicegood said.

She said Lincolnton PD records the time of the crime in the restaurant as 3:11 p.m., which would mean Harold Miller was in Mooresville at the time his son used the gift card in Lincolnton. It is unclear at this time how the Lincolnton Police Department pinpointed the time of the crime at 3:11 p.m. and what documentation has been provided to substantiate that.

Swicegood said WSOC recorded the videos that the Sheriff’s Department showed today and that the news station plans to air both videos. It’s unclear when the videos will play on Channel 9.

Capt. Darren Campbell – who supervises criminal investigations, community policing and lake enforcement for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department – e-mailed the Report yesterday in an effort to set up a meeting this morning with the sheriff. In a reply, I expressed my appreciation to both Campbell and Redmond for their willingness to meet and accommodate my schedule. However, as most readers know, I do not participate in closed-door meetings with government officials. I added in my reply to the sheriff and Campbell: “I’m sure the sheriff would agree that having written answers to the questions I posed would be in the best interest of everyone involved. The questions are simple and straight-forward, and they warrant simple, straight-forward answers.”

I also thanked the two men for offering to share the information they have in regard to this particular case. “I look forward to receiving the information and hope it clears up this situation once and for all,” I concluded.

But no one responded to that e-mail. The information was not shared. And still, neither video is available for public viewing.

Mid-day today, the Report e-mailed Redmond, asking if he planned to add the two videos from Zaxby's and the courthouse to the sheriff's website to help calm some of the suspicions that have been circulating the past couple weeks.

Redmond’s response: “Thank you for your email. I had a message emailed to you yesterday requesting you come and meet at the Sheriff's Office so you could look over several items of interest from this investigation. I invited you first because, I wanted you to see all the evidence before anyone, since you asked me to answer some questions first. I was made aware of your policy which will not allow that type of meeting. I was sorry, to hear that you did not want to meet and review all the evidence in the case.”

In response, the Report asked the sheriff – again – if he planned to add the two videos to the Sheriff’s Department website. So far, that e-mail has gone unanswered.

Redmond had told the Report earlier in the day that he has a copy of the original Crime Stoppers video. “I received a copy of the original video and your request the same day,” he said, adding that he “ordered an internal investigation into this matter” after being contacted by WSOC.

Redmond said the man in the Crime Stoppers video is “absolutely not” Harold Miller. “Based on evidence that we have and are willing to make available to you, it is proven this is not Captain Miller. I am again extending you an invitation to come and view the evidence.”

It is unclear why Redmond will not post “the evidence” on his websites or in an e-mail.

When asked if the Sheriff’s Department has video-enhancement equipment that could enhance the Crime Stoppers surveillance footage and clear up suspicions about the man on the clip, Redmond acknowledged that the department has such equipment. However, he said, “The video did not need enhancing. It was very clear from the first time it was reviewed; the man in the video was not Captain Miller.

“Based on our investigation which Captain Miller cooperated with, he was at another location in Mooresville on secured video, approximately one minute prior to the man in the video using the card in Lincolnton. We will assist Lincolnton Police Department in any way if requested.”

Redmond also posted a statement today on his Facebook page and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department website which reads in full:

“My agency was contacted by WSOC-TV in Charlotte late last week in reference to reports that they had received about a video clip the Lincolnton Police Department requested them to run to assist them in an investigation that they were conducting. In the video there were two men, one was the suspect and the other was a by-stander.

“Questions came to WSOC-TV that the by-stander was an employee of my office.

“An internal investigation was conducted based on this inquiry. It is the policy of this office not to release any information while an investigation in ongoing.

“Several questions have been raised in various media outlets wanting information and several rumors were started.

“Based on information that was uncovered during the investigation it has been proven beyond any doubt that the person in the video clip WSOC-TV aired, was not an employee of my office. My employee was in the courthouse in Mooresville. He is seen on encrypted tamper proof security camera footage at 3:12 pm. The crime occurred in Lincolnton at 3:11 pm.

“I have been asked specific questions by a freelance media outlet and have answered them. I have made it clear on numerous occasions that I would meet with her and show her the evidence. My office received correspondence from her. She stated she would not ‘Participate in closed-door meetings.’ My door is open and I am willing to provide any and all evidence that was gathered to prove my employee was not involved in this matter to anyone.

“Because of the rumors and speculation that have swirled around this issue I am coming forward with this information to put these questions to rest.

Thank you,
Sheriff Phillip H. Redmond”

Hopefully the sheriff will make the videos publicly available soon. Once he posts them, we’ll link to them here.

***Added Friday, March 5, at 10:08 a.m. - Despite the Statesville Record & Landmark and WSOC-TV apparently meeting with Sheriff Phil Redmond yesterday to view the newly surfaced video from the Mooresville courthouse, as of this morning, no stories are posted on either website. Once they print/air their information, I'll link to the stories here.****